TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Jewish Family Services celebrated the opening of its second food bank location today, expanding services to meet a 400% increase in demand for emergency food assistance over the past two years.
Dr. Beth Ann Gemunder, CEO of Tampa Jewish Family Services, said the organization decided to open the south Tampa location after distributing more than 40 emergency food bags monthly from their offices alone.
"We ended up giving out over 40 food bank emergency food bags a month just out of our offices," Gemunder said. "We're like, oh my goodness, there's need here in the south, and clearly that need is not being met."
The new South Tampa Community Food Bank will operate at Congregation Rodeph Sholom, located at 2713 Bayshore Boulevard. Monthly distributions are scheduled for the last Monday of each month from 11:30 AM to 1:00 PM, with upcoming dates including September 30, October 28, November 25, and December 30.
Emergency food bags remain available by appointment only at the Shanna & Bryan Glazer JCC at 522 North Howard Avenue. Community members can call (813) 960-1848 to schedule pickup.
The expansion comes as community members express concerns about potential SNAP benefit disruptions and government funding uncertainties. Gemunder said clients are already calling with worries about losing benefits.
"We already have people very worried and upset calling us for additional help," Gemunder said. "So any dollars that we could receive to be able to meet those needs, because we're going to meet them one way or the other, would be so gratefully appreciated."
For Gemunder, whose background is in medicine, the work fills a deep personal need to help others.
"Sometimes I go to bed thinking maybe I'm getting more out of it than I'm giving, because it really fills my bucket, like when I hear stories of and talk to our clients like you heard earlier today, I just want to do more and more and more, because I don't want anyone to suffer," Gemunder said. "My background is in medicine, and all I want is to fix things and make people feel better, and the thought of anyone going hungry in our community is something I just can't bear the thought of."
Gemunder said the satisfaction comes not from recognition, but from knowing lives are being changed behind the scenes.
"Not only do I know that others are being helped, but the fact that even if no one knows who I am, that behind the scenes, I know that somehow we've made a difference," Gemunder said. "It's just the most amazing feeling."
The organization serves all community members regardless of religious affiliation, operating under the Jewish principle of tikkun olam, meaning "to repair the world." Both kosher and non-kosher foods are distributed to individuals and families of all faiths in the Tampa area.
"We help everybody in this community. Nobody is turned away, and matter of fact, most of the people we help are not Jewish," Gemunder said. "I just want everyone to know that everybody is welcome for all of our services."
Tonisha Martin, a Hyde Park neighborhood native and mother of three who uses the food bank services, said the organization provides crucial support for families facing financial challenges.
Tonisha said her children eagerly anticipate the food bank visits, making it a positive experience for the entire family.
"My kids look forward to it," she said. "When I pick those kids up and they come home, they're like, first thing in the kitchen, like in the bags, just looking to see, like, what did I bring for them."
The support extends beyond just food assistance. Martin said the organization helped her access resources for her son, who has ADHD, providing enrichment programs she couldn't afford as a single parent.
"I was able to reach out to Tampa Family Jewish to try to get, like, some additional resources to just get them in the right enrichment programs that I didn't necessarily have the funds for," she said. "I have three kids, so trying to put three kids through programs, it's just, it's a lot, especially when you're a single parent."
Martin praised the personal attention she receives from staff members, particularly highlighting one employee's dedication. The relationship goes beyond transactional assistance, with staff members checking in on clients regularly.
"Sometimes she'll even reach out to me, like, hey, Tonisha, you good? Like, y'all need anything," Tanisha said. "And I'm like, Yes, ma'am, I'm fine, but it was kind of good to know that things are getting better for me."
Despite concerns about government funding uncertainties, Martin said she feels secure knowing the organization provides a safety net.
"I wouldn't necessarily say I'm impacted because, like I said, I'm always taken care of," Tanisha said. "Sometimes a blessing will just come before I even get to ask for it. So it was a uneasy feeling, not knowing. But it's not to the point where, you know, me and my kids were not going to eat, you know, especially with having, you know, agencies like this," she explained.
Martin emphasized the importance of swallowing pride when help is needed.
"I think a lot of people have a lot of pride, and listen, times are too hard," she said. "This is absolutely not a time you know to be too prideful to say you need help, regardless if that's picking up a phone, sending an email, or whatever the case may be."
Now she hopes to help spread awareness about the organization's services to others who might need assistance.
"I'm happy that I'm in the transition that I'm in where I'm able to get the information out to, you know, people who might not know about it," she said. "I hope that the people that need the help the most are able to get access and yeah, come out."
She stressed that the organization serves everyone without discrimination.
"I think another big misconception is that, you know, you have to be a part of a Jewish religious belief," Martin said. "And that's, not the case at all. I think that was one of the things that I love the most about the organization, that it was, you know, no discrimination."
Lea Merrill Davidson-Bern, food bank director and volunteer coordinator, said the organization distinguishes itself by providing immediate assistance without extensive paperwork or waiting periods.
"Most places, if you call, it takes a while to get an appointment, and if you're approved, there's a lot of different things you have to fulfill," Davidson-Bern said. "We don't. If you need an emergency bag, you call, you're told to come in, and you get your emergency bag."
Davidson-Bern said the organization's approach focuses on dignity and respect for clients.
"We're unique as a food bank because there's not a lot of red tape," she said. "We're able to take care of feeding people on a regular basis. We work with individuals, with families, social workers, nurses, organizations, whoever is in need. If I can't help them, we can find someone who can that. We're just able to make a lot of difference in the immediate needs of people's lives."
The food bank accommodates special dietary needs, including kosher requirements and gluten-free options. Davidson-Bern said this service fills a crucial gap in the community.
"We have a kosher component," Davidson-Bern said. "So for many of the people that keep kosher, where do you go if you're getting non kosher food that you can't eat? It's not helping you. If people have dietary needs, we can't do it to a large degree. Again, we're a small food bank, but we've had gluten free people. We've had clients come in that their children have had different serious health needs, and we're able to accommodate them."
Davidson-Bern credited Gemunder's leadership and grant-writing abilities for making the expansion possible.
"We were at that point when I started with the agency, but Beth implemented it," Davidson-Bern said. "Dr Beth Ann Germunder has done an amazing job finding grants. I've never met anyone who works as hard as she does for the clients."
The personal relationships between staff and clients set the organization apart from larger food assistance programs.
"We know our clients, we know their children, we know their dogs, we know their situations," Davidson-Bern said. "We are part of their lives. It's not just you come and get it. Have a good day. We know who they are. We've shared lives. We've shared deaths with them. We've seen when tragedy strikes them."
Davidson-Bern said the emotional investment extends to volunteers as well.
"My volunteers and I are affected by this," she said. "We've known many of our clients many years. Last year, we lost a client's daughter who was a very young woman who fought very hard against cancer, and she left a handicapped child and a toddler behind. Our volunteers, we just held each other and cried with the mother. This is someone we've known for years."
The personal touch extends to remembering individual preferences and needs.
"We're large enough that we can serve a lot of clients, but we're small enough that I know who likes canned mushrooms," Davidson-Bern said. "So when I'm getting my donations, if there's a single can of mushrooms, I know to put that aside. I know what some people like. If I get a lot of lipstick donations, I know who likes a certain shade of pink."
Davidson-Bern said these small gestures help restore dignity to clients who may feel embarrassed about needing assistance.
"It's laughable. But when a senior woman comes in and she says, Oh, I've been waiting to give this to you, it makes them feel that they're heard and they're seen," she said. "They're not invisible. They matter. And I think a lot of seniors, especially, they're invisible."
The organization's approach focuses on maintaining client dignity through choice and respect.
"I'm not the food police," Davidson-Bern said. "We try to make it as simple as can be for people. It could be as simple as being able to pick out what kind of soup Do you want. Maybe you don't like chicken noodle. Maybe you like tomato. Having choices of what fruits and vegetables you're getting, what kind of dairy product you're getting, being able to handle if people have dietary needs, it all adds to a level of respect for them."
Davidson-Bern said the philosophy is straightforward.
"Isn't that what everybody wants?" she said. "It's not that complicated."
Tampa Jewish Family Services accepts volunteer help, non-perishable food donations, and monetary contributions. Gemunder emphasized that financial donations provide the most impact.
"Donations can be actual donations of non perishable foods, and they can be dropped off at either of our locations," Gemunder said. "And even more of assistance would be the donation of dollars, because we know how to spread those dollars as far as we can stretch them and get the most food that we can with those dollars."
The organization also welcomes volunteers, which are essential to operations.
"We always take volunteers for our food bank, because we can't run a food bank without volunteers," Gemunder said.
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