Rising costs and financial pressures drove hundreds of Tampa Bay residents to seek assistance at a Thanksgiving food distribution event this week, highlighting growing community needs during the holiday season.

Local nonprofit Boricuas de Corazon stepped up to meet these challenges, providing turkeys and essential groceries to 300 families through their Brandon location. The distribution marked one of 28 charitable events the organization manages annually.

“We continue feeding the families that are in need now more than ever,” said Linda Perez, who founded the group after witnessing Hurricane Maria’s devastation in Puerto Rico. That experience led her to establish chapters both on the island and in Florida.

Since opening their Brandon office in 2018, the organization has expanded its reach significantly. They now support more than 145,000 families yearly through various assistance programs, ranging from school supply distributions to emergency relief efforts.

The recent holiday distribution attracted a steady stream of vehicles, with residents waiting patiently for their turn to receive Thanksgiving provisions. Among the recipients was the Ceccarelli Rosenberg Foundation, which collected turkeys for their upcoming Christmas celebration supporting survivors of human trafficking.

Beyond seasonal giving, Boricuas de Corazon maintains year-round disaster preparedness efforts. “We assist in the community with a lot of different supplies by the government or by entities that support us throughout the year,” Perez noted.

Through partnerships with government agencies and private supporters, the organization continues working to address food insecurity and other challenges facing Tampa Bay families.