East Manatee food pantries see consistent, growing demand

Bradenton’s Beverly Chandler sat in her car as she waited in line for the Woodland Community Church food bank. 

She was happy to wait so she could pick up fresh meat and other food to feed herself and the 15-year-old great-grandson she’s raising. 

“I know if I get the meats, it’s going to compensate for my gas,” she said of driving across Bradenton. “All the rest is a blessing. I’m on a tight budget so raising an almost 16-year-old and with me almost 70, it’s tough.”

Chandler said having access to the pantry means everything to her.

Gigi Easton, the Woodland Community Church food bank coordinator, said the food bank has seen an increase in demand with the rising cost of food and gas. She noted seeing more elderly people coming through the drive-thru. 

“There’s a lot of grandmas and grandpas raising grandkids,” she said. “People who have never been in a food pantry line before are in it now. They don’t feel good about it, but we try to make them feel good about it because most of us that are here have at some point in time either been in line for the pantry or we should have been in the line for the pantry. We just want to help and show them the love of Jesus.”

Photo by Liz Ramos

The Woodland Community Church food bank is open from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. every Friday, and cars started lining up at 9:50 a.m. July 14. 

At Bethany Baptist Church and United Methodist Church in Myakka City, both food banks have seen a consistent need for the past six months. 

Bethany Baptist Church’s food pantry serves about 50 families when it opens on the first Saturday of every month while the United Methodist Church serves between 20 and 25 families on Fridays and Saturdays. 

Tammy Parks, who oversees the food pantry at Bethany Baptist Church, said about 75% of the families the church sees at the food pantry are regulars. 

“It’s amazing to be able to do this,” Parks said. “It blesses us as much as it blesses those we are able to give to. To be able to work as a pantry family, it brings us all together and it’s an awesome time to serve the community.”

Photo by Liz Ramos

All three food pantries receive food from Feeding Tampa Bay and the Food Bank of Manatee. 

Woodland Community Church has found a new way to get food as well. Easton said the food bank is able to go directly to stores like Publix to pick up food in its refrigerated food trailer. The food bank bought the refrigerated trailer a year ago.

Easton said if she receives a call during the middle of the week, she can accept food donations and have them placed in the refrigerated food trailer. For example, Easton said a representative from the Food Bank of Manatee called her one day saying someone had eggs that could be donated. Easton was able to get the eggs and store them with the refrigerated food trailer.

“We do lots of networking,” Easton said. “I used to worry a lot, but I’m a firm believer in the Lord provides. He provides the food that we need every week.”

Having the refrigerated trailer opens new doors for the food bank. Easton hopes to have pop-up pantries at least once per quarter in the future where she can take the trailer anywhere in Manatee County to provide any surplus donations the food bank receives.