At Feeding Tampa Bay, we’re constantly sharing ideas and empowering each other to be better leaders. We conquer together. It’s a large part of our organization’s culture, our GROW Code.

To keep the momentum going, CEO Thomas Mantz updates the team weekly with inspiring words and life lessons. The following is an excerpt from one of those updates. We hope that Thomas’ words motivate you as much as they motivate us during this Hunger Action Month.

Responsibility

Some of the stories we all love the most have at the heart of them someone who stepped into a situation that they never planned for - especially when they didn’t have to. They took responsibility, extended themselves and, because it’s a story, won the day…Heroes are often people who ignored the idea that “it’s not my problem.” But we don’t have to be heroes to be responsible. We just have to be willing to say, “it’s not my problem, but I’m happy to step in and help.” We’re all responsible. It's that simple. It’s not someone else; it’s us.

Quote of the Day:

“With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.

– Dalai Lama

We are not superheroes. At least not in the traditional sense. We can’t lift cars with superhuman strength. We can’t control the elements, run at supernatural speeds, or sweep people off their feet to safety.

But we do have one superpower: empathy.

When we aim to understand our neighbors’ experiences, we feel empathy for them. And in doing that, we gain a desire to help them. We see our neighbors not as strangers, but as people who deserve dignity. We see them as valuable parts of our community.

We feel responsible for our community’s overall wellbeing.

That sense of responsibility, born out of empathy, is what keeps Feeding Tampa Bay going. It’s what motivates every one of our employees and volunteers.

And we hope it motivates you, too.
This Hunger Action Month, exercise your sense of responsibility with us. Whether you want to volunteer, donate, or even just learn more about what hunger looks like in our community, every action counts.

Together, we can work toward creating a Hunger-free Tampa Bay.

By Hannah Himmelgreen