TAMPA, Fla. — Metropolitan Ministries learned of a big blow to its mission in helping the homeless community in the Tampa Bay Area.
Matthew Fertitta always had a soft spot for helping the homeless.
"I've just always humanized them and just treated them like everybody else,” said Fertitta.
He worked for AmeriCorps, which supported Metro Ministries' Metro BrigAIDe, a program that provides life-saving outreach for people experiencing homelessness.
WATCH: Federal budget cuts disrupt Metro Ministries' homeless outreach initiative
"We just really help people just get to where they need to be as far as back into the workforce, a meal, a simple meal, a shelter, whatever they need to get them just in a better place,” said Fertitta.
His work came to a surprising halt when he found out he had lost his job with AmeriCorps this week.
"We were all devastated,” said Fertitta. “Simple as that. We all love the job. We all love the work. We all also really click as a team, so to be just completely separated like instantly that was very hard.”
Federal budget cuts eliminated AmeriCorps roles at Metropolitan Ministries, impacting about 30 AmeriCorps members who serve those in need in Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties.
“The Metro BrigAIDe was created to meet a vital community need, and AmeriCorps helped make that possible,” said Tim Marks, president and CEO of Metropolitan Ministries. “With these cuts, human beings—many of whom have no one else—will be left without help. We’re heartbroken, but we are not giving up. We are committed to finding a way forward so that the BrigAIDe can continue this life-saving work.”
Metro Ministries said since its launch in 2018, the Metro BrigAIDe has helped thousands of people access critical support, pointing out that in its first year alone, the team made nearly 2,000 street contacts and helped more than 200 people secure housing or reunite with family.
“Because our program was solely funded with these funds, we were immediately asked to stop operations,” said JohnPaul Comas, the Senior Director of Brigaide Mobile Outreach with Metropolitan Ministries. “Outreach on Monday was happening. On Tuesday, outreach was not happening, so the relationships that we’ve spent years building with folks that are living on the streets is going to be impacted by this pause in services.”
Comas said it's been one of the hardest few days he's experienced.
"We want to be there when times are tough,” said Comas. “We want to be there to pick up the pieces. We want to be there to help people put their lives back together, and to not be able to do that is heartbreaking,” said Comas.
Metro Ministries said it is reallocating approximately $550,000 to create 11 new non-federally funded positions.
"Now we take a breath, we look at what's available to us, and we get back to work,” said Comas. “We're going to take a week, maybe two, to redesign the positions, to post the positions, and bring people back into work to help meet the needs of the community."
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