LAKELAND, Fla. — In the heart of Lakeland sits a small café with a whole lot of heart.
Mary’s Bagel Café, which is owned by Denise Gilmore, has turned its kitchen into a lifeline. Normally, the café serves bagels and breakfast sandwiches. This week, it’s serving hope.
WATCH: Lakeland café providing healthy, hot meals to families impacted by SNAP disruption
When Gilmore heard about the disruption in federal food stamp funding, she said she couldn’t sit back and watch.
“Me and my husband decided about two or three days ago to do this,” Gilmore said. “I sat down, and I talked with him, and I’m like, ‘Can we do this?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, we can do it,’ so we did it.”
She calls it Mary’s Pantry, and it’s a new effort to feed families in need.
Every Tuesday and Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., she and her husband hand out free, home-cooked meals to any Polk County family with students. No questions asked.
On the menu Tuesday: chicken and yellow rice, green beans with potatoes, and dinner rolls.
“All of my donations come from my tip jar right here,” Gilmore said. “And then me and my husband, we contribute to the pantry as well from out of our own pockets.”
For some families, that meal makes all the difference.
Crystal Steber and Brian Williams rely on SNAP benefits to help feed their family, including their 5-year-old son, Taevon. They said this meal came at the perfect time.
“People are hurting bad,” Steber said. “Especially the ones with the children and the disabled people.”
“It’s good that we’ve at least got people in the world that want to do good for everybody,” Williams added. “I hope everybody else will see this and be inspired and do the same thing.”
And for them, it’s not just about the food. It’s also about the love behind it.
“That’s what makes it better,” Williams said. “Knowing it was made with love.”
Families can find updates about upcoming meal distributions on the Mary’s Café Facebook page.
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Chad Mills calls Polk County home and has witnessed the area’s growth firsthand. He keeps his eye on the City of Lakeland, our agriculture community, and helping you navigate everyday expenses. Use the form below to share your story ideas with Chad.
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