TAMPA, Florida – May 22, 2017 – Meals On Wheels of Tampa, HCI Group, CENTCOM, The Moffitt Cancer Center, Suncoast Credit Union, USF and many other dedicated volunteers will be delivering special Hurricane Preparedness Packs to the Meals On Wheels of Tampa recipients on the morning of Saturday, May 20 for the 2017 Hurricane season.
As June approaches we are reminded to prepare for the 2017 hurricane season by our local news stations, grocery stores and businesses. Many of us have a plan for what we will do when a big storm hits the area. However, for the homebound and elderly throughout our community, there is no plan. Because of their inability to drive or move freely, there is no way to gather the supplies they need or to get out of the storm’s path. Such is the case for many of the recipients served by Meals On Wheels of Tampa every day.
Hurricane Preparedness Packs will be delivered to all 700 recipients before the hurricane season begins, on Saturday May 20. This pack is given to all program recipients in case a disaster were to occur that prevents volunteers from being able to deliver meals. Included in the packs are 5 shelf-stable meals, a gallon of water, a shelter evaluation form, a magic bottle opener, and a variety of emergency resource guides. The pack is free of charge to recipients. This year, funds received from Give Day Tampa Bay helped cover the cost of the Hurricane Preparedness Pack shelf-stable meals, as well as a generous donation from HCI Group, Inc. MacDill CENTCOM provided the gallons of water. The Meals On Wheels of Tampa High School Leadership Board put on a music festival to raise funds for the magic opener, which will help them to easily open bottles of water.
For the past 12 years, Meals On Wheels of Tampa has developed a plan for its recipients in the event that a large storm does hit the Tampa Bay area. 2 years ago, for the first time ever, Meals On Wheels of Tampa residents had to utilize the shelf stable meals from their Hurricane Preparedness Packs due to major flooding in the South Tampa area.
“It’s absolutely wonderful that the Tampa community came together on this year to provide the much needed funding for this project. We are also thrilled that the HCI Group and Moffitt Cancer Center are helping with the delivery to those we serve. We hope our recipients will never be faced with using these items during an actual hurricane, but it’s a comfort to know that they will be prepared in the event that a storm does hit our community,” says Steve King, the Executive Director of Meals On Wheels of Tampa.
Meals On Wheels of Tampa would like to thank the following groups for coming together on Saturday, May 20, to prepare and deliver these packs: HCI Group, Inc., MacDill CETCOM, TCM Bank, Moffitt Cancer Center, Suncoast Credit Union, USF, and the many other committed MOW Tampa volunteers. It is a beautiful way of extending a helping hand to those in need in our community. Hurricane season is June 1st-November 30th each year.
About Meals On Wheels of Tampa:
Meals On Wheels of Tampa has been committed to nourishing and enriching the independent lives of the homebound and seniors of Tampa since 1975. Today, Meals On Wheels of Tampa serves over 700 people with a hot meal during the lunch hour. Meals On Wheels of Tampa is a 4-star charity and relies on its community for support by not accepting government funding.
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