Food Bank of Manatee, other food pantries need your donations | Letter to the editor

As a Manatee County commissioner, it is my responsibility to take action to improve the county and the welfare of our residents. Recently, I was deeply troubled to hear about the lack of food available to families in need in Manatee County during a meeting with Gene Tischer from Stillpoint Mission, one of our local food pantries. Stillpoint Mission, like many nonprofit pantry agencies in our community, is working to provide basic nutrition to residents of our county who have fallen on hard times. Babies, children, families, seniors — all needing food.

For as long as I can remember, The Food Bank of Manatee has met the nutritional needs in our community — that was until contract changes now have food earmarked for Manatee County heading north to Feeding Tampa Bay, an organization based in Hillsborough County. Only a fraction of the food is coming back to our Manatee County residents, and it’s coming back at a higher cost. As a Manatee County commissioner, I cannot stand for this.

Manatee County food pantries are going out of business. These are organizations that are trying to help those who are hungry in our community — most of them run on volunteers and a shoestring budget and their doors are closing because of rising costs to receive the food, a rigid delivery schedule dictated from Tampa and a lack of foods that fit their unique programs. Some pantries are receiving so much food from Tampa, that they can’t possibly use it before it spoils. The result: food is going to waste. Wasted food. Pantries closing. This is not in the best interest of Manatee County residents.

One accident on the highway, or even worse, one natural disaster like a Hurricane Irma, can delay or prevent the food supply destined for Manatee County to arrive from Tampa.

Meanwhile, The Food Bank of Manatee County needs food donations. Pantries are paying Tampa for food, not getting what they need, then turning to The Food Bank of Manatee to help fill the gap. Without the food supply that we’ve had at The Food Bank of Manatee, it’s tough to fill the shelves and meet those needs.

The Food Bank of Manatee has been feeding our community for over 34 years — local people helping local people. This one-size-fits-all approach from Tampa is not feeding Manatee County.

We need the residents of Manatee County to show your support locally and donate food or hold food drives to help fill the shelves at The Food Bank. Because The Food Bank feeds Manatee.

Vanessa Baugh, commissioner

Manatee County Government

Bradenton