She Started a Food Pantry in a Closet. Now She Has 9.

Grace Sepulveda started a food pantry in her closet. She noticed the neighbors in her apartment building struggling to afford basic groceries. Since then, she has expanded it into multiple locations throughout the Tampa Bay area. Grace doesn't make a single dollar running her food pantries. She never has. She does it because her mother taught her one truth: "If you put food on someone else's table, the Lord will always put food on yours." Fourteen years and nine pantries later, Grace is still living that legacy — serving thousands of neighbors across Pinellas and Pasco counties with something most food banks don't offer: a choice. No pre-packed boxes. No impersonal handouts. Grace's Pantry sets up like a farmer’s market, because she believes people facing hunger still deserve their dignity. In this episode of Stick a Fork in It, Feeding Tampa Bay's podcast, Grace and her daughter-in- law Larissa share the real story behind nine pantries, 80 volunteers, and one unforgettable can of ravioli. In this episode: - Why Grace set up her pantries like a farmers market — and why it changes everything - The story of a young man, one can of ravioli, and a hunger that broke her heart - How a 200-car funeral procession shaped everything she does today - What "a good tired" means to the people showing up week after week - The raffle system that turned scarcity into community celebration Grace's Pantry partners with Feeding Tampa Bay to serve nearly one million neighbors facing hardship across West Central Florida. Learn more at https://gracesfoodpantry.com