Our Impact in 2020
Dear Friends,
Wow! This past year was an unimaginable year for each and every one of us. We never could have predicted the many impacts the pandemic would have on our community, our state, our country, and the world. We are grateful for the support of so many whose faithful giving has allowed us to deepen our reach in Manatee County through our COVID-19 Emergency Relief efforts.
Together, we made a tremendous impact in 2020 thanks to the support of our donors and volunteers. As we continue to navigate the effects of COVID-19 and food-insecurity in Manatee County, we anticipate a long runway ahead.
We are thankful for your concern to help those who are in need and for joining us on our journey to feed our neighbors. Together, we provide hope and together, we can Feed Manatee!
Sincerely,
Maribeth Phillips
President & CEO
*This report reflects our response to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Meals on Wheels PLUS
We delivered our 11 millionth meal in Manatee County in 2020.
93¢
of every dollar goes back into the PLUS programs.
Over 19,400 hours
were served by over 1,000 volunteers to make the mission of Meals on Wheels PLUS come to life in 2020. The value of this contributed time is nearly $500,000!
Over 1,550 Holiday Shoeboxes
filled with essentials to bring holiday joy were distributed throughout Manatee County.
Home-Delivered Meals
Over 267,000 meals
were served to homebound and disabled residents in 2020.
Client increase of 69%
since the end of February 2020.
Nearly 67,000 pounds of fresh produce
were distributed through our Produce on Wheels Program. This program was made possible thanks to funding from Bank of America and Manatee Community Foundation.
Over 13,400 phone calls
were made in 2020 to check on the wellbeing of our clients through our Telephone Reassurance Program.
Over 11,200 meals
distributed by Meals on Wheels PLUS to seniors through the restaurant initiative. In March, the Department of Elder Affairs encouraged organizations serving seniors to partner with restaurants hurting from COVID-19 closures to provide food for those in need. Thank you to local restaurants Pier 22, Popi’s Place, and The Granary for partnering with us to feed seniors in our community!
An average of 35 clients
each month also received pet food for their furry companions in 2020.
64 routes
utilized by volunteers to deliver meals to homebound and disabled residents across Manatee County.
The Food Bank of Manatee
Your local food bank relies 100% on the support of the community to meet the rising needs in Manatee County.
Over 3,061,000 pounds of food distributed.
Over 780,000 meals
provided to Manatee County families in need through Food4Families. Food4Families is a program created by Meals on Wheels PLUS in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was developed in partnership with the School District of Manatee to help meet the critical need to provide food for families in Manatee County. This program continues in 2021.
Over 16,700 pounds of fresh produce
was provided to families through the Mobile Produce Pantry, made possible with funding from United Way Suncoast.
Over 1,600 emergency baby baskets
containing diapers, formula, and wipes were provided to Manatee County residents.
Averaged 85 partner agencies
each month in 2020, all who rely on the food they receive from The Food Bank of Manatee to help their clients and run their programs. Our partner agencies are experiencing increases related to the pandemic, some seeing a 100% increase in the number of clients coming to them for food.
Developed partnerships across Manatee County,
including outreach in Rubonia, Myakka City, and Oneco, to help feed food-insecure families.