Hundreds go hungry in Manatee County: Inside the volunteer group serving 300-500 people weekly

BRADENTON, Fla. — When Kathy Wilson handed a hot meal to a young man on the roadside recently, she asked him a simple question before he left: "Have you had a hug today?"

His response stopped her in her tracks.

"Ma'am, I haven't had a hug in months."

It's moments like these that fuel the volunteers at Freedom Gathering, a church-based organization that has been feeding Bradenton's hungry for 12 years. Every Wednesday, they transform a parking lot on U.S. 41 into a lifeline for those who might not know where their next meal is coming from.

"Just another meal to you and I," but for the 200-300 people who line up each week, it's so much more.

From a Grandson's Compassion to a Community Mission

Founder Tanya Johnson didn't set out to start a ministry. For 27 years, she drove past the homeless on U.S. 41 on her way to her furniture business, barely noticing the people on the sidewalks.

Then her grandson opened her eyes.

"He took his recess money, went to the dollar store, bought a gallon of water and some cups, and started giving people water," Johnson recalled. "I said, 'What are you doing?' And it opened my eyes."

That was 12 years ago. What started with 30 people gathering in her furniture store's parking lot has grown into an operation that feeds 300-500 people weekly across Manatee County.

"We're on the road seven days a week," said Johnson. The Wednesday gathering is just one piece of a much larger mission that includes delivering fresh produce to five food-deprived trailer parks and serving families throughout the community.

The Growing Need

While fentanyl use has decreased in our community — according to Freedom Gathering — other challenges have intensified. Johnson and her team are seeing more "car families" than ever before.

"They have income. They draw checks, Social Security, military," Johnson explained. "But it's the first and the last [month's rent] to get into an apartment or a home, that's a problem. It's really a lot of car families. It's really gotten, that part has gotten worse this year."

As inflation drives up the cost of food, gas, and utilities, more people face impossible choices.

"It's caused more people to have to decide, 'Am I going to get food this week or am I going to buy my medicine? Or am I going to pay my lights or am I going to get food?'" said Cathy Wilson, the ministry assistant who helps organize operations behind the scenes.

Bryan Pinkham, a volunteer who discovered the organization after meeting Johnson, echoed that sentiment: "People come here that come from all different walks of life, so you never know where they're coming from."

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More Than a Hot Meal

Each plate starts with a prayer. Every person receives a volunteer's hello. But what Freedom Gathering really serves up is relationship.

"They come here and they look for encouragement and they look for that prayer," Wilson said. "We've built that rapport and that relationship with them."

For many, this Wednesday gathering is their only church. Some arrive with everything they own — belongings in hand, sometimes living out of cars in the parking lot. They're greeted not as strangers, but as friends whose names volunteers remember week after week.

"They're so grateful that you even recognize them or remember their name," Johnson said, her voice catching with emotion. "When they tell you they hadn't eaten in three or four days... we take these things for granted."

The volunteers share more than food — they share love, prayer, and sometimes a much-needed hug.

"There's so many people that we just don't realize that the things that we take for granted are luxuries for somebody else," Johnson added. "For somebody to be hungry in this country with all the resources of food, it's just not right."

The Harsh Reality of Life on the Streets

The dangers facing Bradenton's homeless population are real and growing according to Freedom Gathering. Just last week, one of their regular guests didn't show up to the meal.

"We're asking our other outside guests, 'Where is he? Have y'all seen him?'" Wilson recounted. "Yeah, he was hit on his bicycle and he got killed last week."

Another man arrived in a wheelchair this week — he'd been hit by a car just the day before while in his wheelchair, but he still came for the meal.

"The traffic has increased. The lack of concentration when we're driving has increased. Aggressive driving we've noticed has increased," Wilson said. "So many of our outside guests [have been] affected."

Some they've lost to drugs or accidents. That's why the spiritual component of their mission is so important to the volunteers.

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Partnerships Make It Possible

Freedom Gathering operates under the umbrella of Good Neighbors in Clearwater, which has supported them for over 10 years. Restaurants including Olive Garden, Longhorn Steakhouse, Seasons 52, and seven Wawa locations donate food. Trader Joe's and Sprouts provide fresh fruit and produce two to four times a week.

The ministry also partners with Manatee County Food Bank, Centerstone for mental health services, and Hunger of Manatee County, all working together to serve the community.

"These organizations, we're all working together to clean the streets up," Johnson said. "Somebody's got to start somewhere, and it's come so far."

All-Volunteer Operation Looking for Support

Every single person involved with Freedom Gathering is a volunteer. No one is paid. But the ministry does have significant overhead: warehouse rent, six commercial refrigerators and freezers, gas for constant travel, vehicle maintenance, and propane.

After wrapping up the Wednesday meal service by 3 p.m., volunteers head to five other mobile locations throughout the area, serving food directly from their vans.

"When she leaves here, she doesn't get home till about dark," Pinkham said of Johnson. "There's people all over the place that are expecting her every week, and she's relentless. She doesn't stop."

Freedom Gatherings founder tells Tampa Bay 28 the organization needs a refrigerated truck and a larger trailer. They're seeking additional volunteers and financial support.

"Whatever your gifts or talents are, please come and share," Wilson said. "We've got a place for you."

For the hundreds who gather each Wednesday, and the many more served throughout the week, Freedom Gathering offers something increasingly rare: a hot meal, genuine connection, and proof that someone cares.

Freedom Gathering serves meals every Wednesday and operates seven days a week throughout Manatee County.