You might be surprised to learn that Florida is fourth in the nation for family hunger. Or, that 60% of the population in West Central Florida is eligible for food stamps. Many at-risk students won’t eat at all between lunch on Friday and breakfast Monday morning. Although these facts may surprise you, they are hard realities for the one in six in our region who live with daily hunger. People are hungry 365 days a year. In Tampa Bay, about one in four children and one in six adults are food insecure, according to Feeding Tampa Bay, a nonprofit organization. That’s thousands of people who often don’t know where they’re going to get Their next meal.
Our Food Pantry exists to physically and spiritually feed more and more people in our community. We want to help satisfy their hunger and Jesus satisfy their soul.
The Hope Effect Food Pantry is located at 5102 W. Linebaugh Tampa, Florida 33624. We’re open every Sunday from 9:00-10:00am and Thursday from 2-3 pm.
Our Hope Effect Food Pantry continues to grow by leaps and bounds. We have been averaging over 5,000 people served annually the past few years. Not only does our Food Pantry offer practical resources for folks who need a little extra assistance, but our volunteer staff offers to pray for the needs of our guests in either English or Spanish.
We could use volunteers to help staff our pantry once a month either on Thursday or Sundays. Also, non-perishable food donations are always welcome.
For more information: https://mstarchurch.org/resources/food-pantry or call 813-960-3030.