Metropolitan Ministries serves meals for Easter Sunday
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Metropolitan Ministries and community partners served Easter meals to hundreds of residents and families across Tampa Bay.
On Sunday, the organization served meals to residents in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties throughout the day.
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In Pinellas County, Metro Ministries partnered with Christ United Methodist Church for the first year on Easter.
"We’ve served at Safe Harbor the past couple years, so it’s the shelter for the county," Ethan Weilant, with Metropolitan Ministries, said. "It’s been limited only to those who are in the shelter, so this time, we get to kind of open it up to other residents in the area who are looking for a meal."
Dozens of people lined up at the church for Easter dinner on Sunday.
"To serve God, there are many, many ways to serve God," Mark Dillman, a volunteer with Christ United Methodist Church said. "Many streams that flow out, and all that we’re doing is stepping into one stream. Helping people who need a meal."
Metro Ministries tries to feed a constant need around Tampa Bay that continues to grow.
"A lot of the time, food is what they’re going to skip, in order to save that money, potentially for rent or for electric when it’s coming up," Weilant said. "So, I think they skip that meal, and they shouldn’t."
Metro Ministries also partners with Christ United Methodist Church on a weekly basis. Volunteers serve meals to people in need in Pinellas County every Thursday.
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"We’ve named it Loaves and Fishes," Dillman said. "We’ve served about 2,200 meals."
On the holiday weekend, volunteers say the value of this meal is even greater.
"I think we’ve made it a special time for individuals who don’t necessarily have that family that they can go back to and eat with on this holiday, so having a special place to sit down is really important," Weilant said.