Food Pantry Director Named Community Hero

TAMPA, FL – A person who has helped feed numerous people in northwest Hillsborough County was recognized for her good deeds.

Molina Healthcare of Florida honored Monica Wilson, the director of the Community Food Pantry in Carrollwood, as one of six community heroes at its eighth annual Community Champions Awards.

“We proudly recognize the hard work of these extraordinary individuals,” said Maritza Borrajero, president of Molina Healthcare of Florida. “It was a pleasure honoring this year’s Molina Community Champions for their dedication to serving those in need in the community.”

Under Wilson’s leadership, the Community Food Pantry has seen enormous growth in its services. It began in 2008 as a few non-perishable items on a shelf at Village Presbyterian Church to assist people who came to the church asking for help. The pantry now takes up an entire half of the church’s administration office.

Wilson commits more than 40 hours per week at the food pantry, coordinating volunteers for collecting food donations, serving clients, cleaning, stocking and working on the pantry’s administrative needs. From January to August this year, she organized 11,000 volunteer hours, including the efforts of more than 300 youth volunteers during the Youth Take Over the Pantry program.

Wilson also led a program to provide backpacks filled with food to at-risk students. She rallied children, adults and community partners to support the pantry with canned food drives to eliminate hunger in the community.

Each Community Champion was nominated by a community-based organization and received a $1,000 grant to give to a deserving nonprofit organization. Wilson will donate her $1,000 grant to the Community Food Pantry.

The Community Champions program celebrates the vision of Dr. C. David Molina, the founder of Molina Healthcare, as well as community partners who work together to care for society’s most vulnerable people.

Since 2008, Molina Healthcare of Florida has provided government-funded care for low-income people. Its mission is to bring high-quality, cost-effective health care to children, adults, seniors, families and people with disabilities.

As of September, the company serves approximately 641,000 members through Medicaid, Medicare and Health Insurance Exchange programs. Molina serves Florida’s east coast, the western panhandle and counties along the mid to southern Gulf Coast.

For more information on Molina Healthcare, visit www.molinahealthcare.com. For more information about the Community Food Pantry, visit www.thecommunityfoodpantry.com.

Caption: Monica Wilson, second left, accepts her Community Champion award from Steven Snider, director of community engagement, Molina Healthcare; Jennifer Bowman, vice president of business development, Molina Healthcare; and Maritza Borrajero, president, Molina Healthcare.

Image courtesy of Molina Healthcare of Florida