It can happen to anyone. An accident, a sudden bill, an unexpected layoff. Despite your best efforts, you could find yourself in a position you never expected. Bills you can’t pay. No local support system and looking at the possibility of homelessness. Where do you go when faced with those challenges? Thankfully, people in the Tampa Bay area have Metro Ministries to turn to for help in those dark days they never anticipated could happen to them. We spoke with Leona Wells, Managing Director of Development and Pasco Services to learn more about what they offer the community here in West Pasco.
How did Metro Ministries get started?
In 1972, hunger and homelessness overwhelmed the Tampa community. Thirteen congregations came together to address the need and formed a nonprofit social services ministry, led by volunteers. They called it Metropolitan Ministries. In 1982, Rev. Morris E. Hintzman came as the organization’s first employee as the Executive Director. He cast the vision along with the board of directors to serve more people in more communities. In 2006, Tim Marks came as a volunteer and later became the CEO as Morris’s successor. What started as serving sandwiches on the sidewalk became a beacon of hope for hundreds of thousands of people in Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties.
What services does the West Pasco location offer?
Our Family Support Center is all about leaning into keeping people in their home and self-sufficient. We offer a food market, clothing and bill and utility assistance. We also have community adult education, providing community members with a GED and micro credentials. We also offer emergency housing for 48 families and the BrigAIDe street team provides mobile outreach to the chronically homeless.
Is the need for services higher at the holidays?
It’s not that it’s higher, but the highest stress on a family is during the holidays. When you’re a family living paycheck to paycheck, barely making it, you don’t have that buffer. For us, it’s bigger than giving a holiday meal. What you have is hope, because your community wrapped around you. We don’t just hand out boxes. We have someone sit with you and say, “I really like your dress. How are you going to cook that today?” It’s about the community wrapping themselves around families who are already stressed and taking that stressor off them.
What does the holiday tent offer those who need help?
The tent is like a mini grocery store. We have childcare, so parents can shop on their own. When the families come in, they’re greeted, sit down in the hospitality area, and then somebody personally shops with them. We shop with every single person. There is a list, but you get to choose. Who am I to tell you what your family will eat? We want to feel like a grocery store. We wanted to have that dignity. That’s absolutely crucial for us. And the same with toys. Every parent wants to provide for their children. These gifts don’t come from Metro. They come from the parents, and that’s very important as well. We’re taking that stress away. We’re allowing them to be parents, to do all things they want to do for their kids.
There are two main tents, one in downtown Tampa and one at Generations Christian Church in Trinity. There are also pop-ups throughout three counties - the same experience, but a drive through. We serve 400-500 families in one afternoon. Last year, we served 32,000 families for the holidays.
What can we do as a community to help?
Any level of help. Nothing is too small. Nothing is too large.
Metropolitan ministries could not do anything without volunteers. It’s absolutely the lifeblood of this organization. You can come and volunteer, either in the tent or all year long, at any kind of level that you would like. Specifically, the Pasco tent takes 50 volunteers per shift, three shifts a day to work. So, we need everybody, and we want you to come and experience it and really connect with people.
You can do a drive to collect toys, or food or anything on our wish list. You could send a note out to your book club and instead of giving gifts to each other, collect a gift for a teenager.
You can also make a financial donation. We have a lot of donors who also offer matches so we can multiply the benefits of your donation. We can buy things in bulk at a much better rate, like turkeys and hams, but we need the community support to do that.
There’s no right or wrong way to help. It’s whatever speaks to you. We’re operating a village here. We need all the things!
If you know someone in need, or would like to volunteer or offer help, reach out to Metro Ministries at metromin.org or stop by the Family Support Center in Holiday.
West Pasco Family Support Center
3216 US-19, Holiday, FL 34691
Open weekdays 9am – 5pm
The holiday tent offers services at Generations Christian Church at 1540 Little Road in Trinity in November for Thanksgiving and in December for Christmas.
Would you like to donate for the holidays? Doner Lane at the holiday tent in Trinity and Tampa opens November 4th. Here’s what they need most:
- Frozen Turkeys & Hams
- Cereal
- Canned Yams
- Cranberry Sauce
- Peanut Butter
- Canned Fruit & Vegetables
- Boxed Potatoes & Stuffing
- New Toys & Games
- Teen Gifts ages 13-17
- Gift Cards for Toys and Food
- Cash Donations
Visit the website for detailed wish lists and restricted items. When donating toys, Metro recommends stretching your budget with less expensive toys than donating one or two expensive items.
For us, it’s bigger than giving a holiday meal. What you have is hope, because your community wrapped around you.