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Feeding Tampa Bay reports nearly 17 million meals served in region; highlights school pantries and job training
Summary
Feeding Tampa Bay CEO Thomas Mance updated the council on operations: almost 17 million meals supplied across 10 counties, 17 school pantries in Pinellas County, job training that generated $5.4 million in local economic value and new grants to build partner capacity.
Feeding Tampa Bay presented its annual update to the St. Petersburg City Council, reporting the nonprofit distributed roughly 16–17 million meals in the region last year and operates with more than 50 local partners in Pinellas County.
Thomas Mance, chief executive officer, said the organization places 17 pantries inside schools in the county and has job‑training programs that delivered about $5.4 million in economic value to St. Petersburg. He also described FoodRx and the Healthy Pantry Network, programs designed to connect nutrition with health outcomes.
"Most of the folks that we serve on a regular basis are employed," Mance said, arguing that many clients live in households facing structural cost pressures. He described Feeding Tampa Bay’s role in disaster response, distributing mass food resources during hurricanes and coordinating local distributions at sites such as Tropicana Field.
Mance told council the organization has secured multi‑million‑dollar grants to expand transportation, refrigeration and partner capacity and said another grant announcement was imminent to support housing repairs and transport investments for Pinellas County locations.
Councilmembers thanked Feeding Tampa Bay for front‑line disaster response and for sustaining operations during back‑to‑back storms. Councilmember Gina Driscoll asked about the Healthy Pantry Network and FreshForce job programs; Mance said the pantry initiative seeks to make 80% of distributed food adhere to USDA "My Plate" guidance and that the training programs provide CDL and warehouse logistics skills, including stipends for trainees.
The presentation concluded with council offering continued partnership and an invitation for Feeding Tampa Bay to share annual reports and lists of school pantries for further collaboration. No city appropriation was requested at the meeting.
