Westfield Brandon Launches Food Drive For Metropolitan Ministries

BRANDON, FL — In partnership with Metropolitan Ministries, Westfield Brandon will host Share What You Can, a day-long holiday donation drive to benefit families in need starting Saturday.

The project aims to provide 22,000 underprivileged local families with canned and other nonperishable food items to enjoy meals throughout the holiday season. Monetary donations will also be accepted.

The in-person donation event featuring the Metropolitan Ministries truck will be on Saturday, Nov. 12, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Food Court entrance, 459 Brandon Town Center.

Members of the community who donate $50 or more in food or monetary donations will receive a free $25 gift card from a retailer of their choice (Build-A-Bear, Sephora, Finish Line or Bath & Body Works) while supplies last.

The drive will continue through Dec. 31. In-center donations will be collected at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Court.

Then, from Nov. 19 to Dec. 18, the mall will host its Sincerely Santa Toy Drive.

Visit the Dillard's Court to sponsor a Letter to Santa written by a local child in need. Purchase the items listed and bring the unwrapped gifts back to the Sincerely Santa booth. All gifts will be delivered to each child’s home in time for Christmas.

Sincerely Santa Tampa is a nonprofit that has provided toys and clothing to more than 100,000 at-risk and underprivileged children in Tampa Bay since its founding in 1987.

Each year, children in grades kindergarten through third write a letter to Santa describing what they want most for Christmas.

Teachers add additional information including the special needs of the child, clothing sizes and siblings the child may have in the home. The teachers and social workers then select the letters of the children most in need and forward them to Sincerely Santa for processing.