Neal Land & Neighborhoods, a Manatee and Sarasota-based master-planned community developer, has made a $10,000 donation to Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee to address the increased need for meals amid COVID-19.

“As the need for food in our community continues to climb, we are so grateful for the support of Neal Land & Neighborhoods,” said Amy Towery, Vice President for Development, Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee. “The services we are providing are critical and are meeting the immediate needs of Manatee County residents. These services would not be possible without financial and in-kind support from the community.”

Since the start of the virus outbreak, Meals on Wheels PLUS of Manatee has seen a 30% increase in meal requests from vulnerable seniors. Throughout the month of March, over 18,900 meals were provided to home-bound residents in Manatee County.

The organization is also providing food to families via its Food4Families program, which has already supplied over 85,000 meals to families. In addition, Meals on Wheels PLUS is providing food to nearly 100 food pantries and partner agencies across the county, which have seen a 20% increase in food being withdrawn.

Neal Land & Neighborhood’s $10,000 donation will benefit the Food4Families program, providing 500 bags of food containing 15,000 meals to residents in need.

The gift helps kick-start donations to the organization via the upcoming Giving Challenge on April 28-29 through the Sarasota Community Foundation. Donations in the amount of $25-$100 are matched by the Patterson Foundation during the Giving Challenge.

“We found it impossible to sit back while members of the community struggle under the burden of COVID-19. We’re happy to be able to offer support for the great work of Meals on Wheels PLUS,” said John Neal, President of Neal Land & Neighborhoods. “The need for nutritious food in our community is unfortunately great during this challenging time.”

To give, food donations can be shipped directly to Meals on Wheels PLUS via Amazon Smile or Quinnd.com. The organization has wish lists of items on both websites. Secure gifts can also be made online at www.mealsonwheelsplus.org/donate. A $20 gift can feed a family of five 30 meals and a $50 donation can feed a senior for an entire week.

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