Tampa Republic

The Southeast Produce Council and its exhibitors donated 60,233 pounds of fresh produce after the Southern Exposure Retail & Food Service Conference & Expo, held at the Tampa Convention Center in March 2024.

"About 50 volunteers from Society of St. Andrew in Orlando packed vegetables and fruits donated by the event and exhibitors to feed people in the Tampa community and beyond," stated the article.

Metropolitan Ministries, located in Tampa, played a crucial role in distributing the donations to local families in need. They helped pack the show, load the trucks, and distributed over 12,000 pounds of food to those in need.

Various Florida organizations also lent their support in transporting and distributing the donations. His Compassion Food Bank in Ocala provided two trucks to distribute over 39,000 pounds of food to 19 areas of west and central Florida. Mack Farms in Lake Wales offered storage, transportation, and logistics. New Covenant United Methodist Church in The Villages picked up and distributed over 8,000 pounds of food.

"Move For Hunger, a national hunger relief non-profit organization, also donated a truck to transport 40,000 pounds of food to the show," the article highlighted.

The Tampa Convention Center, always seeking ways to give back to the community, collaborates with various organizations to support those in need. Additionally, the center works with the Hillsborough Education Foundation to donate items to the Teaching Tools Resource Center, benefiting teachers and students at Hillsborough County Schools.

For those interested in learning more about the community programs the Tampa Convention Center is involved with, they can visit their website at https://www.tampa.gov/tcc/about-us/community-programs.

In conclusion, the event at the Tampa Convention Center not only brought together industry professionals but also facilitated the donation of over 60,000 pounds of produce to support local families in need.