For 12 consecutive weeks, every Saturday morning for two hours, hundreds of people in the High Point community lined up around the block to receive their weekly distribution of fresh groceries, non-perishable food, and baby items like formula, diapers, and wipes.
The massive outreach was part of a partnership that began in April between the YMCA of the Suncoast and three local churches; BLDG 28 Church, Calvary Church, Feather Sound Church.
“When we first started outreach in the High Point community it was due to the lack of resources available to the community at the early part of the Coronavirus pandemic,” explains Carlos Mercado, Community Outreach Director, YMCA of the Suncoast. “As the weeks passed, more community partners came in to serve.”
By the numbers:
- 223 households served weekly
- 836 individuals served weekly
- More than a dozen volunteers and Y staff
- Over 600 donated sewn cloth masks thanks to church partners and Pinellas County Government Emergency Management
- Two separate outreaches at the High Point Village mobile home park, serving 114 households. A grand total of 337 households; *1,292 individuals served.
Carlos says the outreaches will now return to once a month. “As a leading non-profit community organization, we appreciate these community partners for their selfless work and support for working with us to serve others during this time.”