TAMPA, Fla. — Thanks to a local charity, over 2,000 people in need were given two hot meals for Easter.
"Hope starts with a meal," Justine Burke said.
Burke is the vice president of marketing for Metropolitan Ministries, the organization in charge of the event.
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They've been doing this for decades, and not just on holidays.
"Just last year we did over 1.6 million meals throughout Tampa Bay, " said Burke.
Volunteers like Linda Berry have helped since day one.
"These people are awesome," she said. "The guests and the volunteers are just awesome.
The church also has the Metro Brigade. It's a mobile program that goes into the communities to provide more than just food. They set up mailing service for the homeless, help them get their ID cards, apply for food stamps and much more.
The church has several different partners to help provide those services.
"We could never accomplish our mission without the help of the community," said Burke.
Volunteers are shocked by the amount of people in need. Some say it's sad.
"I only cried once," Berry said. "A young man the same age as my grandson came. He looked like him. It melted me."
Anyone looking to volunteer or donate to Metropolitan Ministries can click here for more information: https://www.metromin.org/.
