350: How Mobile Food Rescue Teams Are Saving Communities From Hunger

As 2025 closed, Tracy dedicated three episodes to something that matters deeply: the organizations feeding people who need it most.

And we’re starting with one that’s rewriting what community feeding can look like in Florida.

When the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL shared that one of the larger food donation charities they work with was The Freedom Tour, I knew the story would be powerful. What I didn’t expect was just how vital their work is to Polk County families.

Back in 2016, when The Freedom Tour began, more than 100,000 county residents — including nearly one in four children — were food insecure.

Today, the numbers remain high: 113,000 people and more than 33,000 children still face inconsistent access to food. That’s over 20% of kids in the county.

That’s the reality Bobby Williams walks into every day.

This week on Eating at a Meeting LIVE, I’m talking with Bobby Williams, founder of The Freedom Tour — an operation that began under a carport and now moves millions of pounds of food every month through mobile pantries, school partnerships, and statewide relief efforts.

And for those of us planning meetings and events, this isn’t just inspiring — it’s instructive. Because your surplus food can become support.

Because your leftovers can become lifelines.

Because partners like this make donation safe, simple, and deeply impactful.

This conversation kicks off a month-long spotlight on organizations that feed communities with dignity, creativity, and heart. Because every meal can make a difference — even the ones we don’t serve.