HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A survey from Florida Hunger reports 72% of Floridians find it difficult to afford groceries compared to last year.

Because of this, Mind Over Matter in Hillsborough is helping families keep their children fed.

One by one, Megan Mclemore unloads her car filled with food that goes to help children in Hillsborough County.

“I had really good friends that helped me, and so now that I have an abundance, I tell myself, 'How dare I hold on to it?' I can’t do it,” Mclemore said.

Mclemore is the executive programmer for Mind Over Matter Hillsborough, heading the program known as Food Packs For Kids, which provides meals to kids in eight schools.

“We started with like 20 something kids at my kid's elementary school, and that started in August of 2024. Now we’re at 500 bags every week,” Mclemore said.

Although it may seem like chaos to help get the bags put together, everyone plays a role to get the job done. For Mclemore, this means no child will go hungry.

“The meals that we do are things that kids can make, they can throw in a microwave, and it’s not too cumbersome for them," Mclemore said.

The Florida Hungry Survey reports that more than a third of families in Florida have faced food insecurity in the past year. Some families skip meals entirely or lack in nutritious food because they can’t afford it.

Mclemore says every little bit helps, and with the community's support, they’re helping make a difference.

“I would like to be able to give people something to fall back on. I think that’s important. I think everybody needs that,” she said.

The program was recently awarded a grant to help purchase food and are also looking to expand those efforts into Pinellas County.

One meal at a time, Mclemore is on a mission to help even more families struggling to stay fed.