Stick A Fork In It

On this episode of Stick a Fork In It, Shannon sits down with Dr. Mack Brown of Abe Brown Ministries, the Tampa organization that's provided food, clothing, counseling, and housing to the community for over 40 years. Mack leads the Inspire program — a six-week course teaching over 30 job and life skills to people coming out of incarceration — and volunteers with the ministry's Prison Crusades, taking hope and support directly inside correctional facilities before anyone is even released.

On this episode of Stick a Fork In It, Shannon sits down with Keith Cowie, Regional Vice President of Winn-Dixie, who started bagging groceries in Auburndale, Florida 37 years ago and now helps lead one of Tampa Bay's most community-driven grocery chains.

Keith shares why people — not products — kept him in the business for nearly four decades, how Winn-Dixie locks the price on 1,000+ seasonal items to make groceries more affordable, and how in-store donation bags have raised $850,000 for over 100 local organizations in under a year through the partnership with Feeding Tampa Bay.

Ron Pierce didn't set out to become a lobbyist. But 17 years later, his firm RSA Consulting has secured $1.8 million in state funding for Feeding Tampa Bay's food processing center, changed Medicaid billing law to help thousands of Florida patients get the care they need, and quietly shaped the policies that determine who eats — and who doesn't.

In this episode of Stick a Fork in It, host Shannon sits down with Ron to pull back the curtain on how lobbying really works in Florida, why it matters for the fight against food insecurity, and what you can do right now to make your voice heard by the people who make the rules.

What we cover:

→ The $1.8 million secured for a new food processing center on Feeding Tampa Bay's campus

→ The Medicaid billing law RSA changed — community health centers can now bill for up to 3 services per visit instead of just one

→ Why food insecurity is only part of the problem (and what's actually driving hunger in Tampa Bay)

→ How lobbying in America really works — and why it's not what you see on TV

→ The two reasons people hire lobbyists: knowledge and relationships

→ Exactly how to contact and engage your elected officials — and why they actually want to hear from you

→ The family story behind the name RSA Consulting

About Ron Pierce: Ron Pierce is the CEO and founder of RSA Consulting, a lobbying firm with offices in Tampa, Tallahassee, and Miami. He represents over 100 clients including Feeding Tampa Bay, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Moffitt Cancer Center, and AdventHealth.

In this episode of Stick a Fork in It, Rachelle Thompson reveals how Feeding Tampa Bay turned a food bank into The Neighborhood — a one-stop hub where 40 community partners provide food, health screenings, legal aid and financial literacy under one roof — and why it started with one neighbor knocking before the doors even opened. Nearly 100,000 neighbors have come through since, and now The Bistro — their pay-as-you-can restaurant — is expanding from 1-2 days to 5 days a week for 300-400 people a day.

In this episode of Stick a Fork in It, we sit down with Brad Herremans, CEO of Suncoast Community Health Centers, to talk about the clinic that's quietly changing healthcare in Tampa Bay.

Since opening its doors at Feeding Tampa Bay this February, the on-site clinic has served more than 450 patients through 800+ visits — providing primary care, women's health, and soon, pediatric services on a sliding fee scale. A basic visit starts at just $40.

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Chef Dorine, Executive Chef at Feeding Tampa Bay, who shares her deeply personal story of resilience, recovery, and finding true purpose.

From battling nearly two decades of addiction and hitting rock bottom to rising through the ranks to lead key culinary programs and medically tailored meal initiatives, Chef Dorine demonstrates the life-changing power of second chances. Tune in to hear how she transformed her life, rebuilt relationships with her children, and uses her culinary talents to nourish and uplift the Tampa community every day.

In this heartfelt conversation with community school resource teacher Lauren Leto, we go inside Brandon High School's community school model and see how one school is feeding students, families, AND the staff who serve them. Lauren shares the stories behind the food pantry and clothing closet — from students FaceTiming their moms while shopping at the pantry for their families, to a student ambassador who built a "How to Belong" presentation for freshmen, to the dozens of students who quietly said they needed food support.

At 68, Ms. Phebie knows what it's like to quietly wonder if her car might one day be where she sleeps. She watches the rent go up. She does the math on her car insurance. And she still walks through Feeding Tampa Bay doors every week with a smile finding the person who looks the saddest, making sure no one sits alone.

Watch the CNN Phil Mattingly episode first: https://youtu.be/fqxjPKveKOs

In this episode, we dive into - More Than a Food Bank: Why access to food is a doorway to deeper relationships, stability, and hope. The Power of Choice: Moving away from traditional pre-packed boxes and allowing families to choose the food they actually want and need. Creating Normalcy: Elevating the grocery experience to ensure every neighbor feels respected and valued.

School Pantries & Community Growth: How Feeding Tampa Bay is expanding its reach across 10 counties to nourish local children and families.

"People just need someone to believe in them—someone to care."

What does it cost to survive in America right now? CNN journalist Phil Mattingly has spent 15 years covering the economy — and he took cameras into four cities to show you the human faces behind the headlines.

On this episode of Stick a Fork In It, Shannon sits down with CNN's Phil ahead of his new documentary series launching July 16th — exploring the structural forces pushing hardworking Americans to the edge in Tampa, Boston, Atlanta, and Cleveland.