Stick A Fork In It

Author, comedian, and Executive Director of the Gracepoint Foundation, Ian Adair has spent 25 years managing communications in the non-profit world. He uses humor and human connection to introduce people to the reality that everyone has mental health that needs attending to, and that no one is completely alone in their struggles, even if it feels that way sometimes. On today's episode, he shares the work done by Gracepoint to bring self-care into the workplace, amidst anecdotes about his favorite tacos and his 11-year-old son's hilarious nickname for him.

If you're looking for additions to your own self-care routine, consider boosting spirits around you, and in turn your own, by giving back to your community with the gifts of time and talent. Visit our website, FeedingTampaBay.org, to learn about opportunities to get involved with our mission of ending hunger in Tampa Bay -- and follow us on social media @FeedingTampaBay!

Accessible housing, tax assistance, early childhood education -- United Way guides people through some of the most difficult trials that life serves up, and many of us have no idea of the help they offer, all over the world. Kari Goetz of our local affiliate, United Way Suncoast, joins us on this episode and in her theater-honed style explains how so many people who work full time can still fall through the cracks of society. Tune in for a phenomenal convo about safety nets, German food, and the Mouseketeers -- then take a look through our episode list to hear from our other great community partners like the Rays, St. Pete Distillery, and wrestlers from the WWE!

Want to get involved in making your community a healthier, happier place? Visit FeedingTampaBay.org to donate or volunteer with us -- or if you're in need yourself, find food in your area that's fresh and free.

Raising a family and growing a business on a resort overlooking the sandy shores of St. Pete Beach, MaryAnn Renfrow understands the importance of preserving the nature that guests and locals enjoy every day. That's why she joined the board of Tampa Bay Watch to help restore our waterways and teach the community about them. And when the beaches were empty last year, she dedicated her time and resources to standing with Feeding Tampa Bay in the fight against hunger, which had been made more difficult by the pandemic. Tune in to learn about MaryAnn's lifelong adventures in Pinellas county, how she got into the hospitality industry, and what it was like trying to run a hotel during a nationwide lockdown.

And follow us on your preferred social media platform @FeedingTampaBay to learn how you can get involved in the fight against hunger, too!

One of our main goals here at Feeding Tampa Bay is to tell the stories of the people we serve each day, and we couldn't make that happen without the help of our friends in broadcast media. Local news icons like Gayle Guyardo, who has been reporting and anchoring for over 25 years, help shine a light on the needs and good deeds in our community, and we are incredibly grateful to each and every one of them. Tune into today's episode to learn how Gayle got into news media, and what it's like to be a reporter chasing down stories to share on TV!

And to stay up-to-date with FTB news, follow us on social media @FeedingTampaBay, or visit our website at www.FeedingTampaBay.org!

For the past 7 years Brian Auld has been president of the Tampa Bay Rays, and during that time he has helped foster a culture of community involvement that sports fans everywhere can be proud of. Listen in to learn how he transitioned from teaching 4th grade students to helping the Rays clinch 2 straight AL East championships, and how important it is for the team to be more than just baseball players. We're proud to be partnered with such a compassionate and innovative organization, and look forward to continuing our shared work of bettering our community in every way we can. Go Rays!

Follow FTB on social media at @FeedingTampaBay and visit our website at FeedingTampaBay.org to learn more about our sports team partnerships -- as well as opportunities to win official swag from your local favorites!

Math and science aren't the only things kids should be learning in school, as today's guest on the show will tell you. A food pantry orchestrated by neighborhood schools is an excellent opportunity for children to learn about serving their community, and who the people in that community really are. Tune in to learn how a small church pantry doubled in size after it was passed along to the care of Buck Johnson and his crew of large-hearted teachers and students, and how your community can easily participate in similar projects that lift spirits and fill bellies everywhere.

Follow us on social media @FeedingTampaBay and visit our website at FeedingTampaBay.org for more information!

In a year full of change-ups we've altered the formula of our annual Epic Chef event to be a pack even more excitement into a shorter run of shows. If you're not familiar, Epic Chef is our sponsor-supported competition between Tampa's top restaurants, hosted by The Epicurean Hotel in SoHo. This year over the course of three nights we invited the community to watch the head chefs of the top-rated eateries in our city go head to head creating dishes using surprise mystery ingredients from our very own warehouse!

Tune in as Matt and Shannon broadcast the festivities, interviewing special guests and sampling the top-tier cuisine being judged by the evening's contest participants. And be sure to keep an eye out for next year's Epic Chef event so that you can be a part of the party, while helping raise awareness and donation money to aid the food-insecure folks in your community.

Visit our website and follow us @FeedingTampaBay on social media to stay up to date on our most recent and upcoming events!

On a special edition of Stick a Fork in It, Congresswoman Kathy Castor is interviewed by her daughter Chrissy Lewis, who just completed a multi-department internship with our organization learning about what we do! Then we get to talk in-depth with Chrissy about her experiences interning with us, as well as her own plans on how best to serve our community in the future.

And stick around for WTFB to meet Ronkevious Smalls, our Director of Employee Experience, and learn what it's like to actual work at one of the fasted growing food banks in the country. We place a premium on engaging and gratifying culture here at Feeding Tampa Bay, and go the extra mile to make sure that our employees feel like they fit in with the family!

Visit our website at FeedingTampaBay.org to learn about career opportunities we currently have available, as well as other ways that you can get involved in your spare time!

What if you could grow 3 whole acres of food in a box in your backyard? Well, Brick Street Farms has developed a way to do just that, using hydroponics and metal shipping containers. Their growing methods provide everything a plant needs to produce the healthiest, tastiest veggies it possible can, without a bunch of artificial modifying. Tune in to learn how the process works, and where you can buy some of their greens near you.

Learn more about our community partners by visiting our website at FeedingTampaBay.org, and by following us on social media @FeedingTampaBay!

General Mills is the company that produces many of your most favorite, most iconic cereals -- but they're also responsible for TONS of other beloved breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods that you can find in any grocery store. On today's episode we're grateful to have Scott Nevitt (Sr. Customer Mgr.) and Katie Fenech (Brand Experience Asst. Mgr.) join us to marvel at the lifelong impact foods like breakfast cereal have on each and every one of us. This year alone General Mills helped us collect over 2 MILLION meals worth of food during our annual Cereal for Summer campaign. Tune in to learn about all the foods in your fridge that you didn't even know came from General Mills, and stick around to meet Kathryn Burch from our news partner 10 Tampa Bay! Kathryn has been helping FTB spread the word about food relief for years, and she shares with us the importance of that message to her and to her media team.

Follow us on social media @FeedingTampaBay to stay up to date on our annual campaigns, and learn how you can get involved in feeding your community!