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Nonprofit provides fresh food, health care needs to underserved South St. Pete community

By Bryan Gray
Published  April 14, 2025 3:21pm EDT
What's Right with Tampa Bay
FOX 13 News

Providing fresh food to those in need

FOX 13's Mark Wilson reports on What's Right with Tampa Bay.

The Brief

    • Through her new initiative, Produce Pac, Kelli Casto is providing fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables to the people who need them most, from her South St. Pete store.
    • She also partnered with local farmers to keep costs low and quality high.
    • Years ago, she founded Saving Our Seniors, a grassroots nonprofit that provides free medical equipment to elderly residents in need.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Once considered a "food desert," South St. Pete offered little to no access to fresh, healthy food – but that’s changing, thanks to Kelli Casto.

"I'm hoping to make this a wellness hub for anyone in the community to come and purchase produce," Casto said.

Through her new initiative, Produce Pac, Casto is providing fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables to the people who need them most, from her South St. Pete store.

"I created this as a way to bring affordable produce to anyone in the community," said Casto. "And if you come and support our produce stand, you're also supporting local seniors that don't have access."

It's the latest chapter in Kelli’s ongoing mission. Years ago, she founded Saving Our Seniors, a grassroots nonprofit that provides free medical equipment to elderly residents in need.

"We transport wheelchairs, hospital beds, oxygen concentrators, walkers, transfer benches, shower chairs, whatever our seniors need, we do our best to provide it," Casto stated.

Now she’s turning her attention to food insecurity.

"We have over 30 different fresh produce options," said Casto. "If there’s something you want that we don’t have, just let us know. We want this to be your community hub too."

Partnering with local farmers to keep costs low and quality high.

"Someone came in earlier and said ‘this is going to cost me $50,’ and it was less than $15. We want to keep it reasonable," Casto explained.

Kelli says her next goal is to offer nutrition classes and meal-planning services to help her neighbors live healthier lives.

The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13 photojournalist Bryan Gray.

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