COVID-19 Resources
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE: FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICES
Florida COVID-19 Waivers and Flexibilities: The USDA has already begun to issue waivers to ease program operations and protect the health of participants. An updated summary of waivers is below. Updated information can be found at https://www.fns.usda.gov/disaster/pandemic/covid-19/florida#wic.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance ProgramDate | Request | Status |
3/23/2020 | Extended Certification Periods; Waive Periodic Reporting (Received: 3/21/2020) | Approved |
3/30/2020 | Emergency Allotments to Current SNAP Households (Received: 3/27/2020) | Approved |
Date | Request | Status |
3/13/2020 | Summer Meals Non-congregate Feeding | Approved |
3/20/2020 | Meal Times | Nationwide Waiver |
3/20/2020 | Non-congregate Feeding | Nationwide Waiver |
3/20/2020 | Afterschool Activity | Nationwide Waiver |
3/25/2020 | Nationwide Meal Pattern Waiver | State Selected Option |
3/25/2020 | Nationwide Parent/Guardian Meal Pickup Waiver | State Selected Option |
3/25/2020 | Nationwide Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Data Waiver | State Selected Option |
3/25/2020 | Nationwide Waivers of Child Nutrition Monitoring | State Selected Option |
3/29/2020 | Area Eligibility SFSP/SSO | Approved |
4/1/2020 | 60 Day Reporting Waiver | Nationwide Waiver |
Date | Request | Status |
No outstanding waivers at this time. |
Date | Request | Status |
3/21/2020 | Physical Presence Waiver (includes lab work) | Approved |
3/26/2020 | Food Package Substitution Waiver | Approved |
3/26/2020 | Medical Documentation Waiver | Approved |
3/30/2020 | Remote Benefit Issuance Waiver | Approved |
3/30/2020 | Separation of Duties | FNS Response |
Feeding Tampa Bay Mobile Pantries: If you are in need of food, come to one of FTB#8217;s Mobile Pantry events to pick up a pre-packaged box of groceries, free of charge. They do not require ID, papers, or pre-screening to obtain food at a Mobile Pantry. To honor social distancing regulations, their mobile pantries are transitioning to a drive-thru model to eliminate crowds and minimize contact. Please note, due to rapidly changing circumstances during this time, mobile pantries can be cancelled without much notice. Please check the schedule daily to ensure operations are running as planned.
Florida families on food stamps will temporarily receive more money-Update 4/1/20: Florida’s Department of Children and Families announced Wednesday it has followed through with the governor’s directive to increase SNAP benefits for all families to the maximum allowed by household size. The original story can be read here.
- 1 person – $194
- 2 people – $355
- 3 people – $509
- 4 people – $646
- 5 people – $768
- 6 people – $921
- 7 people – $1,018
- 8 people – $1,164
- Each Additional Person – +$146
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
Schools Grab-and-Go Feeding Sites: From March 30th through May 1st, Hillsborough Schools will establish Grab-and-Go feeding sites to ensure that students have accessibility to nutritious meals. Our Student Nutrition Services Department has identified 147 locations to provide meals – breakfast and lunch – at no cost to children 18 years and under.
FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF THE 147 LOCATIONS PLEASE VISIT https://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/doc/2661/superintendents-office/resources/coronavirusgrabngo/?utm_source=web&utm_medium=button&utm_campaign=coronavirus.
Each location will start serving food to those 18 years old and under on Monday, March 30, at 9 a.m. and remain open until 1 p.m. daily. We encourage parents and caregivers to drive to our locations. We will also be accepting walk-ups. The food will be distributed directly from our school buses which will be set up in the designated car line at the designated schools. In order to keep record of food distribution between March 23 and May 1, parents/guardians are encouraged to go to the Grab and Go school location where their child is enrolled, if possible. A child does not have to be present, however parents are asked to know their child’s student number. Staff will verify that the child is enrolled. If a parent has children at multiple schools or arrives at a school other than the one where their child is enrolled, staff members will take their child’s student number and confirm with their enrolled school. Meals can be picked up once a day between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.- All congregate meal sites received the directive to close the centers March 13-April 13th
- The department is facilitating a 14 day Grab N Go style of frozen meals to registered meal clients at 10 congregate dining centers co-located in leased spaces
- The department coordinated with the meal delivery vendor to provide temporary home delivered meals to registered meal clients that expressed a need for food at the 16 county owned congregate meal locations
- The Nutrition & Wellness section initiated a weekly telephone reassurance/meal confirmation/wellness calls that started today for all congregate clients
- The department will host a virtual wellness program that offers health and nutrition updates, educational information, and activities similar to what was offered in the centers. Sessions in English and Spanish will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays. English begins at 11:45 a.m., and Spanish at 1 p.m.
- The department is responding to community residents with food needs & linking the seniors to available community resources or enrolling seniors that meet the department’s eligibility requirements for the meal program
PASCO COUNTY
School Grab and Go Food Locations: Pasco County Schools will expand their pre-packaged meal distribution from seven to 25 feeding sites and will now only be serving on Tuesdays, starting March 31st between 11am to 1pm. They are also using 16 school buses to deliver food to kids at the bus stops. Buses will be at each site for approximately 10 minutes, students are encouraged to arrive early. However, TUESDAY is the ONLY day they will be providing services. Students can pick up a bag of food with breakfast and lunch for 5 days. Feeding sites and routes listed above.
Breakspot Meal Sites Lacoochee Boys & Girls Club | 10-11am 38724 Mudcat Grant Blvd, Lacoochee, FL 33537The Thomas Promise Foundation: Thomas Promise Foundation reports a good supply of food to share from recent food drives and plenty of volunteers to distribute the food at this time. They are coordinating with Pasco Schools and with their current Operation Backpack coordinators to assist with getting food to children in need. They will be posting updates on their Facebook page. They primarily serve East Pasco. https://www.thethomaspromise.org/
One Community Now- Pack A Sack: One Community Now has set up 7 meal drive thru sites where we are giving brown bag food plus a bag of groceries and pack a sacks for the kids. Below are our serving sites, our need for donations and volunteer opportunities. Meal Sites for Drive-Thru Meals to help Pasco County Families Tuesday: Beacon Community Church 9025 Star Trail New Port Richey, FL 34654 Meals served 5:30-6:30 PM https://freemealsbe Volunteer Way 8061 Congress St Port Richey, FL 34668 Meals served 5:30-6:30 PM https://freemealvolunteerway.eventbrite.com Wednesday: Holiday Lake Estates Civic Center 3624 Atlantis Drive Holiday, FL 34691 Meals served 5:30 – 6:30 PM https://freemealsholiday.eventbrite.com First United Methodist Church 5901 Indiana Ave New Port Richey, FL 34652 Meals served 5:00 – 6:00 PM https://freemealsfumcnpr.eventbrite.com The Crossroads Church 7975 River Ridge Blvd New Port Richey, FL 34654 Meals served 5:30- 6:30 PM https://freemealscrossroads.eventbrite.com Thursday: Joining Hands Mission Church / Asbury United Methodist Church 4204 Thys Road New Port Richey, FL 34653 Meals served 5:30-6:30 PM https://freemealsjoininghandsthursday.eventbrite.com Saturday: Joining Hands Mission Church / Asbury United Methodist Church 4204 Thys Road New Port Richey, FL 34653 5:00 – 6:00 PM https://freemealsjoininghandssaturday.eventbrite.com Food Donation Drop Off Sites: Food items wanted: Cereal, Pop Tarts, Instant Oatmeal, Granola Bars, Bread, Peanut butter, Jelly, Soup, Mac n Cheese, Canned Pasta, Cheese & Crackers. Day Spring Academy 8330 Civic Drive Port Richey, FL Drop off at office Monday – Friday, 8 am – 4:30 pm Beacon Community Church 9025 Star Trail New Port Richey, FL Drop off at office Monday – Thursday, 9 am – 12 pm Volunteer Way 8061 Congress St Port Richey, FL 34668 Drop off at office Monday – Friday, 8:30 am – 12 pm Holiday Lake Estates Civic Center 3624 Atlantis Drive Holiday, FL 34691 Drop off at office Monday – Friday 10am – 4 pm One Community Now Call 727-858-6117 to arrange for drop off or pick up at other times and locations. Volunteer Opportunities Crossroads Church – Wednesday Nights Serving Meals https://signup.com/go/iLvzJNJ Holiday Lake Estates – Wednesday Nights Serving Meals https://signup.com/go/vegLHhs Beacon Community Church – Tuesday Night Serving Meals https://signup.com/go/mmMktyq Volunteer Way – Tuesday Night Serving Meals https://signup.com/go/ZkvBciE They also have a comprehensive list of resources on their website under Program, under families, community resources. https://onecommunitynow.com/services/community-resources/. The Volunteer Way: The Volunteer Way Food Pantry located at 8061 Congress St., Port Richey has changed their days of service and will only be open Monday through Thursday from 8 AM to 10 AM, drive thru service only. Distribution is once every 30 days. Our Soup Kitchen located at 10008 Moon Lake Rd., New Port Richey remains open Monday through Saturday from 10 AM to 12 Noon for distribution of take-away food only. There is no admittance into the building. Neither location is accepting donations of clothing until further notice. The Soup Kitchen is only accepting donations of sealed bags of bread and bottled water at 9 AM. Our Mobile Food Pantry services will be dropped off at the locations with the exception of the South Holiday Library Branch and the Hudson Library since libraries are closed. Our Brown Bag Service will continue to those who are currently registered. No new clients are being accepted at this time. Volunteers will be screened prior to picking up the boxes for delivery to seniors and will be dropped off at each person’s door. The Volunteer Way is a Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services Summer BreakSpot site. Meals are available for children under the age of 18 and must be in the car at time of drive through. Distribution at 8061 Congress St., Port Richey will be on Tuesdays between 5:30 and 6:30 PM. Our Angel Store located at 7820 Congress St. is currently closed so that all of our staff can be at the warehouse preparing bags for distribution until further notice. Our staff is working hard to fill bags and distribute in parking lot each and every day to help put food on the table during this difficult time. For more information, call 727-815-0433 or visit www.thevolunteerway.org. Metropolitan Ministries: Beginning March 23rd, M-F from 9:00am-5:00pm citizens can visit Metropolitan Ministries and drive into the parking lot and obtain prepackaged food boxes. Their address is 3214 US 19N, Holiday, FL and (727) 937-3268.Mobile Medical Unit: The Pasco Public Defender Mobile Medical Unit is a medical office on wheels. The full-time staff includes a director, nurse practitioner and driver. The mobile medical unit operates during the day, between 4-5 days a week. We take healthcare directly to the community by visiting locations such as soup kitchens, food pantries, community agencies and homeless outreach programs. Due to COVID-19, our partners are rapidly making changes causing our schedule to change daily. At this time, it would be best to call for times and locations at 727-324-7823. We are unable to test for COVID 19. https://www.pascocountyfl.net/1645/Mobile-Medical-Unit
Pasco Public Defender Mobile Hot Showers: The Public Defender’s office provides mobile hot showers to Pasco County’s homeless. Our shower trailers have 2 air conditioned stalls offering total privacy, a changing area and a sink. One mobile shower is at a fixed location: Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County, 5652 Pine Street, New Port Richey. Our other shower unit travels to various sites throughout Pasco County. Please call for times and locations at (727) 324-7823. http://www.wearethehope.org/homeless_outreach.htmPINELLAS COUNTY
School | Time |
Dunedin Highland Middle 70 Patricia Ave., DunedinLocation change from Dunedin Elementary | 10:45 am – 11:45 am |
Eisenhower Elementary 2800 Drew St., Clearwater | 11:00 am – Noon |
Fairmount Park Elementary 575 41st St. S, St. Petersburg | 10:15 am – 11:15 am |
Marjorie K. Rawlings Elementary 6505 68th St. N, Pinellas Park | 11:00 am – Noon |
John Hopkins Middle 701 16th St S, St. Petersburg | 10:30 am – 11:30 am |
New Heights Elementary 3901 37th St. N, St. Petersburg | 10:45 am – 11:45 am |
Ponce De Leon Elementary 1301 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Clearwater | 11:15 am – 12:15 pm |
Southern Oak Elementary 9101 Walsingham Rd., Largo | 11:15 am – 12:15 pm |
Tarpon Springs Elementary 555 Pine St., Tarpon Springs | 10:30 am – 11:30 am |
Boys & Girls Clubs Daily Hot Dinner Sites: Free hot dinners provided daily. Available to ALL youth and teens, age 18 years or younger. Drive thru pick up or walk up at any of our six Club locations. http://www.bgcsun.org/
- Royal Theater Club 1011 22nd Street South, Saint Petersburg, 4:00-5:30pm
- Northside Club 1035 Burlington Ave N, Saint Petersburg, 4:00-5:30pm
- Pinellas Park Club 7790 61st Street, Pinellas Park, 4:00-5:30pm
- Wood Valley Club 2816 Park Trail Lane, Clearwater, 4:00-5:30pm
- Ridgecrest Club 12301 134th Avenue, Largo, 4:00-5:30pm
- Tarpon Springs Club 111 West Lime Street, Tarpon Springs, 4:00-5:30pm
Breakspot Meal Sites
Clearwater YMCA | 10-11am 1005 S Highland Ave, Clearwater, FL 33756 Pinellas Pal | 12-1pm 3755 46th Ave N, St. Petersburg, FL 33714 Largo Medical Center | 12-1pm 1551 West Bay Drive, Largo, FL 33770 Oldsmar State Street Center | 12-1pm 127 State Street West Oldsmar, FL 34677 Healthy St. Pete | 12-1:30pm 2333 34th St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33711 Ridgecrest YMCA | 2-3pm 1801 119th St N, Largo, FL 33778Pinellas County Emergency Operations Center Board:
Pinellas County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and Citizen Information Center (CIC) has been activated. If you need assistance, please contact the EOC Operations Section at 727-453-4362 or EOCOps@pinellascounty.org.The Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger is gathering information from our members, and direct food providers, in Pinellas County to help inform decision makers on how best to allocate available resources in response to COVID-19. The information collected will be input into the Pinellas County Web Emergency Operations Center (WebEOC) board and will provide a full update of what organizations have/need in order to best respond to the communities needs at this time. Completing this form is voluntary, though we ask that you submit any information that you have available. To submit your response, please visit https://networktoendhunger.org/web-eoc-pinellas-county/.
Meals On Wheels 4 Kids: The Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger is proud to partner with the Juvenille Wellfare Board of Pinellas County, Pinelllas County Schools Food Nutrition Services and Transportation Departments, and Daystar Life Center to ensure children and teens have access to meals while schools are closed, in response to COVID-19. Together, TBNEH and their partners are delivering lunch time meals and groceries to children and their families in St. Petersburg. This program was developed to help serve those that have difficulty accessing the emergency meal sites and pantries. Meals On Wheels St. Petersburg: Meals On Wheels St. Petersburg will continue to serve frozen meal packs (instead of a hot meal) to their recipients, with volunteers delivering a seven day meal pack on Mondays for the next two weeks. Neighborly Care: Neighborly is serving free meal packs for seniors, age 60 and older. Seniors should call 727-573-9444 to register and can pick up meal packs at these locations.. Tarpon Springs Shepard Center: The Shepard Center is currently packing plated meals into bags for take away. They are also handing out grocery boxes outside. Waste No Food Tampa Bay: We are working hard to ensure that you, our partners, are safe, healthy and have the support you need at this time. Therefore, in wake of COVID-19, we ask that you temporarily stop posting donations in the Waste No Food app. Please post your last food surplus or scrap donations in the Waste No Food app today, March 17. We will notify you, via email, when it is safe to post donations again.Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg: The Grand Prix has been cancelled and they have perishable food available for food distributing for mass feeding agencies. Please contact Fred Jones @ 765-748-4530.
ALPHA House of Pinellas County: We have suspended our outreach program until at least April 30th. We will accept calls for requests for diapers and formula and will leave it at the door at a designated time. Internally, we have been in a lockdown since last week. We are not allowing any visitors in the house and are limiting the time the residents are off property. We have been sanitizing every hour and all residents and staff have been updated on Covid-19. Currently all staff and residents are healthy and not showing any signs of the virus. WIC: Effective 3/25/20, WIC clinics will process all clients by telephone. The only transactions that will be processed in person will be direct distribution of infant formula and breast pumps. In those instances a WIC staff person will take the items out and set them next to the client’s car. For the safety of our clients and our staff we will not allow any clients into a WIC clinic as of 3/25/20. We will assign staff to the outside of the WIC clinic to let them know about the changes and ask them to either call us or we can call them, whichever is preferred. Our customer service lines are operational. Clients that have questions can contact that number at 727-824-6913 or 727-824-6914. St. Pete Free Health Clinic: Drive through pantry operating times and donations of food and hygiene items will gladly be accepted Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, from 9:30 – 12:30, on TH until 7pm, at our downtown location: 863 3rd Ave North. Our top needs right now: Pasta, Rice, Cereal, Whole Milk, Meat and Bread. If you are unable to come by during these times, please email fooddrive@stpetersburgfreeclinic.org to arrange an alternate time. If you have donations in a large volume please call prior to drop off so we can make sure there is ample support to unload your donation. RCS Food Bank: RCS is in need of volunteers. Please visit www.rcspinellas.org or call (727) 584-3528 to get started. Beacon Street Ministries: BSM is in need of volunteers on Friday evenings. Please visit https://beaconstreetministries.org/ or call (727) 278-2285 to get started.