Stick A Fork In It

How do you plan for the most ambitious social project ever undertaken in Tampa Bay? With the help of experienced, dedicated people like Todd Wickner, who's managed successful restaurants and arenas across the United States. As a member of the Board of Directors of Feeding Tampa Bay, Todd has helped guide us through all of our trials, successes, and growth over the past 10 years, and he joins us on the show today to talk about the most exciting step forward that we're currently taking -- the construction of a brand new headquarters off of Causeway Boulevard.

Tune in to learn how Todd grew from helping out in his father's luncheonette, to easily feeding thousands of people in packed sports stadiums. And to learn more about our mission of ending hunger in Tampa Bay by 2025, visit our website, FeedingTampaBay.org, and follow us on social media @FeedingTampaBay!

As a widow and mother, Barb is back to work at 71 and still struggling to make ends meet. She has been a lifetime caregiver and loyal volunteer, making asking for help extremely difficult and emotional. In a time where choices were being made between transportation, food and medicine, having food available was an unexpected relief.

To learn more visit FeedingTampaBay.org or to find a food bank near you, feedingamerica.org/find-your-local-foodbank

With so many sources of news available on TV and online, it's difficult to know what to trust. We invite the Emmy-award-winning duo Michael Paluska and Reed Moeller from ABC Action News to pull back the curtain a bit on journalism, and share with you what it's like to brainstorm, write, and record the stories that inform you about your world. Tune in to learn about twin-tuition, the art of videography, and why it's important to invite your wife to dinner with Harrison Ford.

You can also see Michael and Reed's story about the heroes fighting child hunger, and find past episode of our show at feedingtampabay.org/stickaforkinit!

For more fun, insightful stories about our work -- follow us on your favorite social media @FeedingTampaBay!

We're fortunate to have had the support of Tampa's Mayor, Jane Castor, through thick and thin in recent years. She stood by us during the pandemic, providing Feeding Tampa Bay the attention and resources we needed to ensure nobody went hungry while businesses were closing. And now she's helping guide us through the process of expanding our capability, as we begin construction on a new facility offering more programs and more food out the door. Tune in to hear about her journey from athlete to police officer and finally to mayor of an entire city. And learn how the importance of family and community aided her along the way.

And as ever, follow us on your preferred social media platforms @FeedingTampaBay, to see what other guests we've had on the show, and what exciting developments are on their way in the future.

There was so much more to discuss with our recent guest, Katie Fitzgerald, that we just had to have her back on the show. Last time we talked about the ways that food banks are evolving to address root causes of hunger -- but on today's episode we discuss how that evolution is made possible, and how it's already making regions around Feeding America food banks truly hunger-free. To learn what it really means to be hunger-free, check out another recent episode where our Chief Programs Officer, Matt Spence, breaks it down in simple terms!

You can save our episodes for later listening on any of your favorite podcast platforms, and you can see teasers for each one by following our social media accounts @FeedingTampaBay.

After spending years teaching students directly, Addison Davis finds himself in charge of all the school's in one of the nation's largest counties. How does someone in that position ensure that children are getting what they need to be well-adjusted, successful adults? By working tirelessly to get teachers and parents what they need, and remembering that every child has a story. Tune in to learn how Addison has pushed to improve schools in Hillsborough county in recent years, and what he hopes we can come together to accomplish for the future caretakers of our society.

Follow @FeedingTampaBay on your favorite social media platform to learn about the other partners we work with to make Tampa a healthier, happier place!

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!