Meals On Wheels Plans Virtual Stuff the Bus Benefit

BRADENTON, FL — Annually in October, The Food Bank of Manatee, a PLUS program of Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee, gathers community partners in a collaborative effort to collect needed food items to feed Manatee County families through the Stuff the Bus event.

Due to COVID-19, the 2020 Stuff the Bus event will be held virtually. This virtual collection takes place Oct. 25-31.

Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee is asking supporters to make monetary donations online. These donations will be used to purchase food in bulk, which will then be made available to the more than 80 food pantries and partner agencies who rely on the support of The Food Bank of Manatee to feed thousands in need each week.

“In 2019, our generous supporters donated over 100,000 pounds of food to be put to use in our community through the annual Stuff the Bus event,” said Maribeth Phillips, president and CEO of Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee. “This year’s virtual Stuff the Bus event will enable us to replace the food we would normally receive through this important, community-wide event,” Phillips added.

Donations to the virtual Stuff the Bus event can be made online here.

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2020, more than 54 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.