No child should go to bed hungry—especially during school breaks and holidays. That is the ethos that guides the work of Positive Impact Ministries in St. Pete. In January 2025, the organization plans to launch two key initiatives to fight hunger: Meals on Wheels for Kids and a Dignity-Centered Neighborhood Market at Tangerine Plaza (1794 22nd St S). The news was first reported by Fox 13 Tampa Bay.
The need is critical. The Pinellas Community Foundation reports that 36,000 children in the county are food insecure, with 7,000 facing chronic hunger. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also notes that low-income households often rely on cheap, nutrient-poor foods, which contributes to health disparities.
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Providing for those most in need in Pinellas County
Positive Impact Ministries is determined to change that. Through these new programs, the organization aims to provide access to fresh, healthy food for local families, especially children.
Founded by Pastors Jay and Dr. Karalynne Brubaker, Positive Impact Ministries has been addressing food insecurity and its root causes in St. Petersburg for years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they distributed enough food to prepare over 475,000 meals in 2020. By 2023, that number grew to nearly 2 million meals, making a significant impact on the community.
Jay and Karalynne Brubaker have served St. Petersburg for over 55 years. Jay is a St. Petersburg police officer, and together they lead Positive Impact Church and co-founded Positive Impact Ministries, which has become a vital community resource.
Free neighborhood market coming soon
One of the organization’s newest projects is a free neighborhood market at Tangerine Plaza on 22nd Street South, an area known as a “food desert.” This market will allow residents to choose their own fresh produce, meats and dairy, shopping with dignity, according to an interview the organization’s founders gave to Fox 13 Tampa Bay. Although the city selected an affordable housing project over the organization’s bid to buy the plaza, the market will provide a temporary solution.
“This grocery-store-style experience allows neighbors to choose their own food, complemented by nutrition education, healthy meal-prepping skills and grocery delivery for families with children, in collaboration with FASTerWay with Heather Billy Bay and the 15th Street Farm,” write the founders of the organization when describing the initiative on Facebook.
Additionally, Meals on Wheels for Kids will launch in January, delivering nutritious meals to children when school is out, ensuring they don’t go hungry during school breaks.
Those who want to volunteer or donate can learn more directly on the organization’s website.
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