Metropolitan Ministries push to fill donation shelves for teens

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The Metropolitan Ministries holiday tent is the size of a football field, and inside is where the toys are stored to hand out for Christmas.

Right now, there’s a major need for teen gifts to fill these empty shelves for families in need.

Organizers say the last-minute push for donations for older kids is typical since the gifts are often more expensive.

“It happens every year because those teen gifts tend to be a little more expensive. A lot of times people just don’t know what to get teenagers and to get them in a reasonable price range is difficult and that’s where we find ourselves again,” Justine Burke with Metropolitan Ministries said.

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Burke suggests donating gifts like electronics, sports gear and the ever-popular gift card for this particular age group. This year, especially with many families still recovering from major damage following back-to-back hurricanes, the need from the community was even greater.

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