NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Messengers of Hope Mission, a mobile food pantry based in Pasco County, is expanding its reach — this time to a new group in need.
The nonprofit recently set up its "big blue bus" for the first time at the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services of Florida, providing free groceries to local residents facing food insecurity.
“Last year, we fed more than 98,500 people. This year, we’re on track to feed between 140,000 and 160,000,” said Bob Gardner, CEO of Messengers of Hope. “It’s a happy bonus that I was taking sign language classes here and learned about the need. We started working on this together, and today is the culmination of that effort.”
Messengers of Hope is one of several agencies that partner with Feeding Tampa Bay to serve food-insecure residents across the region.
According to Jenny Hess, executive director of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services of Florida, the need within the local deaf community is particularly urgent.
“A lot of our individuals have one or two jobs and still can’t afford food,” Hess said. “So, this is incredibly important.”
Denise Wood, who lives in New Port Richey, said the pantry provides vital support.
“I need the food pantry because it’s hard,” Wood said through a sign-language interpreter. “I’m living hand to mouth. That’s how I’m getting by right now.”
The pantry operates out of the Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind headquarters, where the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services of Florida is also based.
The food pantry is open to everyone, regardless of income or background.
“We don’t care what their income is. We don’t care about their status of any kind. Anybody is welcome,” Hess said.
The distinctive blue bus used by Messengers of Hope first hit the road in 2022, a project led by then-teenager Jackson Davis as part of his Eagle Scout service.
“I’m just looking forward to actually getting the bus out and working,” Davis said at the time.
Now, three years later, the bus is busier than ever, making a difference across Pasco County.
“We’re going to be here every single month — the fourth Tuesday — and the food is free for anyone in need,” Gardner said.
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