Church Feeds Hundreds of Families in Pinellas County

Hard times have hit almost everyone at one time or another, and a helping hand can make an enormous difference in a time of need. It is that concept that has driven the parishioners at the Bethel Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church to see that anyone in dire straights will at least have food on the table.
 
“If they need, we give. That’s our concept,” says Rueben Mayes, a deacon at the church in St. Petersburg, FL near the Gulfport border. Mr. Mayes and his wife, Ruthie, have been running the program at Bethel since its inception in 2003 with help from a team of others at the church.
 
Bread, meat, canned goods and other items are given out on Wednesday and Thursday each week from 10 am to 1 pm at the church. Recipients are required to fill out a brief form that roughly defines their level of economic need, they consult with Deacon Mayes and they’re on their way.
 
“We don’t try to judge what they do or don’t need,” Mr. Mayes said earlier this week, walking through the back room of the church tending to the loading area where bags of perishable and non-perishable foods are given out. “If they come in and say that they need it we give it to them.”
 
The church pays part of the cost of the food out of its budget and the rest is covered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through Religious Community Services, Inc. (RCS) based in Clearwater and Feeding America Tampa Bay. The church also receives contributions of bread from a local Publix and canned goods from Big Lots.
 
The Bethel Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church assists as many as 400 individuals and families in Pinellas County each month. It has been doing so for eight years since Mr. and Mrs. Mayes, Barbara Burrell, Vera Byrd and The Reverend, Lionel Clements, initiated the program. They are assisted by Arletha Chapman, Nathaniel Roundtree, Annette Squire and Aislee Tucker.

They help the homeless, veterans, people from low-income housing developments and anyone who will let them help.
 
“A lady came in today and said she used to encourage people to come but they would not come,” Mr. Mayes said, explaining the hesitancy some have to reach out for help. “She feels that we are a big help to a lot of people now, because they now will step out and receive food.”
 
Economic conditions since 2008 have made for nearly double the number of meals given out each week.
 
“Within the last year and a half we have definitely noticed an increase,” said Pastor Dr. Rickey L. Houston, who credits the church volunteers for their extreme dedication for starting the program and seeing that it continues to help the community. “In some cases with these families we know that there was literally no food left in the house.”
 
“The program is not exclusive to this church,” added Nathaniel Roundtree, also a deacon at Bethel Metropolitan, while tending to duties. “There are other churches that offer a similar program.”

Feeding America Tampa Bay is a hunger-relief charity with a mission to feed the nation’s hungry through a network of food banks. It annually provides food to more than 37 million low income people including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Formerly known as America’s Second Harvest of Tampa, it provided 19 million pounds of food - or one million meals per month - in 2010 to ten counties throughout west central Florida.
 
Pastor Houston estimates that the church distributes approximately 10 to 20 tons of food on an annual basis. “This has been what I feel is a great outreach to the community,” he affirms. “It is something that I really couldn’t imagine the church doing without.”
 
A native of St. Petersburg from Davis Elementary School through Gibbs High School, Rueben Mayes says the recipients are gracious in their gratitude for the food.
 
“The people are very appreciative. We get all walks. We give out without any consolation. Just walk right in,” he says. “We thank God and the church for allowing us to be able to provide food for eight years [and for] the ability to give back and take care of the needy.”
 
The Bethel Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church was founded in 1903 and has been at its current location on 26^th Ave. since 1985. The congregation is under the direction of Pastor Houston and includes more than 900 members from Gulfport, St. Petersburg and other communities.