Give Tuesday a HUGE Success! | | |
Our sincere thanks to everyone who donated on Giving Tuesday, December 02, 2025. Giving Tuesday is a global day of philanthropy, and this year a generous $100,000 matching gift from Steve and Sara Bayard, encouraged countless people to donate to The Food Bank of Manatee and Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee.
Recently, we met Mara and her daughter Adilyn. Rebuilding their lives after the significant impacts of the hurricanes, they came to receive a traditional Thanksgiving meal to prepare at home. But more than a meal, they also found hope. Maya expressed her gratitude for The Food Bank of Manatee's food distribution.
Right now, needs in our community are higher than ever. The recent SNAP shutdown left many families, seniors, and individuals without critical support, increasing reliance on local hunger-relief services. As we look toward the end of the year and into the New Year, your help is essential to ensure we can continue providing nutritious meals, home-delivered support for seniors, and vital food resources for families across Manatee County.
On Giving Tuesday, over $240,000 was raised to support babies, children, families, and seniors in need in our community! Truly amazing! Special thanks to our Media Partner ABC7-WWSB for their partnership in promoting Giving Tuesday!
If you missed the chance to make a gift on Giving Tuesday, you can make your secure gift online at www.MealsOnWheelsPLUS.org.
To all those who have donated to #FEEDMANATEE, thank you!
| Plan Now For Year-End Giving! | |
As we close out the year, we are grateful for the generosity that has helped The Food Bank of Manatee and Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee continue our mission of nourishing children, families, and seniors in our community. Your support ensures that local families facing hunger have access to essential food resources and that homebound seniors receive nutritious meals.
Below are five easy ways you can make a year-end gift
in support of our mission!
1. Mail Your Gift (checks dated and postmarked by 12/31/25*)
Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee
811 23rd Ave. East
Bradenton, FL 34208
*Checks sent by private couriers such as UPS, FEDEX, or hand delivery must be physically received at our office no later than Tuesday, 12/30/2025.
2. Give Online Today (by 12/31/25)
Make a one-time or recurring gift on our secure website and make an immediate impact on the seniors, families, and children we serve. Click this link to donate now!
3. Donate Gifts of Appreciated Stock
A gift of appreciated stock is a powerful way to support our mission. Transfer/wire instructions are available by contacting Chief Financial Officer Dana Maassen — contact information listed below.
4. Make a Tax-Free Gift from Your IRA
If you’re age 70½ or older, you may contribute up to $100,000 directly from your IRA to Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee tax-free. Please consult your financial advisor to determine what’s right for you.
5. Recommend a Grant from Your Donor-Advised Fund
If you have a Donor Advised Fund with Manatee Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, or any other institution, you can recommend a gift to Meals on Wheels PLUS before year-end. Please contact your advisor to inquire about year-end deadlines within our local Foundations.
For stock transfers or wire instructions, please contact:
Dana Maassen, Chief Financial Officer
Email: dmaassen@mealsonwheelsplus.org
Phone: 941-747-4655 x1233
Thank you for helping us to #FEED MANATEE!
The above giving options should not be considered legal or tax advice.
Please consult your tax adviser.
If you recenty made a gift in support of our mission, thank you!
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Join Us at the Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival
This Saturday!
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Get ready for an incredible day of music and community impact at this year’s Lakewood Ranch Blues Festival—benefiting The Food Bank of Manatee on Saturday, December 6, 2025! When you join us, you’re not only enjoying outstanding live blues performances, you’re also helping to nourish families, children, and seniors right here in Manatee County.
Your participation directly supports our mission to fight hunger and provide essential resources to neighbors in need. With community demand at an all-time high, your attendance makes a meaningful difference.
Come for the music. Stay for the mission. Together, we can strike a powerful chord against hunger! Get your tickets today at LakewoodRanchBluesfest.com !
| Spreading Joy, One
Holiday Shoebox at a Time! | | |
As the holidays draw near, many of our senior neighbors quietly hope they are remembered and valued. Holiday Shoeboxes—simple bundles filled with small comforts and thoughtful gifts—have a way of doing just that. They reconnect seniors with the warmth of community in a way that feels both festive and personal.
Supporting the Holiday Shoebox Drive doesn’t require much, yet the impact is immediate. A new notepad, a cheerful calendar, a favorite card game—each item becomes a message of kindness. And for seniors who may be spending the season alone, that message can mean everything. All senior clients in our Home-delivered Meals, Daybreak Adult Day Center, and Friendship Dining Center programs receive these thoughtful gifts!
By joining the Holiday Shoebox effort, you are bringing joy and connection with every box. Together, we can make the holidays brighter for seniors.
On Saturday, December 13, 2025, we will gather at the Lakewood Ranch Elks Lodge for a community reception and collection of wrapped and filled Holiday Shoeboxes. More information can be found here.
| | Fall Fun at Friendship Dining! | | |
This fall has been filled with creativity, connection, and plenty of smiles at our Friendship Dining Centers! Clients enjoyed seasonal craft projects that brought everyone together and added a festive touch to our dining rooms.
At the Meals on Wheels PLUS Friendship Dining Center, Chrisi—bright in her yellow sweatshirt—and Mimi—sporting her black beanie—proudly showed off the colorful craft they created. The project sparked wonderful conversations and showcased just how artistic our clients can be.
Over at the Palmetto Church of Hope Friendship Dining Center (PCH FDC), guests got into the spirit of the season by making cheerful scarecrow lanterns. The finished lanterns lit up the room—and so did the laughter and teamwork that went into making them. PCH also celebrated Nancy S., who won our special gift basket raffle for bringing friends to join in the fun and fellowship.
These moments highlight what our Friendship Dining Centers are all about: good food, warm camaraderie, and meaningful activities that brighten each day. Friendship Dining Centers are available in multiple locations during the week including central Bradenton, Parrish, Palmetto, and Myakka City. To learn more, click here.
We’re grateful for everyone who continues to make these Centers such welcoming and joyful places!
| | Active Fun at Daybreak Adult Day Center! | | |
At Daybreak Adult Day Center, a PLUS program of Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee, staying active is an essential part of supporting the health and happiness of our seniors. One of the most enjoyable ways we do this is through active games that get participants moving, thinking, and engaging with one another.
Whether it’s chair volleyball, balloon toss, or simple coordination challenges, these activities help improve balance, mobility, and overall physical well-being. Just as importantly, active games spark laughter, boost confidence, and encourage social interaction—key elements in reducing feelings of isolation and promoting emotional wellness.
Our team at Daybreak ensures each activity is safe, accessible, and tailored to a wide range of abilities, making it easy for everyone to join the fun. These daily moments of movement help keep our seniors energized and empowered, proving that staying active can be both beneficial and enjoyable.
At Daybreak, active games are more than just play—they’re an important part of supporting independence, strength, and quality of life for the seniors we proudly serve. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about Daybreak Adult Day Center, please contact us at 941-748-3001 or click the link below for more information.
| | Donor Spotlight: Rising to Meet the Needs | | |
Our thanks to Emily and Hannah who stepped in to help during the SNAP crisis. After seeing the news of the impacts on food-insecure individuals during the government shutdown, Emily and Hannah decided they couldn't just sit at home and watch it happen. Instead, they decided to act. They hopped in their car and headed to a local grocery store to purchase items from our Critically Needed Foods list. They described their donation as a "self-funded splurge to help others".
Their donation in support of both people and pets in need in our community is an example of generosity and service in action. We can all do something to help others who are in need. If you are looking for a way to get involved before the end of the year, this list can help spark ideas! Together, We Feed Manatee!
| | Volunteer Spotlight:
Thankful for All Our Thankgsgiving Volunteers | | |
Our Thanksgiving distributions require several huge groups of amazing volunteers! On Monday, November 24, 2025, we hosted a Thanksgiving Food4Families drive-through distribution providing frozen turkeys, canned goods, and pies to over 750 families at our distribution partner location, Dream Church. Volunteers, including Senator Jim Boyd, joined volunteers from from Bayside Community Church and Dream Church to lend a hand!
Volunteers from Ian Black Real Estate assisted in packing all the Thanksgiving Meals for our Home-delivered Meals clients on Wednesday, November 23, 2025. The Wells and Forristall Families arrived early as we prepared to serve meals on Thanksgiving Day. Matt Walsh from Observer Media Group was also on hand to assist! Those who volunteered on Thanksgiving day came from near and far to assist with meal delivery to nearly 400 homebound and disabled seniors in Manatee County.
It takes all hands on deck to make this holiday magic happen, and we are always so grateful to all our volunteers!
| | Community Spotlight: Sunset Automotive Group | | |
We are so grateful to the Sunset Automotive Group for stepping up and stepping in to help support The Food Bank of Manatee when the government shutdown forced a pause in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP Payments) for food-insecure families, causing a steep increase in need.
Sunset Automotive Group, we are thankful for your investment to help #FeedManatee and for your focus on meeting the needs of food-insecure families in Manatee County. Together, #WeFeedManatee!
| | Food Distribution Programs |December 2025 | | If you are a senior needing meals delivered to your home, we can help! Our Home-delivered Meals program is available to Manatee County residents. | | The Food Bank of Manatee, a PLUS program of Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee, provides non-perishable food items to local food pantries and soup kitchens. | | |
Our Mobile Produce Pantry will be out and about in the community providing fresh and nutritious produce free of charge.
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