TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – A fun challenge is shedding light on a serious issue impacting hundreds of thousands of families in Tampa Bay.

The shelves of Feeding Tampa Bay are stocked. “For children that want to learn, for seniors to stay healthy, for families who want to stay active, we want them to have access to the best food there is. The challenge a lot of our families have is fresh food is more expensive,” President Thomas Mantz said.

In addition to assistance from the food bank, more than 250,000 households in the 10-county region rely on benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP.

Leaders at Feeding Tampa Bay said proposed cuts to the federal program could be disastrous for local families.

“Right now, for SNAP, it’s looking like a 30% cut overall for the program. So, when you look at numbers here in Florida, we have about 3 million individuals who are on SNAP benefits, you have to imagine that there’s going to be a reduction in benefits or loss in benefits,” Lorena Hardwick said.

Feeding Tampa Bay is inviting the community to participate in the ‘SNAP challenge’:

Next time you visit a grocery store, shop for your daily meals with just your budget of $6.12, record a video and post on your social media and tag Feeding Tampa Bay!
They want to know how successful you are and what you think!
Facebook: Feeding Tampa Bay
Instagram: feedingtampabay
TikTok: stickaforkinit
LinkedIn: Feeding Tampa Bay