“All of us at Our Lady’s Pantry want to say thank you to all of you who have been supporting us, in so many ways, for so many years,” said director Tom Bullaro.
An average of 600 clients visit our pantry every two Saturdays now, Bullaro said. Each receives a big box of nonperishable, nutritious food, along with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, meats, breads and baked goods to take home. While half of our clients are seniors, about a third are young families, many with lots of children. Another 15 percent don’t fall into any particular category but come with all kinds of challenges and all kinds of need. About 5 percent are homeless.
Bullaro recalls the dream of Martin Luther King Jr., who once had the belief that people “everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.”
“We love that we are in a position to provide the makings of several meals a day for so many people who are struggling to make ends meet,” said Bullaro.
“Our current challenge is keeping up with all our operating expenses, which have been soaring this year. The cost of electricity to keep food safe, for example, is higher than ever. This month’s Tampa Electric (TECO) bill was a stunning $2,019. And the refrigerator in our second truck just stopped working, so that must be a priority. The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires that any vehicle used to transport food must be refrigerated. Our food costs are rising too because Feeding Tampa Bay is serving more pantries than ever before, so there is less food for us.
“So, thank you again for everything,” said Bullaro. “If you are able to help, kindly make out any check to Our Lady’s Pantry, and send it to 16650 U.S. Highway 301; Wimauma, FL 33598. Be assured that we are an all-volunteer charity. No one receives a salary. Every dollar we receive is used to help fight hunger in our community.
“Do visit us anytime to see what we do. We are located across U.S. 301 in Wimauma, from Aldi’s. New volunteers are always welcome.”
To learn more about Our Lady’s Pantry, please visit www.ourladyspantry.com.
