Food Pantry, Meals on Wheels, + More: TB Network to End Hunger

Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger

Information on food programs in Hillsborough, Pasco, + Pinellas counties. Meals on Wheels, food pantries, mobile food pantries, etc. 

This site shows phone numbers, maps, and other contact info for dozens of programs around the area. 

There are also links for SNAP/EBT assistance (formerly known as food stamps) and hotlines for government programs for longer-term options.

Donations accepted! If you have excess food waste or compost to donate, they are accepting it via the Waste No Food app or site.

They also accept monetary donations to fill gap expenses and typical organisational costs like utilities.

Volunteers needed! Even if it's only one time a year, volunteers for all kinds of positions are wanted, even for tasks like packing meals for their delivery programs.

Free Hot Food: Zauq Pakistani + North Indian Restaurant

FREE meals for those in need! A hot, delicious, flavourful meal ready and prepared from Zauq Pakistani + N. Indian Restaurant 

404 W Waters Ave
Tampa FL 33614

near W Waters + N Dale Mabry Hwy.

ZauqTampa.com (link)
(813) 443-1720
bangashandsonsllc@gmail.com
Facebook (link)

And really, their food looks delicious, has great reviews, and is quite affordable given that a McDonald's value meal is often in the same price range. So if you have a few dollars to eat out and like this kind of food anyways, consider trying Zauq for your next destination! <3

Food Pantry: Tampa Free Fridge at Yung Ho Martial Arts Center

Tampa Free Fridge (link) is a free food pantry and mutual aid effort currently hosted at Yung Ho Martial Arts Center in Tampa. 

1303 E Busch Blvd
Tampa FL 33612

All up to date information is posted on their Instagram. Bus 39 accessible.

Fresh Food for Volunteering: Community Gardens

COMMUNITY GARDENS

Get plants! Trade plants! Volunteer. Learn things. Get help from people who know best! 

These groups often take your food and yard waste for compost (except for meats + dairy, used paper towels, and some other goods.) They also need volunteers to help with different types of gardening duties like soil management, weed pulling, picking fresh food, and more. Each garden has different needs, and needs change throughout the year. 

Community gardens are an excellent way to get exercise, meet neighbours + form strong social ties, and have access to the freshest foods possible.

Hillsborough County IFAS (link)

A listing site of various community gardens, plus how to start your own with your college, neighbourhood, or if you find the time and space to build one.

East Tampa Coalition of Community Gardens (link)

Fresh food in the food deserts of East Tampa! Get resources on healthy meal planning, recipes, snack ideas, easy to make smoothies (I freeze them for popsicles to keep fruits fresh all year!), and more. Also learn how you can plant your OWN small garden in an urban space!

Garden Steps Coordinator: Karen Elizabeth

Phone - 813-463-2660 (Call or Text)
Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri, 9:00 to 4:00

The Sustainable Living Project (link)

 

A community garden on a city lot. Grow, volunteer, learn about food production and the food cycle. Facebook (link)

 

Seminole Heights Community Gardens (link)

They accept composting materials all the time! Ask about volunteer work and visit the garden. Facebook (link)

Food Sustainability at Home: Urban Gardening in Your Apt or House

Have an apartment? Any kind of place to stay for an extended (more than a few weeks) period of time? 

 

Try growing some of your own food.

 

Some foods are honestly just pleasurable AND expensive, like fresh basil. A few leaves for $4 at a grocery store IF it doesn't have damaged leaves or other issues. Or an entire plant is $4... if you know what to look for at the garden centre so you don't accidentally pick a diseased plant. An increasingly difficult endeavor, it seems! But it's so much cheaper to grow certain things if you have a stable address expected to last 1 year or more. It's also pretty easy to learn tips and start with just one or two plants. 

There is no need for a whole garden. No one is competing for a magazine cover, here.

URBAN GARDENING: Gardening in the City

Protip: some foods aren't worth growing from home. These are your subsidized foods that need a lot of special work for low return, like carrots, potatoes, or corn. It's cheaper to buy them than grow them. Other plants, however, are very expensive compared to how much you might eat! These are your herbs like basil, mint, oregano, green onions, strawberries, etc. 

 

You don't have to start all from seed. Some can be started from cuttings and grocery store scraps.

 

These are some low-cost container ideas you might already have around: plastic waste like food cartons and milk jugs, egg cartons, etc. There's no reason to spend money on pots! And lots of people will give seeds or cuttings for free! Some even come with your usual grocery shopping, like the ends of green onions.

 

Seed starting + containers (link)

 

Growing food from cuttings + grocery scraps (link)

 

There are lots of systems like Aspara and others that have a light, water tank, and auto-watering system that runs on an electric cord and seed pods. Most quality ones run $150-300. They take the guesswork out of indoor herb gardening. 

 

Also, LED plant lights are available right next to other light bulbs at Walmart for around $5-8. My current garden is on shelving units, resting on top of an old shower curtain (to prevent water/dirt from getting on the utility closet ground). Every plant is in pots. 

 

For the cheap black nursery pots, which have large holes, I have found that plastic liners in the bottom is not great for the plants because the pots can't drain anymore or disperse excess water. However, newspaper seems fine AND it prevents dirt from coming out. 

 

Google or search Youtube for "urban gardening", "apartment gardening", or "grow food at home." Related searches might help, too. Many videos now exist for FREE to show you how to do things, and there are downloadable and printable tutorials online to get you started. Don't forget to use your free local library card to check out digital and in-person library books on the subject to help, too.

 

COMMUNITY GARDENS

Don't have space, time, ability, or skills/confidence to garden at home? 

 

Call or message a community garden! (link) Community gardens often trade food for service but may be able to work with you, depending on situation. We have an entire separate post about Community Gardens in Tampa.

Get plants! Trade plants! Volunteer. Learn things. Get help from people who know best!

Food Shipping Service: FullCart Groceries Online

Get a free box of groceries shipped to your address. It is a solution that is longer-term and worth applying for if you see yourself struggling to get food for more than a few months. Currently, the wait time is very long. 

FullCart COVID-19 Food Relief (link)

Full Cart is a service which ships groceries to home and which regularly has coupons on their cart services. This service is especially helpful for disabled people and people who do not have transportation to get groceries! 

If you find that their assistance program has been helpful to you, look into their program and see if it's right for you long-term.

Food Pantry for College Students: HCC + USF

College students ONLY:

 

If you are a University of South Florida or a Hillsborough Community College student with an ID, visit campus and ask about their food pantry program. If you belong to a different college, ask their Student Services Building or their SGA what is available.

 

At HCC, this program was run by the Humanities Dept. on the Dale Mabry campus in the Student Services Dept. However, there is a caveat: community college food pantries are often at-will disorganised "club" like departments with little or no official oversight or plans for continuity. Rely on this as a last resort option.

 

 

At USF, Feed a Bull food pantry is in the Student Services Building. You can see more about it including hours, location, and who to contact, here:

 

Feed A Bull Food Pantry (link)

Food Pantry + Financial Services, Volunteers Needed: St. Vincent de Paul Charities

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic charities has a network of services that serve locations by ZIP code around Tampa. They also have a list of thrift stores that funnel proceeds into these outreaches.

FOOD SERVICES

Food pantry locations (link)

If you do not see your location, call the county at 211 for assistance.

 

FINANCIAL SERVICES 

Unspecified on the website. (link)

Assigned by ZIP code, so please call. Please report back with info on our Facebook page. I called their line on 7/1/21 around 11AM to leave a message. Awaiting return call with further information. 

Please check the list for your ZIP code and call the phone number provided. 

If food services or financial services are not listed in your ZIP code or if the site is not user-friendly, please call 211 or St. VdP at 813 971 7685.

 

VOLUNTEERING + DONATIONS

There are lots of volunteering opportunities available! There are also donation opportunities, as SVdP runs multiple thrift stores. Please inquire.

Volunteer - Donate - How You Can Help (link)

Free Hot Food: Trinity Cafe 1 + 2

FeedingTampaBay.org hosts two Trinity Cafe locations to get hot food once a day for anyone who comes. 

They are open to everyone, no questions asked: low-income, those who do not currently have working kitchen equipment, and those not able to cook for themselves (such as elderly and disabled people who may not be able to safely chop, lift, or handle hot equipment.)

Trinity Cafe 1 + 2 (link with maps)

Trinity Cafe 1

2801 N. Nebraska Ave.

Tampa, FL 33602

M-F 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Sat 9 AM - 10 AM

Trinity Cafe 2

2202 E Busch Blvd

Tampa FL 33612

 

M-F 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Sat 9 AM - 10 AM

 

 

Volunteers wanted! Please apply at the website. These also count for Bright Futures and court-appointed community service. Ask FTB for details.

Donations Needed! Blessings in a Bag

Donations needed for schoolchildren's food drive!

Blessings in a Bag is a Mission Tampa charitable org headed by Jeff Holley and Anne Hasler.

(813) 236-6237
Facebook (link)

Mission Tampa formerly ran the Cook's Hat food bank on Nebraska Ave. + Hillsborough Ave., in front of the historic Seminole Heights Baptist Church. That property was sold last year and with it, the food bank property. But that hasn't stopped Mission Tampa! It is estimated by many groups that 1 in 4 children are "food insecure," meaning that they do not get enough to eat. Not to mention that many only have access to very low-quality food! 

Mission Tampa has begun to focus on filling that need by providing weekend bags of food to children who might only otherwise get the provided school lunches.

They can't do this without community help. Here's what you can do!

Monetary donations go a long way towards purchasing food in bulk, paying utilities, and more!

FOOD donations if you have them help a lot, too. If the photo is hard to read or doesn't appear on mobile very well, here's a sample list of needs. Please call Anne with questions or guidance towards other foods! (813) 236-6237

Peanut butter 15-18oz in plastic jar
Jelly (Grape or strawberry) in plastic jar NO GLASS
Macaroni + cheese (single serving size)
Chicken soup or chili
Spaghetti-O's
Lasagna or ravioli (single serving size)
Stir fry or noodle dishes (single serving size)
Poptarts
Cereal (single serving size)
Cereal breakfast bars
Vienna sausages
Tuna salad snack kits with crackers

5802 N Himes Ave. Tampa FL 33614
MissionTampa.org     (at the time of this post, the website was expired. Please contact via phone or facebook page.)

Food, Shelter, Clothes, Utility + Rental Assistance, More: Metropolitan Ministries

Metropolitan Ministries of Tampa provides all kinds of community assistance to certain resident classes, depending on current funding and donation supply. They rely heavily on donations and volunteers to provide assistance. When you have it, please give back to your community. If you need it, please don't feel badly about using what is provided- you are the person it's here for. 

You matter, your life matters. At the end of the day, it's all just "stuff." And we have an abundance of "stuff" overall. That stuff can be moved around from people who have too much to go to people who don't have enough. That's the point of making "stuff!" With that in mind...

Metropolitan Ministries of Tampa provides lots of "stuff" for Tampa folks. 

 

ASSISTANCE

Metropolitan Ministries - Get Help (link)     (813) 209-1000 to get help applying for assistance

Food - The website has a map of food assistance locations

Emergency shelter - Apply online. An intake specialist will call in 3-5 days. Questions?

IntakeDocs@metromin.org or call (813) 209-1222 

Emergency rental assistance (ERAP via County. More information HERE - link)

COVID-19 Financial assistance for rent, mortgage, + utility payments

Childcare + early education

First Hug trauma-informed crisis counseling for kids aged 0-middle school

Cold Weather Shelter (813) 209-1176

 

Many of these programs need to be applied for and take a week to get a response. Apply as early as you think you MIGHT need them. Do not WAIT until the need is dire. By then, you are already on a waiting list and might be denied when you need it most. Think ahead when you can.

DONATIONS

Donation drive-through is open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday-Saturday.
2101 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33602     Enter from E. Frances Ave. behind the Thrift Store

Monetary donations can be made via the website

 

VOLUNTEERING

Volunteers must pre-register on the website for working in the MM food warehouse or for janitorial or outreach services. 

Facebook - Follow their FB page for more frequent updates, like writing a Living Will, fun community events, inspiring stories, and get to know the faces of MetroMin volunteers!

Food Pantry + Volunteer Opportunity: Feeding Tampa Bay

FeedingTampaBay.org is a large network of food pantries and other food support services. Because they span 10 counties, it appears that their phone number is for their main office ONLY. You have to search the website by ZIP code or County to access food services.

 

Food banks + meal services: You can search the site for support near you in the form of groceries, a precooked cafe (helpful if you do not have a working kitchen or cannot physically make meals yourself easily), and other forms of assistance. 

They also help people apply for EBT/SNAP benefits, which most people know as 'food stamps.' Even if you don't THINK you'll qualify, ask for help and see for sure. You can also see what the qualifications are and if it's worth meeting them.

 

Feeding Tampa Bay has job opportunities at times. They offer programs to get people to work while also earning certifications and are especially looking for people interested in warehouse, culinary, and CDL driving. 

 

VOLUNTEERS are needed ALL THE TIME! All ages (below 16 with adult supervision.)
- Work in one of the cafes they support to help prepare and serve food
- Warehouse work to manage, sort, + pack foods for shipping
- Food distribution for groceries
- College Student Ambassadors: semester-long programs to help end hunger + bring hunger awareness
- Bright Futures Scholarships hours!
- Court-ordered community service hours available!

911 on TEXT Messaging in Hillsborough County

Did you know that you can now text 911 if you can't call?

According to Hillsborough County, you can! 

Their page explains how and when to text 911. 

Text message delivery is not guaranteed. 

Limited wireless or cellular service may cause text messages to be delayed or not received by the Public Safety Answering Point. 

Text messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, or other social media messenger apps may not support Text to 911.

Free Hillsborough County Virtual Classes for Recycling, Keeping Plumbing from Clogs, Home Maintenance

Free Classes via County (link)

 

The county offers FREE virtual classes on a wide variety of topics that can be useful to homeowners and apartment-dwellers alike.

- Keep your drains from clogging with plumbing tips + county flushable guidelines (if you have an apartment, maintenance might take awhile AND some places can charge you hundreds of dollars for certain types of clogs. Avoid those problems.)

- Recycling tips and the new laws (you can get fined by the County if you recycle improperly, which damages their equipment. Avoid those fees!)

- Cooking oil should never be thrown down the drain, which clogs your pipes at the U-bend and later, clogs up sewage drains underground, leading to backups and repairs that cost thousands of your taxpayer dollars. There is a cooking oil recycling program. This is especially useful if you own a small business!

- There are ALSO free classes in person and sometimes online about issues like composting, saving water, and other environmental issues! AND they sometimes give away FREE compost bins, trees, and rain barrels to put on your property! 

If you live in an apartment and have only a balcony and are interested, only certain types of composters (the barrel type that is completely enclosed and pest/small animal-proof) are useful, but it turns your household waste like scrap foods into soil in a few months. I can put edible herbs that would be most expensive to grow on my porch. Strawberries and tomatoes are another good yield urban growing choice. Google "urban balcony gardening" for help!

 

Save your money and your sanity. Take advantage of these free online classes via the County to show what programs they offer for collections, along with how to avoid high hidden charges for water and breaks around your home.