Metropolitan Ministries serves 1,000 hot meals as Christmas begins across Tampa Bay

TAMPA - Christmas Day got underway early at Metropolitan Ministries. Before sunrise, staff and volunteers filled the kitchen at the nonprofit’s Tampa campus, preparing 1,000 hot Christmas meals for people experiencing homelessness. Those meals will be served throughout the day at community locations in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties.

On campus, families staying at Metropolitan Ministries are also celebrating Christmas morning. Children are opening gifts near decorated trees, while parents and staff gather inside the Welcome Center and courtyard for holiday activities, games, and treats.

MORE NEWS: Volunteers prepare Christmas Eve meal for families at Metropolitan Ministries

For many families, this campus is home today.

The Lead Up to Christmas:

Christmas Day caps off weeks of intense demand for Metropolitan Ministries.

Through its Holiday Tent assistance program, the nonprofit served 33,000 families, including 30,000 children, providing food and 60,000 toys across the Tampa Bay area.

Metropolitan Ministries also supports families experiencing homelessness year-round. Leaders say 300 families and 600 children are currently receiving help through residential and community-based programs in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties.

In the days leading up to Christmas, Metropolitan Ministries warned that donations were down while needs continued to rise. Registrations for food and toy assistance filled faster than ever, and leaders said items for older children and teens were especially hard to keep in stock.

Big picture view:

Christmas Day operations are the culmination of months of work, including volunteers cooking meals, serving families, and helping children experience the holiday.

Metropolitan Ministries has served the Tampa Bay region for more than fifty years. The nonprofit provides hunger relief, emergency shelter, housing, education, job training, and family support services, touching the lives of more than one hundred thousand families and children each year across the region.