Building a Stronger, Food-Secure Manatee County
We connect nonprofits, agencies, funders, and community leaders across Manatee County to close gaps in food access and strengthen coordination among local food security partners.
Manatee County has dedicated nonprofits, agencies, and community programs working to reduce hunger every day.
What's been missing is the connective tissue between them: shared data, aligned strategy, and a structure that lets partners act as one system instead of many separate efforts.
The Manatee Food Security Network exists to build those connections so every program, every partnership, and every person served goes further.
Our Vision
A Manatee County where everyone has consistent access to the food they want and need — and where the organizations serving them are connected, resourced, and responsive to the community.
Why
Food
Matters
- 43% Manatee County residents can't afford the essentials.
- Food supports more than health — it supports stability, dignity, and connection.
- When people can access the food they need, families and communities are stronger.
How We Work
Listen to the community
Center the voices of people with lived experience.
Share information
Use data and local insight to guide decisions.
Strengthen coordination
Help partners work together more effectively.
Support better solutions
Advance ideas and partnerships that improve food access.
Our network and partners offer many resources to serve Manatee residents
This includes resources for the elderly, homeless, undocumented, LGBTQIA, and disabled community members, including:
- Building Belonging — inclusive best practices for food pantries
- Feeding Our Youth — free breakfast for all students in the Manatee County school district
- Seniors Struggling with Hunger — 49% of Manatee residents over 65 are below the ALICE threshold
- Serving Those Who Served — considerations for veterans and military families
Our Strategic Pillars
Seamless Systems
Connecting agencies so clients move through services without barriers.
Resourcing Innovation
Designing equity-driven ways to direct resources where they're needed most.
Collective Voice
Centering the experiences of people who know food insecurity firsthand and are helping to drive solutions.
Data Sharing
Building shared data tools so programs and projects are collaborative in nature.
Partner With Us
Join the Network
No membership fee, no dollar commitment — just a seat at the table.
Step 1: Sign up to receive our newsletter
Step 2: Join us four times a year for in-person convenings
Our Funders
With heartfelt thanks to the Bishop-Parker Foundation and the Barancik Foundation. Their generous support makes this work possible.
Spread the Word
Share this card. Talk to colleagues and neighbors. Help us grow awareness.
Word of mouth is one of the network's strongest tools — help us reach the partners and residents who need to know about this work.
Hunger Talking PointsWhy this work mattersManatee Food Security Network At A Glance
Early Participant Outcomes
- 96% of final-survey respondents reported more nutritious food (increased fruits, vegetables, & protein).
- 88% reported improved mental health. Respondents used money freed up by grocery assistance for priorities such as rent and utilities, debt, transportation, savings, health care, childcare, and legal expenses.
- Participants reported improved behaviors: From Survival → Stability, From Crisis Decisions → Proactive Planning, From Meal Rationing → Nutrition.
- 77% greater focus on education, jobs, & children’s wellbeing.
Case Management Was a Core Intervention
- Participants completed 239 documented meetings — an average of 3.3 per participant.
- 93% of follow-up records reported progress toward goals.
- 57% of participants with longitudinal barrier data disclosed at least one new need after intake, underscoring the value of repeated, relationship-based contact.
- Half of participants received active resource advising related to mental health, legal needs, childcare, public benefits, employment, education, housing, transportation, health care, or financial planning.
Manatee Food Security Network in the News
Unified front against hunger: Manatee Food Security Network tackles growing crisis
TAMPA — A growing crisis of food insecurity in Manatee County has sparked a new collaboration to ensure no one goes hungry.
The backstory: The Bishop-Parker Foundation has launched the Manatee Food Security Network, bringing together over 50 agencies, from large food banks to grassroots pantries.
This new network's purpose is to share data, resources, and strategies to help feed those in need.
Watch Video / Read Article → (opens in a new tab)
Food Insecurity Requires Coordination, Not Just Compassion
Every day, partners in the Manatee Food Security Network hear the same stories about families in crisis with empty pantries and refrigerators. These stories come from across Manatee County and from organizations of every size—large institutions and small nonprofits alike—working together to respond to hunger in real time.
Parrish Village News, April 2026 — Page 53Read Article → (opens in a new tab)
Manatee program offers hope in fighting food insecurity
Food insecurity shows up at the grocery store checkout line, but it rarely starts there.
For many families, an empty refrigerator reflects a much larger equation involving housing, transportation, child care, employment and the rising cost of everyday life.
That reality should shape how communities respond to hunger…
Read More → (opens in a new tab)
Events & Updates
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