811 23rd Avenue E., Bradenton, FL 34208 (941) 747-4655

July 2022 News Updates

MEALS ON WHEELS PLUS OF MANATEE CUTS RIBBON ON NEW BUILDING AND NEW FOOD BANK TRUCK

Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee cut the ribbon on new and renovated facilities as well as a new truck for The Food Bank of Manatee on Monday, June 6th. Many donors made the improvements possible, including generous support from Mosaic Florida Operations who had representatives onsite to cut the ribbon along with Meals on Wheels PLUS Board Members and leaders.

Celebrating its 50th Anniversary, Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee serves thousands of clients through four main programs which include: Home-delivered Meal program, The Food Bank of Manatee, Daybreak Adult Day Center and Friendship Dining Centers.

“This is an exciting day for us—one that has been many, many, years in the making,” said Maribeth Phillips, President & CEO of Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee. “The global pandemic put our critical and life-saving mission in the spotlight, and we are so grateful to our entire community for supporting our mission including board members, volunteers, our amazing staff, donors, grantors, and community partners who have helped get us to where we are today. Our focus is on the future and that is what today is truly about,” she added.


SAVE THE DATE: STUFF THE BUS Presented by Mosaic

The annual Stuff The Bus event, which was started in 2009, was created through the kind hearts of the School District of Manatee County Transportation Staff. They wanted to give back to the community and knew of “Stuff the Bus” events in other cities and suggested placing one school bus in front of one Publix store in Manatee County. The leadership of Publix thought it was a great idea and requested a bus at every Publix store in Manatee County.

Since the first Stuff the Bus event thirteen years ago, this event has evolved to include many Community Partners, including: United Way Suncoast, Publix, Herald-Tribune, the School District of Manatee County, and of course, the Transportation Staff of the School District.

We are thrilled to have Mosaic as our presenting sponsor this year. All proceeds and donated food will benefit The Food Bank of Manatee, a PLUS program of Meals on Wheels PLUS. Please stop by your local Publix in Manatee to support this event.

Sunday, October 23, 2022
9:00am-3:00pm
All Manatee County Publix Locations

Goal: Raise 150,000 pounds of food to feed Manatee County residents!


SPREADING JOY USING PB&J

The Concession announced that they were honored to host a food drive from June 10th -July 15th to benefit The Food Bank of Manatee, a PLUS program of Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee. During the summer, many children miss the benefit of the school lunch. Peanut butter and jelly makes a perfect food donation to supplement that loss. Additional critically needed items are:

  • CANNED VEGETABLES
  • BABY CEREAL & FORMULA
  • CANNED FRUITS
  • MAC ‘N’ CHEESE
  • BOXED RICE
  • BOXED PASTA
  • CANNED SOUPS
  • CANNED MEAT
  • 100% FRUIT JUICES
  • BREAKFAST BARS
  • OATMEAL
  • POWDERED MILK
  • APPLESAUCE
  • DRIED BEANS
  • TRAIL MIX
  • HEALTHY CEREALS

The Concession asks that all food donations be brought the South Guard House. Concession neighbors, Zita and Bob, as well as Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee thank you for your generosity and ask that you add these needed items to your shopping list or raid your overstocked pantry. You can also help feed local children by donating online.


FOOD4FAMILIES IS FIGHTING SUMMER HUNGER

Initially created in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic in March of 2020, the Food4Families program was created to provide critical nutrition to Manatee County residents in need. The effects of inflation and rising gas, food and rent prices are making it harder to afford living on the Suncoast for many residents. “It’s scary for a lot of people who are having to decide between buying food to feed my family, or putting gas in the car so I can get to work,” said Amy Towery, V.P. of Development.

Events are free of charge and provide families with bags of food that include breakfast lunch and dinner to last a family of five two or more days. These are the June and July locations, dates, and times of the Food4Families distributions:

Thursdays 10:30am-11:30am
Southeast High School

1200 37th Ave E, Bradenton, FL 34208

Fridays 11:00am-11:30am
River Trace Apartments

2710 River Trace Cir, Bradenton, FL 34208

Fridays 12:00pm-1:00pm
Turner Chapel

317 11th St Dr W, Palmetto, FL 34221

Fridays 1:00pm-2:00pm
Pride Park 815

63rd Avenue East, Bradenton, FL 34203

Fridays 1:30pm-2:30pm
Lincoln Park 501

17th Street East, Palmetto, FL 34208

We still have available shifts to distribute food and continue to need volunteers to pack the food bags weekly. Please click here if you are interested.


UNIQUE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE

As our services and number of clients continue to expand, we are more reliant on volunteers to help us with our mission. In addition to the food bank and meal-delivery opportunities, there are new shifts that will greatly help local seniors and families.

These include:

  • Friendly visits to isolated, homebound seniors
  • Office assistance with the Client Services staff
  • Help cleaning The Food Bank of Manatee
  • Answering phone calls at The Food Bank of Manatee
  • Reception/Welcome Desk
  • And much more!

Interested in volunteering? You can become a volunteer today by registering here.


WE NEED FOOD! PLEASE HOST A FOOD DRIVE!

The Food Bank of Manatee is an independent Food Bank and the only Food Bank based in Manatee County. That means we rely 100% on the support of our community to make sure the shelves are always stocked! With the rising costs we are all experiencing for housing, gas, and food, many families are turning to our network of food pantries for assistance. We need businesses, organizations, neighborhoods, faith groups and families to help feed food-insecure families. You can greatly impact our community by coordinating a Food Drive! Click here to register your Food Drive!

Have food to donate? You can drop off at any Manatee County Goodwill or Public Library location. Just look for the yellow barrel. You can also donate here at The Food Bank of Manatee (811 23rd Avenue East, Bradenton, FL 34208) weekdays between the hours of 9am-3pm. Help us #FeedManatee


DONOR SPOTLIGHT

We thank Bank of America for supporting Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee’s Produce on Wheels program. This program brings fresh, nutritious fruits and vegetables right to the door of homebound seniors twice a month! The generous $25,000 grant will support our mission to provide vital nutrition to our Home-delivered Meals clients. Fruits and vegetables provide a variety of nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber—while remaining naturally low in calories, fat, and sodium. In addition, they lower the risk of developing certain chronic diseases including heart disease, high blood pressure, and some cancers. Thank you, Bank of America for helping us #FeedManatee!

If you are interested in learning more about our current funding needs, there are opportunities for you to help, too! Click here to find out how!


VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Employees at Capgemini Engineering volunteered at The Food Bank of Manatee. In recent years employees for Capgemini had been volunteering in the Tampa and Fort Myers area. However, with a strong presence of employees in the Manatee County area, the company felt strongly that they should be supporting this area as well. “We feel it is very important to give back to the community. We have volunteered at Food Banks in other areas of Florida and wanted to use this experience to help the local residents,” said one of their employees.

Interested in volunteering? You can become a volunteer today by registering here.


COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Thanks to the River Strand Golf and Country Club for hosting the Sparkle on the Runway fashion show to benefit The Food Bank of Manatee, a PLUS program of Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee. Although many of the participants had never worked as models, their friends and a good cause made it easier.

“This is a wonderful event,” Patricia R. said. “Eloise E. does a spectacular job, and it’s so nice to see everybody dressed and enjoying themselves.”

The event was the third fashion show by the residents but the first since 2019. It was the second to feature Foxy Lady clothes with a percentage of the proceeds going to The Food Bank of Manatee . Foxy Lady General Manager Jodi F. matched the models with clothes that fit their style.

Eloise said the bottom line was that the food bank could feed more people because of the effort. “Our community is very giving,” she said. “We all come together, as you can see.”

If you are interested in learning more about ways to support Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee, click here!