Drop-off Locations For Metropolitan Ministries Holiday Donations Open

TAMPA, FL – For more than 44 years, Metropolitan Ministries has been a shining light for people in need around the Tampa Bay area, especially during the holiday season.

However, with 1 in 4 Bay-area children living in households that cannot afford to put food on the table, the staff at Metropolitan Ministries saw an impact even before the holiday rush.

“The line outside our outreach center was wrapped around the corner the other day and we (hadn’t) even started holiday registration yet,” said Karl Celestine, Metropolitan Ministries’ senior director of outreach and prevention. “And we are seeing more families who never needed help before.”

The Tampa-based organization is expected to serve 18,000 families during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

“When families come to us, they’re desperate,” said Tim Marks, the president and CEO of Metropolitan Ministries. “They’ve often exhausted all other avenues of help. We’ve promised them we would not let them down, especially at the holidays. How can we be so sure? It’s the generosity of this compassionate community.”

The Metropolitan Ministries Holiday Tent, the main hub of activity for both volunteers and donation recipients during this time of year, opened in downtown Tampa on Nov. 3. Due to construction at its usual location at the north end of the Tampa Riverwalk, the 2016 Holiday Tent is located at the Encore housing complex on the corner of Nebraska Avenue and Cass Street.

“We are enormously grateful to the Tampa Housing Authority for this partnership,” Marks said. “If there was ever a year for the Tampa Bay community to come together, this would be the year. At a time when our nation and local communities are divided, they are leading the way for Tampa Bay to unite while helping those in need.”

The land for the Holiday Tent was donated by the Tampa Housing Authority.

“Creating partnership opportunities to serve the needs of our collective community is what we do best,” said Jerome Ryans, the president and CEO of the Tampa Housing Authority. “This extraordinary partnership creates a win-win situation for us all. We are glad to lend a hand for this tremendous opportunity that unites the collective community and assists in meeting the needs of those less fortunate.”

The football field-size tent was erected through the donations of professional skills and services from groups such as the City of Tampa, JVS Contracting, Falcon Electric, Stantec, Lafayette Tents, Tampa Bay Steel, Henriquez Electric and Sunbelt Rentals.

There are seven locations across Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas County that will accept donations for the holiday season:

Hillsborough County

• Metropolitan Ministries Holiday Tent, 905 N. Governor St., Tampa, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 4 p.m.
• St. James United Methodist Church, 16202 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., Tampa, Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Pasco County

• Metropolitan Ministries Pasco, 3214 U.S. Highway 19 N., Holiday
• Keystone Community Church, 21010 State Road 54, Lutz
• Trinity Presbyterian, 4651 Little Road, New Port Richey

Drop-off times: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 3 p.m. through Thursday, Nov. 24, closed Nov. 25, 26, 27, resuming Nov. 28 through Dec. 24.

Pinellas County

• Abundant Life Ministries, 1550 S. Belcher Road, Largo
• Taking it to the Street Ministries, 7320 47th St., North Pinellas Park

Drop-off times: TBD

For more information on how to donate, volunteer or to register for assistance from Metropolitan Ministres, visit its Holiday Central site at http://www.metromin.org/holida....

Image and video via Metropolitan Ministries YouTube channel