Metro Ministries honors service members with inaugural Salute to Service event

Salute to Service event hosted by Metro Ministries

FOX 13's Kailey Tracy attended Saturday's event to hear from volunteers and service members.

TAMPA - Metropolitan Ministries honored service members at its inaugural Salute to Service event on Saturday, partnering with USAA.

Things kicked off with a presentation of the colors by representatives from MacDill Air Force Base, followed by the national anthem. Every veteran and active-duty service member received a ribbon honoring their service.

Those service members then served the community at Metro’s Tampa Holiday Tent, providing donations like food and toiletries to 1,000 families in need.

Inaugural Salute to Service event hosted by Metropolitan Ministries.

"We can't take on this project of serving 33,000 families [throughout the holiday season] without volunteers," Tim Marks, Metropolitan Ministries’ President and CEO, said. "About 10,000 volunteers are going to come help us. We thought, what better way to start that initiative of service than to have a salute to those service men and women that serve our country, protect us and give us our freedoms to be able to care for each other," he said.

The volunteer day was dedicated to honoring military veterans and active-duty service members in the Tampa Bay Area.

Volunteers sorted food, welcomed families and helped them pick out food, toiletries and other donations.

"When you get out, there's always this losing a sense of purpose, and being able to come together with other military members, I feel like a lot of us believe that, in volunteering, it's a civic responsibility," MSG (R) Jovanny Galiano, who is now a USAA Program Manager, said. "It allows you to build communities trust with your neighbors and everything that Tampanians are going through right now because of the storms, economic hardships, it's just great to be able to come together and collaborate and to have a positive impact in the community," he said.

"It's incredibly humbling and reminds us how blessed we are and how much bigger and how much more and how much better we have to be for our members because we have an awful lot to give," Marcel Blythe, Assistant Vice President at USAA, said. "We're just getting started," he continued.

Marks said they’ll serve 33,000 this holiday season. They opened about 3,000 extra spots this year because of the hurricanes. Marks said there are still some spots open. Families have to pre-register on Metropolitan Ministries’ website.

Subrena Mincey and her family are one of the families Metro and its volunteers are helping. Her home was damaged in the storms. She said she’s grateful for the support.

"It has been a blessing to me and my family and to others," she said. "I can't even think of the words because there are so many people that need it. There are so many people that lost everything. You know, that's why I pray every night," Mincey said.

She said thanks to Metro and the donations, she’s hosting Thanksgiving this year.

"It has been a blessing. My family is coming down, and I'm the host this year. My mother and my sister are coming down now from out of town, so we're going to have a good time. We're going to enjoy that spiral ham," she said. "I'm very thankful, and if I ever catch the lotto or anything, I'm going to make sure I come to Metro Ministries first," Mincey said.

Saturday’s event at Metro’s Tampa Holiday Tent was one of many throughout the holiday season. To register to volunteer, or register to get donations, click here.

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