TAMPA, Fla. — The start of a new school year also means the beginning of a new food pantry at Booker T. Washington Elementary School in Tampa.
They used to work out of a closet; now they are working out of a classroom, helping to feed families in need.
“We have a very very high need and a low socio-economic status, so we have a lot of families that are food insecure that lack transportation, housing, etc.,” said school social worker Pedro Serrano Mejia.
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Mejia expects close to 80 Booker T Washington families, including their own team members, to ask for help putting food on the table this school year.
“If a kid is hungry in school, then how are teachers supposed to teach them,” said Mejia.
For years, Shannon Olivero and Feeding Tampa Bay have stocked their pantry shelves. It’s called the Feeding Minds Pantry Program. However, this year they are receiving some much-needed help from an organization known as W.I.S.H.
“Women Inspired to Solve Hunger, and earlier today they came in and volunteered their time, but not only do they do that, but they also underwrite not only Washington but also DeSoto Elementary School, so these women come together and fundrais and make sure these things are in place and of course here in Washington we’ve gone from a closet to an entire classroom,” said Olivero.
The biggest addition to the pantry is the refrigerators, a true game changer when it comes to what they can provide for their families.
“We have meats, vegetables, fruit, a lot of those fresh items that we wouldn’t be able to have before,” said Mejia.
Feeding Tampa Bay hopes more organizations like W.I.S.H. join their cause. There are currently 79 school pantries across five Tampa Bay counties.
“If you have your own group, a group of friends, a block of friends, reach out to Feeding Tampa Bay because you too can support an entire school,” said Olivero “It really is all of us, there is no them, it’s us, it’s our neighbors, we all have to work together.”
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