Manatee County food bank needs volunteers to help feed hundreds impacted by pandemic
BRADENTON, Fla. - As soon as the Manatee County mega food pantry opens, the need can be seen.
"It's bittersweet,” said Shannon Hannon Oliviero. “It brings tears to my eyes that there are cars snaking through here that are in need.”
Oliviero works with Feeding Tampa Bay. Every Tuesday she meets with volunteers to get meals to families at the Desoto Mall.
"We are out here, as you can tell, in the heat, rain or shine, making sure families or individuals have fresh produce, shelf-stable items," she said.
From 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., more than 1,200 families show up for food. They have plenty of food, but one thing is lacking. They need volunteers from Manatee County.
"We can bring the food, the know-how, the community is donating the space where it’s happening, but we need folks to come along and volunteer," said Thomas Mantz.
Mantz is the president and CEO of Feeding Tampa Bay. He said they need about 60 volunteers for everything to run smoothly.
"We have folks that are directing traffic, folks that are loading food into the back of cars, folks that are helping us pack, there are any number of responsibilities," he said.
They've had a few Manatee County residents turn out to help, but when they can't meet demand, others must step in.
"We've largely imported volunteers, we’ve brought a fair bit down from Hillsborough County. Whenever we have a gap we try and fill it with some other folks where we need to. I know Manatee folks what to help each other," Mantz explained.
He's hopeful volunteers from Manatee County will come forward. Their work will help meet a growing need that many never imagined themselves in.
"Everybody knows someone who has been affected by COVID. Everybody does. So for many, the way for all of us to think about this is helping a neighbor out," said Mantz.
RELATED Nearly 10,000 new Florida coronavirus cases reported Wednesday; 48 new deaths
Manatee County's Mega Food Pantry is held every Tuesday from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Desoto Mall located at 303 301 Blvd. W. in Bradenton.
LINK: Click here to sign up to volunteer.
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