‘God bless these food banks.’ Free meals combat hunger during the holidays in Manatee
With a frozen turkey in tow, Francine Rhodes left a busy thrive-thru with her son and great-grandchild on Monday evening.
Rhodes, 89, navigated the snaking line of cars at Renaissance on 9th in Bradenton, claiming one of 500 holiday kits distributed by Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee. Bradenton police officers worked nearby, guiding a constant line of cars that funneled in from both directions on Ninth Street West.
Thanksgiving would be a holiday like no other, Rhodes said. She would miss her large family during the COVID-19 pandemic, but thanks to local nonprofits she could still enjoy a turkey and all the fixings.
Rhodes was joined by her son and her great-great-grandson on Monday evening. They were thankful for the local support and a meal they would soon enjoy.
“With the food banks we’ve been comfortable,” Rhodes said, sitting alongside her smiling grandson. “We have been eating good.”
Rhodes and her son, 67-year-old Robert Williams, said rent consumed every penny of their Social Security payments. They visit a local food bank once a month — a story shared by thousands of people in Manatee County.
Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee has faced constant demand after starting the Food4Families program in mid-March, when COVID-19 threatened residents and their access to food.
The program has since provided more than 700,000 meals to those in need, said Amy Towery, the organization’s vice president of development.
“Any time people’s livelihoods are impacted, food insecurity is impacted,” she said. “We’re definitely seeing that with COVID-19 and all of the economic impacts that individuals and families have seen with job loss and other things.”
The program will hold its next food distribution from 4 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 2. The drive-thru will again take place at 1816 Ninth St. W. in Bradenton, the location of Renaissance on 9th and the Bradenton Dream Center.
Meals on Wheels also has dozens of food pantries and partner organizations listed on its website, mealsonwheelsplus.org/need-help.
The website offers a map of pantries, along with a full list of locations and operating hours. Some of the pantries, Towery said, have seen a two-fold increase in demand since COVID-19 emerged.
The Food Bank of Manatee, a program under Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee, saw a 50 percent increase in demand, according to a recent news release.
“We know there’s a high need because we’re seeing hundreds of families come week after week,” she said.
Monday’s drive-thru included turkeys, bread, stuffing and mashed potatoes, along with cans of green beans, corn and cranberry sauce. One person loaded the frozen turkeys while another person swooped in with metal trays and side dishes.
As 500 turkeys dwindled to fewer than a dozen, volunteers informed the remaining cars about upcoming giveaways. The Salvation Army had one giveaway planned for Tuesday morning, along with a “turkey takeout” planned for Thursday afternoon.
Thursday’s event is scheduled for noon to 1 p.m. at 1204 14th St. in Bradenton.
“God bless these food banks,” Williams said. “Nobody has any business being hungry on Thanksgiving or being hungry, period, in Manatee County.”
This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 2:28 PM.