Kelly Hayes
U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist will be spreading holiday cheer across Pinellas County Wednesday in keeping with his holiday community service tradition.
Crist started the day at the Grand Villa of St. Petersburg, an assisted living facility. The Representative visited to learn more on plans to administer vaccines to residents and staff over the coming weeks. Pinellas County was one of the first two Florida counties to begin administering the Pfizer vaccine to long-term care facilities.
Following his visit to the assisted living facility, Crist will participate in a Meals on Wheels food delivery to low-income seniors in St. Pete.
Meals on Wheels is a non-profit designed to deliver food to seniors and individuals who have difficulty leaving their homes and face challenges preparing meals. A recent survey conducted by Meals on Wheels America showed that programs are now serving an average of 47% more seniors than they were March 1, when concerns over COVID-19 and social distancing measures started.
After working with Meals on Wheels, Crist will go to St. Vincent de Paul CARES to continue to distribute food to those in need.
St. Vincent DePaul CARES recently made headlines for becoming the recipient of a $5 million grant from the Bezos Family Foundation to help homeless families in the Tampa Bay area. The grant will be used to help an estimated 400 families including about 1,000 children across Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
As the holidays approach, individuals across the U.S. are struggling with hunger at unprecedented levels amidst the coronavirus pandemic. In Florida, more than 2.7 million people, 1 in 8, are struggling with food insecurity.
In Tampa Bay, food pantries have seen the need for food assistance and other social services double and in some cases soar by up to 400 times the typical demand since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report from the Tampa Bay Times.
