Metropolitan Ministries makes Christmas brighter for thousands

TAMPA, Fla. - There’s nothing that beats the joy of Christmas morning and that’s especially true on Tampa’s Metropolitan Ministries campus. Thanks to the generosity of the Tampa Bay community, Metropolitan Ministries' staff and volunteers were able to give 100 families and 250 children a Christmas they'll never forget. 

“It means a lot to me because at least the kids will have something for Christmas," said Casey Beaudry, who is living in the shelter with her husband and three children, including her five-day-old infant son. "Metropolitan Ministries is really doing a good deed.” 
 
Hundreds of toys were donated so that the formerly homeless families who are now living in Metro's shelter can wake up to a Christmas morning they wouldn't have otherwise been able to experience. 

“This means everything," said Deatrice Clark, whose seven-year-old son Jeremiah could hardly contain his excitement over his new Batman playset. "You know you don’t have much. I went to the Dollar Tree to get his Christmas things, but it just really means a lot to give him the gifts that he really, really wants and you can’t afford it.” 

Jeremiah agreed: best Christmas ever.  "Because I have my family here and I have toys that I’m really going to enjoy playing with," explained Jeremiah. 

In addition to the gifts, families were also treated to free family Christmas portraits courtesy of Tampa Photographer Pepito Valdes of Pepito Masterpiece Portraits. 

Metropolitan Ministries also provided 1,800 hot Christmas meals to families throughout the Tampa Bay area. 

As many as 30,000 families already received meals and toys through Metropolitan Ministries’ Holiday Tent assistance program over the past two months.