STUFF THE BUS Presented by Mosaic
The annual Stuff The Bus food drive event, which was started in 2009, is fast-approaching and we are looking for volunteers to assist on the day of the event. If you are looking for a way to support the local community, please sign-up to volunteer for a shift at one of the Manatee County Publix locations.
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. Publix customers can donate non-perishable food items to help Stuff The Bus. 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 County to support this event.
Sunday, October 23, 2022
9:00am-3:00pm
All Manatee County Publix Locations
Goal: 150,000 pounds of food donated to feed Manatee County residents!
For group volunteer sign-ups, please click here.
For individual volunteer sign-ups, please click here.
Eat Well. Do Good.
Please support Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee by dining at any of the locations of the 1905 Family Of Restaurants. That includes all seven locations of the Columbia Restaurant but also expands this year to include Cha Cha Coconuts, Ulele, Goody Goody, and Casa Santo Stefano.
Through its month-long Community Harvest program, now in its 25th year, the company donates 5 percent of all diners’ checks to Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee when selected by the guests. Choose Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee from a ballot that’s provided with the check. The restaurant calculates the 5 percent and provides us with gift certificates. There’s no additional cost to the guest. Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee will use gift certificates in our silent auctions and raffles to generate income to advance our mission. For more information, please click here.
YOU CAN DONATE YOUR WALGREENS CASH REWARDS TO MEALS ON WHEELS PLUS OF MANATEE
Beginning in September and continuing through the end of November you can donate your myWalgreens rewards to Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee. You’ll earn unlimited 1% Walgreens Cash rewards when you sign-up and shop, you can choose how much to donate to Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee.* It’s that easy. Every dollar counts. Whether you’d like to contribute $1, $5, or more of your Walgreens Cash rewards you’ll be making a big difference. It really adds up! Since 1901, Walgreens has been committed to giving back to our community.
DONOR SPOTLIGHT
The Blessing Bags Project made a generous donation of $1,000 for our Holiday Shoebox Drive. The Blessing Bags Project is dedicated to providing for the homeless and less fortunate. After supporting the Holiday Shoebox Drive in the past, they wanted to increase their impact towards this important program that brings holiday joy to local seniors. This donation will increase the number of shoeboxes we can deliver to local, homebound seniors. Last year we collected over 1,500 shoeboxes. After delivering holiday shoeboxes to our Home-delivered Meals clients, all additional shoeboxes are distributed to other seniors in the local community to spread holiday cheer to as many as possible.
Our annual Shoebox Drive is a great way to promote your business while helping a great cause. Donating items, such as a raffle prize from your business, tickets or a gift card donated by your business, will help raise important support. For more information, please click here.
If you are interested in learning more about our current funding needs and how to donate, there are opportunities for you to help, too! Click here to find out how!
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Employees at Universal Window Solutions volunteered at The Food Bank of Manatee where they packed approximately 450 produce bags for the Mobile Produce Pantry distribution as well as loaded cars with meals for Home-delivered Meals drivers. In addition, they hosted a food drive that raised over 250 lbs. of food. “We wanted to give back to the community on Nonprofit Day where many of our employees could participate,” said Tanya, Director of Inside Sales. Also voicing the company’s efforts to support the community was Kaylah, Purchasing Director, who said, “We heard that you needed food so we decided to host a food drive.” Efforts like this from the local community are necessary if we are going to fulfill our mission to #FeedManatee.
Interested in volunteering? You can become a volunteer today by registering here.
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
TWO SPECIAL EVENTS ARE COMING UP…
Keller Williams Realty Select in Lakewood Ranch and Kendra Scott in the UTC Mall will be hosting events to support Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee and its programs. Keller Williams Realty Select will be hosting a Shred Hunger event on Wednesday, September 28th at their location, 8210 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. from 10am-12pm with non-perishable food collection extending until 2pm. Shred Quick will be securely destroying confidential documents such as bank statements, canceled checks, medical documents, and legal papers. Keller Williams will be collecting non-perishable food items that will be donated to The Food Bank of Manatee. So bring your documents and food donations!
Kendra Scott, as part of their #KendraScottGivesBack, will be donating 20% of their sales on Friday, September 16th to Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee. Kendra Scott is located on the second floor of the UTC Mall near Saks Fifth Avenue. If you are interested in shopping online at at kendrascott.com, please use code GIVEBACK-CMYUH to donate to Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee.
Events like these greatly help during a time when food donations are down and the demand for food continues to increase. It’s only together that we can #FeedManatee.
If you are interested in learning more about ways to support Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee, click here!
