Steven Wissinger has raised $2,500 to feed more than 1,200 in Cuba, and he departs for Havana on Saturday, August 22.

Wissinger, who founded the Lutz-based nonprofit The Hands and Feet of Christ Jesus in 2020, is leading the mission trip himself. The money he's raised will go toward sourcing food locally in Cuba, where a deepening humanitarian crisis has left millions struggling with power outages, food shortages and a lack of clean water.

"$2,500 will feed 1,200 to 1,300 children, and it's something that does go a long way," Wissinger told Tampa Bay 28 reporter Annette Gutierrez on Tuesday, July 28.

Before the trip, Wissinger is also shipping solar panels to a Cuban church. The panels will generate enough power to run a refrigerator continuously, giving the congregation reliable cold storage for food in a country that has suffered at least four nationwide blackouts in 2026 alone, according to the Associated Press. Cuba produces only 40% of the fuel it needs, and the government has rationed electricity with intentional outages stretching more than 24 consecutive hours in some areas.

The Hands and Feet of Christ Jesus is a registered Florida 501(c)(3) that serves children and the elderly in Cuba. Residents who want to contribute can visit thafocj.org.

A second Tampa Bay nonprofit with deep Cuba ties

Wissinger's organization isn't the only local group working on the island. CubaMinistry.org, which chair Sam Martinez described to Tampa Bay 28 as a nearly 30-year-old Tampa Bay-area ministry, has partnered with hundreds of churches across Cuba through Iglesia Metodista De Cuba, the Methodist Church of Cuba.

Over the past five years, CubaMinistry.org has sent several tons of medications to Cuban medical commissions for free distribution, Martinez said. The organization also works to improve water systems on the island, where Martinez said the water is dangerously contaminated and causing widespread illness.

CubaMinistry.org, affiliated with the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church, is planning its own mission trip to Cuba in January 2027. Details are available at cubaministry.org.

How to help

Upcoming community dates

  • Saturday, August 22 — The Hands and Feet of Christ Jesus departs for Havana
  • January 2027 — CubaMinistry.org mission trip to Cuba (exact date at cubaministry.org)