What We Have Accomplished
For over 10 years, iCare Foundation has shown up consistently for families across Greater Tampa Bay. These are our proven, ongoing programs.
Food Pantry — 4 Days a Week
For over a decade, our community food pantry has been open 4 days every week, 52 weeks a year. No appointment needed. No paperwork. Just dignified, consistent access to nutritious food for families across Greater Tampa Bay.
Holiday Meals Program
Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, iCare Foundation ensures no family in our community goes without a hot holiday meal. Through our annual turkey drive and holiday meal distributions, we bring the community together around the table.
Annual Back-to-School Giveaway
Every year, hundreds of students across Greater Tampa Bay receive backpacks and school supplies at our annual back-to-school community event — ensuring every child starts the school year with what they need to learn.
A Note on Transparency
iCare Foundation has been serving Greater Tampa Bay for 10+ years as a grassroots organization. We received our official 501(c)(3) recognition in 2025. The programs above represent our proven, ongoing work. The goals below represent where we are headed as we build the infrastructure to expand and measure our impact rigorously.
The need is real.
So is our commitment.
Over 200,000 people in Hillsborough County face food insecurity. We have been showing up for them — and we are not stopping.
Our Goals Across All 6 Program Areas
Each goal below is grounded in real data about the needs in our community and the outcomes that evidence-based programs can achieve. This is the standard we are building toward.
Food Security & Assistance
More than 200,000 people in Hillsborough County face food insecurity — roughly 12.7% of the population. The average cost of a meal in our area is $4.38, which means a food-insecure family of four is missing $525–$700 in nutrition each month that could otherwise go toward housing, healthcare, or education.
Our Goals
- Increase food pantry capacity to serve more families each week
- Expand mobile outreach to reach families who cannot travel to our location
- Deepen nutrition education and healthy eating resources
- Partner with additional local organizations to close the 200,000-person gap
Education & Youth Development
Research from MENTOR.org shows that young people with consistent mentors are 52% less likely to skip school, 46% less likely to engage in risky behavior, and projected to earn $56,000 more over their lifetime. In our region, 32% of students ended the 2023–24 school year behind grade level — a gap driven in large part by resource inequity, not ability.
Our Goals
- Build a structured youth mentoring program with consistent, trained mentors
- Grow the back-to-school giveaway to serve more students each year
- Embed financial literacy into all youth programming
- Develop college access pathways for high school participants
- Track graduation rates, attendance, and academic progress for all mentees
Career & Economic Development
Small businesses with a mentor survive past 5 years at twice the rate of those without support, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. Workforce development programs show participants earning 20% more than comparable peers within 18 months. Economic independence is not just a goal — it is the foundation for every other area of family stability.
Our Goals
- Launch a structured business coaching cohort for aspiring entrepreneurs in Greater Tampa Bay
- Establish job training and resume coaching with measurable placement rates
- Build out men's and women's development programs with economic empowerment at the core
- Track 90-day and 12-month employment outcomes for all career program participants
- Target 75%+ employment rate post-program — matching best-in-class local benchmarks
Health & Wellness
Youth who participate in structured sports programs are 8x more likely to remain physically active at age 24. In Florida, fentanyl is involved in roughly 3 in 10 drug-related deaths, and Hillsborough County is part of the state's coordinated recovery network. Preventive health screenings catch conditions early, reducing chronic disease mortality by 15–20%.
Our Goals
- Grow our weekly basketball program into a full health-and-wellness initiative with measurable fitness outcomes
- Expand sobriety and recovery support to serve more individuals and families
- Integrate free health screenings into all major community events
- Partner with local healthcare providers to offer ongoing chronic disease management education
- Build a referral pathway connecting health program participants to primary care
Family & Relationship Strengthening
29% of single-parent families live below the poverty line, compared to 6% of married-couple families with children. Evidence-based couples and family programs have demonstrated measurable improvements in communication, relationship quality, and parenting practices — reducing the cascading effects of family instability on children and communities.
Our Goals
- Launch evidence-based couples relationship education workshops in Greater Tampa Bay
- Develop family support services that connect households to resources before crises occur
- Integrate financial planning and economic stability into all family programming
- Track relationship quality and stability outcomes for all program participants
- Expand to serve families across all six of our community focus areas holistically
Housing & Senior Services
47% of Greater Tampa Bay renters are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on housing. Hillsborough County sees over 28,000 evictions annually — and research shows 85% of evictions are preventable with timely intervention. Meanwhile, Florida's senior population is projected to grow 34% by 2040, creating an urgent need for affordable housing options and aging-in-place support.
Our Goals
- Develop affordable homeownership programs — new construction, rehabilitation, and buyer education
- Build elderly housing support to help seniors age in place with dignity and independence
- Launch eviction prevention and housing stability programs with emergency rental assistance
- Create a referral pathway connecting housing program participants to legal, financial, and social services
- Track housing stability outcomes at 90 days and 12 months post-program enrollment
Why We Lead With Honesty
We believe the strongest nonprofits are honest ones. Our transparency about what we have built — and what we are still building — is the foundation of lasting funder and community trust.
501(c)(3) Recognized
Federally recognized public charity since 2025. IRS determination letter on file. All contributions are fully tax-deductible.
Honest Reporting
We are clear about what we have accomplished and what we are still building. Our impact page reflects our real work — not projections presented as results.
Building Toward Outcomes
We are actively developing the data infrastructure to track enrollment, engagement, and outcomes across all 19 programs — active and in development — as we grow.
10+ Years of Community Trust
Our track record is not measured in grant reports — it is measured in the neighbors who keep coming back and the community that keeps showing up.
Invest in What We Are Building
iCare Foundation has a decade of community trust, a 501(c)(3) designation, and a clear roadmap for measurable growth. Your donation, partnership, or volunteer hours help us get there faster.