By Karen McBride
Published in the Dunndeal Gazettes May, 2023
Hyde Park Methodist Church partners with Metropolitan Ministries to provide food to the homeless and food insecure community members. It started over 30 years ago with a coffee pot and cups on a table in their courtyard. People experiencing homelessness would wander up for a warm cup of coffee in the morning. A member of the church had noticed it and began making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to leave alongside the coffee. From there it grew to soup, meats, vegetables and more.
Now on Sunday mornings, from 11-12:30, the church partners with Metropolitan Ministries Outreach Brigade to provide the food. Restaurants throughout the area, such as Hula Bay and Forbici Modern Italian, donate delicious meals to feed the food insecure in our area each week.
The Metropolitan Ministries Outreach Brigade also works with people experiencing homelessness if they need an ID or a copy of their birth certificate in order to get a job. The outreach can help individuals to sign up for services or get on a wait list for an apartment. They provide a list of additional resources available to the person to help him/her get back on his/her feet again.
“We want to meet their physical, emotional, and spiritual needs,” said Reverend Vicki Walker. “It’s beautiful to hear the insights from the guests on the streets. We can get comfortable in our own lives and not realize how much we need God. But when you are living on the streets, your faith, your hope, your trust is in God.”
Reverend Walker had talked to a person experiencing homelessness recently that had graduated with a degree in psychology in 1994 and is now homeless. Somewhere his life took a turn. A job loss or health diagnosis may have been what caused his world to spiral downward.
Hyde Park Methodist continues to look for ways to provide help to the homeless community. Other church members assist those looking for jobs and once they find one, will even help them with boots or clothes needed for their first day. The youth group at the church supports the “Manna bag ministry”. Plastic bags are filled with water bottles, crackers, protein bars, a prayer sheet, and a list of resources for them. The bags are distributed throughout the area to people in need.
The first gas station in Hyde Park is now the site of a bicycle repair shop for the community. It is equipped with self-serve air and repair tools. Church members volunteer to help fix bikes on Sunday mornings from 7 – 12. They even helped a gentleman with his wheelchair when he got a flat tire. If you have any supplies for a bike, including inner tubes, tires, locks, or lights, please contact the church.
Another ministry the church partners with is a mobile dental clinic. Much needed dental care is provided free of charge. In April, two dentists and six hygienists volunteered their time and were able to help 40 patients.
Hyde Park United Methodist Church has two locations: The Hyde Park Location is at 500 W Platt Street and The Portico Location is at 1001 N. Florida Avenue, Tampa. For more information about the church and to find out how you can support their ministries, go to https://hydeparkumc.org.