TAMPA, Fla. — This time of year, food is on everyone's mind — and for too many of our neighbors, it's what they don't have that we need to be listening to.
That's where Feeding Tampa Bay steps in. Tampa Bay 28's Michael Paluska got a behind-the-scenes look at the new mega-kitchens at the Causeway Center, a space they've never had before.
The kitchen is never closed, churning out 1.9 million meals each week to families struggling to put food on the table. That adds up to more than 100 million meals per year, serving a million people across the Bay area who are struggling to feed their families.
Since the government shutdown and with ongoing inflation, even people with full-time jobs are turning to food banks for help. The organization has made an additional 60,000 meals to meet increased demand.
"It just ought not be this way," said Thomas Mantz, President and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay. "People ought to be able to have food on their table and the resources that they need. And I always want to stress that when we talk about this, the folks we serve work, participate in the economy, pay taxes, are consumers, and are part of our everyday world. This kitchen was built to help us create better outcomes so we can produce 10,000 meals a day out of here, minimum, if we need to," Mantz said.
Before the Causeway Center opened a year and a half ago, all meal preparation was outsourced.
"We can move meals for a couple of hours. We have trucks and vans. We can flash freeze everything that a normal production kitchen can do," Mantz said. "We're supplying meals to seniors, to kids for after-school, kids for summer meals, all of which are importantly healthy, prepared meals by our culinary team."
The chefs cook daily, curating menus from whatever donations come in.
From the kitchen to the market, it takes an army of people from the front of the house to the back — people who care, like Rakesha Brown and Dan Sibol.
Sibol is a new addition to the non-profit as the Director of Neighbor Food Programs.
"I really wanted to give back to the community here in Tampa and found the work that Feeding Tampa Bay was already doing was incredible, and just wanted to be a part of that movement," Sibol said.
Brown's been on the front lines for more than a decade as the neighbor services director, helping people who come in connect with resources — whether it's food, job training, legal aid, housing assistance, healthcare, and more.
"We just want to fill them up with a whole bunch of love and joy and make sure they are being successful in their life," Brown said.
Brown says she's seeing more new faces coming in for help.
"They're very hesitant. Again, you know, a lot of them, this is their very first time. So pride does get in your way because they don't know how to act," Brown said. "And once you know that, you start having a conversation with them, you give them a big old smile and let them know it's going to be okay."
The reality hits close to home. Mantz shared that the non-profit operates food pantries inside 90 schools across Tampa Bay, built so parents can pick up their children, shop for groceries, and head home.
"Half of the folks using the pantry at one school we toured are teachers, and I can't help but wonder, is that okay to all of us?" Mantz said. "We have more resources than any country in the world. Yet we have people on Friday night, we had 1,100 cars wrapped around our building and backed up down Causeway Boulevard for miles," Mantz said.
This story was reported on-air by Michael Paluska and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Share Your Story with Michael
A lot goes into the price of paradise and Michael Paluska focuses on every aspect. From the job market and housing to how Florida’s growth impacts our state’s wildlife. Send Michael tips to keep these important conversations going.
.
U.S. Coast Guard finds 4 missing Polk County boaters alive after their boat capsized
Officials said the missing boat capsized about 26 miles offshore, and all four occupants are alive.
