Meals On Wheels of Tampa (MOW Tampa) is launching an expansion into Riverview and Gibsonton beginning June 1, 2021. MOW Tampa’s mission is to nourish, enrich and strengthen the lives of seniors and individuals who have difficulty leaving their homes and are challenged to prepare meals. Steve King, Executive Director says, “The hardest calls we receive are the ones from people who need food but are not in our service area. We don’t like turning anyone away. With our newly constructed and enlarged facility, we now have the capacity to serve more neighbors and Riverview and Gibsonton are the areas we knew would benefit from this mission.”
MOW Tampa’s home delivered meal program provides hot and nutritious meals to seniors (aged 62 and over), disabled and homebound individuals who have difficulty shopping for food or preparing a meal. Meals provide recipients with improved diet, health, and wellbeing. A volunteer driver delivers hot meals Monday through Friday, between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Frozen meals for the weekend are delivered on Friday. For many of the neighbors served, a visit from a volunteer is the only face to face contact they will receive that day. This allows for a “safety” check in, which brings comfort and security for those served and their families.
Meals are nutritionally balanced, meeting all the dietary guidelines for seniors. An example of a meal is marinated roast pork, black beans, yellow rice and sweet plantains with fruit or marinated chicken breast, sauteed peppers, wild rice and sauteed chickpeas. MOW Tampa is completely privately funded and is not a governmental agency. The cost of meal service is determined based on the individual’s circumstances. The full cost of a meal is $5.50. No one is turned away due to financial reasons.
People interested in receiving meals or to learn more about MOW Tampa, please call Kelly Santos or Jan Castello, Intake Specialists, at 813-238-8410 or visit www.mowtampa.org. Se habla espanol.
About Meals On Wheels of Tampa:
Meals On Wheels of Tampa has served the Tampa area since 1975. Today, MOW Tampa provides meals to approximately 800 people who are in a need of a little extra support from their neighbors to live with independence and dignity in their own homes. MOW Tampa relies on its community for support and volunteers. Photos available upon request.