Tampa Bay is facing a food crisis as prices rise to unprecedented levels due to the impact of COVID-19. With the approach of Thanksgiving, a festival that brings many U.S. families together at the dinner table, the Dawoodi Bohras of Tampa are determined to ensure that nobody goes to bed hungry. Volunteers from the Bohra community helped local food bank Feeding Tampa Bay to pack 1,000 pounds of canned and bottled food items. The Dawoodi Bohras also made a financial donation.
Mustafa Vajihi, President of the Dawoodi Bohras community of Tampa Bay, said, “Even before COVID-19, many people in this region struggled to find the money to buy enough nutritious food on a regular basis. Now the situation is worse, and we want to help Feeding Tampa Bay to address the problem.”
The Dawoodi Bohras’ regular support for Feeding Tampa Bay is part of their global Project Rise initiative that strives to help vulnerable members of society via a range of support programs, including food security, clean water, and education.
Feeding Tampa Bay, part of the national Feeding America network, provides food to nearly 1 million food insecure families in the 10-county area of West Central Florida. Derek Ultican, Assistant Director of Feeding Tampa Bay, said, “The Dawoodi Bohras of Tampa have been great supporters of our organization over the years, and we can always count on them to come through.”