Feeding Tampa Bay is a nonprofit food bank that is redefining what it means to feed Tampa Bay and creating pathways to long-term stability. The organization, which serves 10 counties across West Central Florida, celebrated its new Causeway Center facility with a grand opening celebration on May 23. For over 40 years, Feeding Tampa Bay has served over 772+ million meals, and its former facility was not sufficient for the organization’s anticipated growth as it strives to end hunger in its service area by 2025.

Florida Community Loan Fund provided New Markets Tax Credit allocation and community development financing for the new 215,000 square-foot facility. The NMTC Program was created by the U.S. Dept. of Treasury in 2000 to catalyze economic development in distressed census tracts nationwide.

Feeding Tampa Bay is one of the top 20 food banks in the Feeding America network and partners with 400+ hunger relief partners and 2200+ businesses to provide critically needed food. Its services impact the entirety of the food relief system in the 10 counties, connecting individuals to numerous social service partners with the goal of lifting those struggling to a life of health and capability. In addition to providing food relief services, FTB also offers certified job training in culinary arts, warehouse logistics, and CDL driving. The 8-10 week program is hands-on, has no fees, offers a stipend to each trainee, and has a job placement success rate of 70%. The job training program provides a path to self-sustainability to those with barriers to employment.

The new facility will include ample dry, cold, and frozen storage, culinary kitchen and food processing areas, volunteer workspace, meeting rooms for training classes and community use, and a community store. The upper level will house administrative offices and a public venue.

Learn more about FCLF & Feeding Tampa Bay

www.feedingtampabay.org/causeway

Pictured, photos from the grand opening celebration of Feeding Tampa Bay.