DONATE NOW

NOURISH | ENRICH | STRENGTHEN

Meals On Wheels of Tampa serves 1,000 individuals a hot, nutritious meal daily, delivered to their door, by a caring volunteer. The daily hot meal provides NOURISHMENT for the body. The kind greeting from a volunteer provides ENRICHMENT for the soul. Together, we STRENGTHEN our community by caring for neighbors who have difficulty leaving their homes.

For many of the homebound, a visit from a volunteer is the only human contact they will receive that day. Our recipients receive a hot meal and a visit designed to achieve – an increased intake of nutritious food, improved personal outlook and health, and decreased feelings of isolation and loneliness.

Meals On Wheels of Tampa is a privately funded, 4-Star Charity and a proud member of Meals on Wheels of America. We rely on the community for financial and volunteer support and do not accept any direct government funding.

MISSION

To nourish, enrich and strengthen the lives of seniors and individuals who have difficulty leaving their homes and are challenged to prepare meals.

VISION

To eliminate hunger, isolation and loss of independence for the homebound and seniors in our community.

HISTORY

Meals On Wheels of Tampa was founded by Gloria Fuentes, a Tampa resident experiencing difficulty caring for her two homebound relatives who lived on opposite sides of the city. Recognizing the need to assist not only her family, but also others who wanted to remain independent in the security of their own homes, she formed a committee of pastors and church members throughout Tampa to help organize efforts.

On March 17, 1975, Meals On Wheels of Tampa began with a group of dedicated volunteers who cooked meals in the recreation hall of a local United Methodist Church and delivered 14 meals to people who were homebound. The number of those in need of the meals provided by Meals On Wheels has steadily increased over the years.

In 1993, after 17 years of helping people from the kitchens and offices of neighboring organizations throughout the community, Meals On Wheels purchased the building at 550 W. Hillsborough Avenue in Tampa to house its Administrative Offices and Kitchen. In 2006, as a result of a capital campaign, a major kitchen renovation was completed. The renovation began after an extensive strategic planning process focusing on growth while maintaining the grassroots, personal touch, care, and compassion that is synonymous with Meals On Wheels of Tampa. The new commercial grade kitchen enabled the mission to reach more people in need of food.

Now, after years of faithful volunteer and community support, Meals On Wheels of Tampa serves over 1,000 meals per day to our homebound neighbors in a facility that allowed us to grow by 25% since moving in August of 2020. Creative planning and generous donations from the community has made it possible for Tampa’s homebound individuals and seniors to receive the help they need.

This year, we are celebrating 50 Years of Service to the Greater Tampa Community