Some of the options for food available to people at the Holiday Tent. Credit: Amy Mormino

Some of the options for food available to people at the Holiday Tent. Credit: Amy Mormino
With Thanksgiving and Christmas fast approaching, Metropolitan Ministries has sent out a call for help from the community in filling up their Holiday Tent.  Donations of food and volunteer numbers have fallen behind their projected needs.  As its President and CEO Tim Marks stated, “We are concerned with Thanksgiving being so late that the community is not aware of the urgent need now. We need a grass roots effort for families to help families. Any help is deeply appreciated."

Metropolitan Ministries is hoping to expand its outreach this holiday season with goals of reaching 13,000 people for Thanksgiving and 15,000 to 18,000 for Christmas for a total of roughly 30,000 people, up from 27,000 who were helped last year.  They have also been working with satellite locations in Pasco County (which as a smaller Holiday Tent set up in Holiday at 3214 U.S. Hwy 19) and various parts of Hillsborough, as well as Pinellas County partners like the Dream Center, to send out boxes of donations for people who are unable to travel to the Tampa Holiday Tent.

The main Holiday Tent is already up in its new football field-sized location at 2609 N. Rome Ave. in Tampa. By the end of the holidays, some 100,000 visitors, donors, and volunteers will go through in total.  People in need can visit and select from a choice of turkey, ham, chicken, and a variety of stocked vegetables, sides, and even some fresh produce.  Metropolitan Ministries’ VP of Marketing, Justine Burke, explained that the “dignity of the process” of letting families choose their own food is an important part of the process, which can become very emotional for all involved.

Workers and volunteers at the Holiday Tent are also making plans for the Christmas season where families will be able to search for toys and gifts in addition to food. Gifts for teens are always a special need with gift cards, jewelry, and sports merchandise suggested by volunteers as good potential donations. 

Since sending out the call for help, there has been an increase in donations, including a massive shipment coming on November 15 from the Church of Latter-Day Saints and Mayor Jane Castor, and they are hopeful that they can fulfill the needs of the community.  Metropolitan Ministries is also working with the Bullard Family Foundation set up by WWE star Titus O’Neil to promote the Holiday Tent’s activities.

Those interested in donating can go to metromin.org for information on the various spots in Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco County for donations, as well as ways to volunteer and give online.  Items especially valued for donation include 13,000 frozen turkeys, canned yams, canned vegetables, stuffing, potatoes, rice, beans, cereal, and gravy.

This article appears in Nov 21-28, 2019.