Feeding Empty Little Tummies is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization dedicated to feeding Manatee County’s most needy – homeless and food insecure students – one backpack at a time!
In 2010, Jane L Evers introduced Feeding Empty Little Tummies to three Manatee County public schools.
Today, Jane’s vision to provide nutritious meals to homeless students is still being fulfilled by our dedicated board, volunteers, and community leaders, who helped us serve 58 schools and over 1,626 homeless and food insecure children during the 2024-2025 school year alone.
Each child in the F.E.L.T. backpack program is pre-qualified as being homeless, at-risk of becoming homeless, or living in a food-insecure household.
Often, these children and youth are sharing housing due to economic hardship or a similar reason, living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camp grounds due to lack of alternative accommodations. Some are living in emergency or transitional shelters, or living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, or bus or train stations.
We also serve children awaiting permanent Foster Care and those in other food-insecure situations.
