Our History

Celebrating 35 Years of Hope 

Finding a way to help homeless families and hungry people has been the cornerstone of Metropolitan Ministries’ approach since 1972 when 13 downtown churches, all different denominations, joined together. While each church had been trying to do its part individually, they found themselves duplicating efforts and overwhelmed by the growing needs. They decided to consolidate their efforts and formed Metropolitan Ministries. 

During the first five months, more than 8,000 people sought help from Metropolitan Ministries.  For over 35 years, together with the Tampa Bay community, we have made it possible for 522,200 families to be served through Outreach and Prevention Services, nearly 23 million hot meals have been prepared and 354,520 safe haven shelter nights have been provided.