Meals On Wheels For Kids Expands Into Clearwater

CLEARWATER, FL — The Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger will expand Meals On Wheels for Kids into Clearwater.

The program will begin delivering frozen prepared meals, fresh produce and shelf-stable food to children and families who have opted to attend school remotely in Clearwater on Wednesday, Aug. 26.

The network’s innovative MOW4Kids program, the first program of its kind, launched in March. MOW4Kids was developed in response to the coronavirus school closures to serve children 18 years or younger with meals delivered to their home by volunteers.

MOW4Kids is an alternative option for kids who are not able to access meal distribution sites throughout the county or have difficulty accessing open food pantries. The program currently serves St. Petersburg and Lealman in South Pinellas County, Wimauma in South Hillsborough County, Dade City in East Pasco County and will continue to expand the program to include Clearwater.

RCS Food Bank, a local nonprofit organization that addresses the needs of the hungry, homeless and victims of domestic violence in Pinellas County, will be the designated packing and distribution site for the program in Pinellas County. Shelf-stable boxes of food will be packed by volunteers on Tuesdays and then delivered by volunteers with background checks on Wednesdays.

On the morning of delivery, Pinellas County Schools' buses will be loaded with meal packs and boxes of shelf-stable food for volunteers to then ride along and deliver to children and families living in Clearwater.

The goal is for children to have better nutrition, food security and feel socially connected by the volunteers who drop by.

Volunteer are needed each week to help pack boxes of shelf-stable food on Tuesdays and to deliver on Wednesdays from the RCS Food Bank in Clearwater. Routes take 60 minutes to complete. To sign up to volunteer, click here.

The Network is currently accepting donations to support the MOW4Kids program. A donation of $20 will provide a week of meals delivered to children in need.

The Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger has more than 350 members and serves Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. Call 727-584-3528.