BRADENTON BEACH – Each year, Robert Knudson assists the Roser Food Pantry in Anna Maria by hosting a food drive at his Bradenton Beach home.
This year’s food drive was held on Sunday, Nov. 8, and the donated food was delivered to the food pantry the following morning.
Knudson’s parents, Ruth and Bill, now deceased, lived in Bradenton Beach and were members of the church.
“My parents started this years ago. They did a very low key food drive and their motto was ‘Shame on us if we don’t share our blessings.’ So, that’s the name of this event: Sharing Our Blessings,” Knudson said.
“I’ve probably been doing this for five or six years now. It’s a generational thing. We’re neighbors helping neighbors. Our friends and neighbors are the ones that make this a success. I just host it. Our tagline is ‘Ordinary people doing extraordinary things,’” he said.
The annual food drive features a potluck-style buffet that this year included turkey, lasagna and more.
“I have some very generous neighbors that make donations and provide food. Some people send me cash and I will go shopping for that dollar amount, send them a copy of the receipt and a picture of what they bought, but I encourage people to contact Roser if they want to donate cash,” he said.
“The reason why I chose to continue this tradition with the Roser Food Pantry is because you have to live on the Island, work on the Island or have a strong affiliation to the Island to benefit from it,” Knudson said.
The Roser Food Pantry is located at 511 Pine Ave. in Anna Maria. Food donations can be dropped off at the church office, across the street from the pantry, at 512 Pine Ave., from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday. Cash and check donations are also accepted. If you need food, call 941-778-0414 or visit the Roser Church website.
