The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) and St. Pete Free Clinic (SPFC) are giving away fresh food to those who need it. This is part of a countywide effort to meet the growing need for food assistance. This continuous effort in Pinellas ensures public well-being by distributing healthy foods to citizens most in need. The event will be held on Friday, December 16, at 9 a.m. at the Sunderman Complex.
Hard to access healthy food options
There are many reasons why someone may not be able to access healthy food. The St. Pete Free Clinic sees the following barriers:
- Lack of healthy food sources nearby
- Not being able to access a food pantry due to time constraints with hours of employment
- Lack of transportation
- Mobility restrictions
With food insecurity on the rise, the BCC is working to ensure that all areas have access to quality food. The SPFC is also ramping up efforts to help people get access to food when they need it. They have a food resource option available 5 days a week with hours that range from morning through evening. Food resource options are accessible in person and via drive thru. The SPFC wants to ensure that all people have access to food when they need it most.
The St. Pete Free Clinic
SPFC is the largest emergency food distributor in Pinellas County. SPFC’s Jared S. Hechtkopf Community Food Bank (Jared’s Food Bank) to stock the We Help FRESH Pantry. The We Help FRESH Pantry provides nutritious food for an average of 19,000 individuals per month. At various times throughout the year, the pantry goes mobile in hopes of serving those that may not access their services directly.
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This past June, they transitioned SPFC’s FRESH Pantry from distributing food via one drive-thru in downtown St. Pete to distributing via an Indoor Choice option and two additional drive-thrus. The drive-thrus are the SPFC’s FRESH Pantry Deuces Drive-Thru and SPFC’s FRESH Pantry Jared’s Drive-Thru.
Making healthy choices
For those looking for help on how to create healthy meals, SPFC provides printed recipe cards. You can get physical recipe cards by visiting at the SPFC FRESH Pantry Indoor Choice Option. Or check out their online options. These recipes were developed by SPFC Health Education Manager and Registered Dietitian Mollie Holden.
The SPFC has also created an inclusive Find Food Map feature, providing food resources throughout all of Pinellas County. The Find Food feature includes SPFC, all SPFC food partners, plus other local food resources. Visitors to the SPFC website can easily search by zip code to find the food resource closest to them within Pinellas County.