MoneyFood & hungerUrgent
Open Hands Pantry: keep the shelves full this winter
Help keep a free food pantry open for families facing hunger in Tampa.
🇺🇸 Florida, United States1,754 views
Since 2022, our volunteer team has run Open Hands Pantry every Tuesday from the back of a school canteen. We started with 20 families, and now we feed 210 each week.
Donations have dropped by about 47% this winter, while the line has grown every single week.
We rely on volunteers - 17 of us - and keep no salaries or overhead. I buy staples at wholesale prices at the Tampa market and keep every receipt.
Each $30 feeds a family of four for a week.
I'll post the weekly shopping receipts and a photo of the shelves each Sunday.
Where the $2,800 goes:
• Rice, beans, flour and oil (wholesale): $1,550
• Fresh vegetables and fruit: $680
• Baby formula and diapers: $185
• Refrigeration and electricity: $385
I'll keep this page updated with receipts as things happen.
- Easton
Updates from Easton
Small update. $701 so far, the plan for refrigeration and electricity is now scheduled.
We're at 13% thanks to 8 of you. we've started the first stage. More news soon.
- Mekdes Meseret Zewdie 🇪🇹 · $200
“Only $200 but hope it helps. - Hawassa”
- Nithya M. Hegde 🇮🇳 · $200
- Sudip Umesh Bajracharya 🇳🇵 · $200
- Héctor E. Ramos 🇨🇴 · $100
- Anonymous 🇮🇳 · $100
- Jacob B. West 🇺🇸 · $100
- Anonymous 🇮🇩 · $59
- Daria Svetlana Gerasimov 🇷🇺 · $36.50
- Shruthi S. Swamy 🇮🇳 · $30
- Gabriel João Borges 🇧🇷 · $30
“Blessings - Guarulhos”
- Ramesh G. Gupta 🇺🇸 · $30
“Blessings. Small amount but sent with love. - Peoria”
- Pradeep F. Nayak 🇮🇳 · $25
- Anonymous 🇿🇦 · $25
“Get well soon. - Ekurhuleni”
- Mercy Peace Ekwueme 🇳🇬 · $25
- Paula Emma Bergmann 🇩🇪 · $25
- Michelle Bell 🇺🇸 · $23
- Allison G. Whitfield 🇬🇧 · $20
“Thought of Easton all day after reading this. - London”
- Danish Talha Yousafzai 🇵🇰 · $19
“Praying for you. I'm in Mardan, thinking of you. - Mardan”
- Eliana D. Reynolds 🇺🇸 · $15
“Stay strong. From Fresno with love. - Fresno”
- Yulia Inna Marchenko 🇮🇹 · $15
“Stay strong. Thought of Easton all day after reading this.”
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is there a list of costs somewhere? Just curious how it adds up for Easton.
It's all in the list in the story. rice, beans, flour and oil (wholesale) is the big one at $1,550, I'll post a receipt when it's paid.
Wishing you peace, Easton. I hope things turn around soon. Love from Leeds.
Hope this works out for you. Thinking of Tampa.
Sending love, Easton. Shared this with my family. I told my book club about it and three of them are giving too. Thinking of Tampa.
Sending good thoughts. I've been in a tough spot myself and it does get easier. After 16 years in customer support I know how hard it's to ask for anything.