Over 700 free bags of produce to be delivered to the homes of seniors this Saturday
On Saturday, over 100 community volunteers, businesses and groups will participate in Meals On Wheels of Tampa's Produce On Wheels (POW!) program. This program, will help increase senior access to fresh produce.
Press Release (ePRNews.com) - TAMPA, Fla. - Jun 14, 2017 - On Saturday, June 17th, over 100 community
volunteers, businesses and groups will participate in Meals On Wheels of Tampa’s
Produce On Wheels (POW!) program. This program, partnered with Feeding Tampa
Bay, will help increase senior and homebound access to fresh produce. Dedicated
volunteers will give their time, vehicle, and gas to deliver free, pre-packed bags of fresh
fruits and vegetables to 700 home delivered meal recipients (HDM) on Saturday
morning. Special thanks to the employees of Melting Pot (a Front Burner Brand), Bank
of America, HDR Engineering, Inc., Kforce Inc., Mezrah Consulting, and Moffitt Cancer
Center for helping to load cars and deliver routes on this day.
There are still 6 routes available for volunteers to sign up to deliver on Saturday. Please
visit www.MOWTampa.org/programs/pow to select a route, or explore other ways to
help.
This month’s free bag of produce will include: an orange, a pear, an apple, kale, chard,
cherry tomatoes, a sweet potato, some salad dressing, and additional items donated by
Feeding Tampa Bay.
In response to this program, Meals On Wheels of Tampa has developed partnerships
with the following groups: Sweetwater Organic Community Farm, Sanwa Farmer’s
Market, Feeding Tampa Bay, University of South Florida, Tampa Bay Network to End
Hunger, and others. Their generous contributions have enhanced this month’s delivery.
This monthly event is very exciting for Meals On Wheels of Tampa to further their
mission of nourishing, enriching, and strengthening the independent lives of the
homebound and seniors in Tampa. POW! was developed in response to results
collected from a survey that was sent out to all 700 HDM recipients last year.
“This is such a blessing because I can no longer shop for fresh food. Many thanks to all
who helped with this program, it is wonderful! Especially the volunteers who came to
see me on a Saturday-what a treat!" said Delores, HDM recipient on the Meals On
Wheels of Tampa program.
In addition to increasing access to produce, this opportunity has increased volunteer
openings for those unavailable to deliver meals during the week.
Recipients also receive an educational handout that highlights the nutritional
advantages of the items in the bag, tips to reduce waste, recipe ideas, and produce
safety. Feedback was recently collected from recipients and volunteers assisting in the
evaluation of the program to continue to improve its impact on senior nutrition.
Professors and graduate students from USF’s College of Public Health assisted the
Meals On Wheels of Tampa staff in evaluating the effectiveness of POW! on Tampa’s
homebound citizens. Pre-test, post-test, and process evaluation surveys were
completed during 2016. These tests revealed recipients were consuming an additional
serving of fresh fruit and half a serving of vegetables each day. This data was recently
published in the Florida Public Health Review Journal for other programs to learn from
all over the world. In order to keep increasing the impact of POW! on recipients, Meals
On Wheels of Tampa is currently looking for funding to expand the program to daily
deliveries.
Future POW! delivery dates are Saturday, July 15 th , August 19 th , September 16 th , and
October 21 st . Interested in delivering POW? Sign up by visiting
www.MOWTampa.org/programs/pow or call (813) 238-8410.
About Meals On Wheels of Tampa:
Meals On Wheels of Tampa has been committed to nourishing and enriching the
independent lives of the homebound and seniors of Tampa since 1975. Today, Meals
On Wheels of Tampa serves over 700 people with a hot meal during the lunch hour.
Meals On Wheels of Tampa is a 4-star charity and relies on its community for support
by not accepting government funding.
If you would like to start receiving meals or if you know someone in need, please visit
www.MOWTampa.org or call (813) 238-8410 today.
Source : Meals on Wheels