TAMPA, Fla. — Feeding Tampa Bay held its 3rd annual back-to-school event Friday, distributing backpacks, school supplies, and shoes to more than 500 families across the Tampa Bay area.
The event also featured a new addition this year: shoes provided by nonprofit Samaritans Feet.
For 15-year-old Tavaras Jackson, who lives in a group home in Bradenton, receiving a new backpack and supplies made a real difference.
"It's kind of hard to just go shopping while you're in a group home. So we had to go to events like this, which has been helping us out a lot," Jackson said.
Jackson attended the event alongside Justin Thompson and other boys from the group home, all looking to get a step up on life. Thompson reflected on what the community support meant to them.
"It means that we still have people that we don't know that still want to look out for us. Strangers can be your best friends too," Thompson said.
Rachelle Thompson, Senior Director of Neighbor Experience at Feeding Tampa Bay, said the event is designed to ease the stress of the back-to-school season for families in need.
"It can be incredibly overwhelming for both the parents and the child. So the hope of this event is to bring a little bit of fun to that part of the year, bring people together. Help them feel like they have the tools they need to succeed," Rachelle Thompson said.
Edelweiss Santos-Antill, an ambassador for Samaritans Feet, explained why the organization chose to partner with Feeding Tampa Bay to expand its reach across the region.
"There are times that we see children arriving at schools with holes in their shoes, even those who have a decent pair of shoes, maybe from the thrift store, but they don't have a nice brand new shiny pair of sneakers like I used to have when I was growing up," Santos-Antill said.
Tampa Bay 28 is partnering with Feeding Tampa Bay and Achieva Credit Union for its annual Pack the Pantries and More initiative. For information on resources or to donate, visit here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist 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.
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