Families in Manatee County are going hungry. Here’s who you can text to help

One of the COVID-19 pandemic’s more profound effects in Manatee County is how it has forced so many local residents to seek help in feeding their families from one of the many local organizations offering help.

To help address that need, especially during the holiday season, the Bradenton Herald is partnering with United Way Suncoast to raise money to benefit local agencies, including Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee and Feeding Tampa Bay, that are addressing the increased demands for help.

“As a community as fortunate — and generous — as ours, no one in Manatee County should ever go hungry,” said Marc R. Masferrer, president and editor. “I am grateful for United Way Suncoast for working with us to create this opportunity for our readers to contribute to this important cause, so they can help their friends and neighbors in need.”

Food insecurity continues to plague many local families as food banks sound the alarm on growing need and dwindling supplies. A recent study that looked at U.S. Census data from October found that 16% of Florida households with children said they sometimes or often did not have enough to eat.

The local fundraising effort is part of a company-wide effort by McClatchy, the Herald’s parent company, to address food security issues in the communities where it has newspapers.

The campaign will run through Jan. 8.

To donate, go to https://app.mobilecause.com/f/35fu/n?vid=ff4xn or text HERALD to 91999.

The Miami Herald contributed to this story.

This story was originally published December 18, 2020 at 5:00 AM.