About 3 million Floridians, including nearly half a million in greater Tampa Bay, will not receive scheduled money for groceries after SNAP benefits lapse this weekend.
State of play: Local restaurants are stepping up to bridge the gap by offering free meals for kids and families.
- Food banks have also expanded services to meet the need. Starting Monday, Feeding Tampa Bay will hold emergency food distribution events all week. Find locations and times here.
- Florida leaders have so far failed to mobilize on the impending crisis.
What they’re saying: “This is not political for us,” Tampa restaurant and concert venue Skipper’s Smokehouse wrote on Instagram. “This is about helping our hometown community that we love so dearly.”
- “We don’t want our friends, family, and neighbors to ever go hungry.”
Here’s a running list so far of participating spots:…