The Brief
- Metropolitan Ministries says demand for meal assistance is up 300% across the Bay Area.
- All Thanksgiving meal distribution slots were filled within the first week.
- The nonprofit says it urgently needs food donations and volunteers, especially at its Pinellas tent.
TAMPA – Metropolitan Ministries is seeing one of its highest levels of need ever heading into Thanksgiving.
The nonprofit now operates holiday tents in Tampa, West Pasco, East Pasco, and Pinellas, where families can shop for holiday meal staples.
Even with large collection events, including Saturday’s “Fishing for Hope” food drive, staff and volunteers say donations are leaving shelves just as quickly as they arrive.
Demand for services is up 300% across the region, driven by factors such as job losses and ripple effects from the recent government shutdown, according to Metropolitan Ministries.…