$50,000 award will help provide 12,500 subsidized meals to homebound neighbors
TAMPA, Fla. (Oct. 16, 2026) — For 13 years, Ida Pagan has helped Meals On Wheels of Tampa care for other people’s mothers and fathers. She understands the importance of that work firsthand because Meals On Wheels once helped care for her own mother.
The Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation honored Pagan as a Lightning Community Hero on Thursday, Oct. 15, recognizing her longtime commitment to Meals On Wheels of Tampa and the older and homebound neighbors it serves. The honor, which took place during the game’s Noches Latina celebration, includes a $50,000 grant to Meals On Wheels of Tampa in her name.
The grant will fund approximately 12,500 subsidized meals for about 35 homebound neighbors facing financial barriers. Approximately 85% of Meals On Wheels of Tampa recipients receive assistance through the organization’s sliding fee scale.
Pagan joined Meals On Wheels of Tampa 13 years ago after leaving the corporate world in search of work that would have a more direct impact on people’s lives. She started as a part-time receptionist, moved into intake and client support, and now serves as office administrator. She also assists Spanish-speaking neighbors and families and steps in wherever she is needed.
Her connection to the mission became deeply personal when her mother, who lived with dementia, became a Meals On Wheels recipient before her death seven years ago. Volunteers delivered nutritious meals, checked on her mother and gave Pagan the reassurance that someone was looking out for her.
Today, that experience shapes how she approaches her work with Meals On Wheels of Tampa and the people it serves.
“I leave work every day knowing I helped someone and helped make sure a neighbor was fed,” Pagan said. “No amount of money can provide that kind of fulfillment.”
“The people who dedicate themselves to this mission are the heroes of our organization,” added Meals On Wheels of Tampa CEO Mandy Cloninger. “We’re incredibly grateful for our volunteers and for team members like Ida, who have devoted so many years to serving our neighbors. Ida understands on a very personal level the difference Meals On Wheels can make for a family. We couldn’t be prouder to see her recognized as a Lightning Community Hero.”
The grant comes as Meals On Wheels of Tampa continues to expand its reach across Hillsborough County. The organization expanded into Apollo Beach earlier this year and will begin serving Sun City Center on November 30 as part of a partnership with the GFWC Sun City Center Woman’s Club, Inc. Additional expansion into Ruskin, Wimauma and Thonotosassa is planned, helping the organization reach more homebound neighbors with nutritious meals, a friendly visit, and a wellness check, helping recipients remain connected and independent in their own homes.
Meals On Wheels of Tampa serves 1,200 neighbors on a monthly basis, delivering approximately 1,000 meals each weekday on more than 100 delivery routes. Together with more than 1,400 volunteers, the organization fulfils its mission to Nourish the body, Enrich the spirit and Strengthen the community.
The $50,000 Lightning Community Hero grant will help ensure that financial hardship does not prevent an eligible homebound neighbor from receiving meals.
For Pagan, the mission comes back to something simple: Older adults who helped build the Tampa Bay community deserve to know their community is there for them when they need it.
About Meals On Wheels of Tampa:
Since 1975, Meals On Wheels of Tampa has been committed to nourishing and enriching the lives of senior and homebound neighbors through daily meal deliveries and friendly visits. Today, the organization strengthens the community by serving almost 1,000 recipients in the Greater Tampa area. Meals On Wheels of Tampa is a privately funded, 4-Star Charity and a proud member of Meals on Wheels America. The organization relies on the community for financial and volunteer support and does not accept any direct government funding.
Media Contacts:
Candace Rotolo, Point of View Communications
Phone: 239.634.9401 | Email: candacewrites@gmail.com
Mandy Cloninger, CEO, Meals On Wheels of Tampa
Phone: 813.582.7821 | Email: m.cloninger@mowtampa.org
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