TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The Mosaic Company, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Feeding Tampa Bay celebrated the opening of a food pantry inside an east Tampa elementary school on Friday.
In August 2021, Mosaic and the Bucs announced a partnership to tackle hunger in the area by opening five food pantries in the region over the next five years. It’s called the “Tackles for Hunger fueled by Mosaic” program.
The first pantry opened at Broward Elementary School in October. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the organizations were not able to celebrate with students.
They finally got the opportunity on Friday, celebrating with a “field day.” Buccaneers tackle Brandon Walton and linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka took part in various events with students.
Bringing these food pantries in to the community is something critically important to Feeding Tampa Bay.
“I think one of the things that’s critical to us is when we know a child is hungry, typically the family is hungry,” said Feeding Tampa Bay President and CEO Thomas Martz. “So we’re able to take care of a child’s nutritional needs so they can learn, which is terrific, but we also give the family food resources they need inside the household to remain stable. So we’re really excited about that part of it.”
Providing those food resources is also important at the start of spring break. Martz explained children are at the greatest risk at night, on weekends and summers. Feeding Tampa Bay’s programs are designed to fill that gap.
They’re not only concerned about spring break, but also the current ways of the world.
“We’re also concerned because today’s economy is really challenging for the families that we serve. Pressure with gas prices, food prices, rent prices,” said Martz. “Families are under a lot of economic strain and we’re trying to make sure we can create the, offer the most fundamental resources inside of a family’s household and that is good food on the table.”
The partnership has been a long time coming.
“Mosaic’s mission is to help grow the food it needs and it’s not just our mission, but it’s really the way we engage in business in the community. So we are very community-focused and giving,” said Karla Guzman-Mims, Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at Mosaic. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Mosaic have been in discussions for a long time. So it’s been a long time coming of like, ‘where can we have the most impact and where can we do the most good together?’”
Tara Battiato, the vice president of community impact for the Buccaneers, said the team partnered with Mosaic to help uplift the community and solve food insecurity. She called the partnership incredibly important for the Bucs organization.
“We have two main pillars that are strengthening students and social justice. And we really want to focus those efforts with meaningful, impactful change right here in our community, specifically in east Tampa. So to be able to kick this off this season has been really rewarding,” Battiato said.
Tackle Brandon Walton grew up in the east Tampa neighborhood. He took the time to pose for photos with kids and help with one of the many activities during field day.
“It means everything to me. I used to be one of these kids, and people would come speak to me as a kid and I’d get to do it, and it comes full circle. It’s nice to put a smile on their face,” Walton said.
He said he was telling the kids to follow their dreams, listen to adults and eat their vegetables.
The pantry will serve approximately 300 families in the area with a variety of foods, perishable and non-perishable alike.
It is open for those in need in the community during school hours, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.