Officials with Metropolitan Ministries are establishing a presence in South St. Pete to help transform communities in two zip codes with high childhood poverty rates by addressing the root causes.
For over 50 years, the nonprofit has provided a myriad of services for at-risk and homeless families from its expansive Tampa facility, and through 65 regional partners. However, Metropolitan Ministries’ leadership realized they could better serve “high-need” areas with a physical location and boots on the ground.
A new Metropolitan Ministries outpost opened Jan. 3 in St. Petersburg’s James B. Sanderlin Family Center on 22nd Avenue South. Jalem Robinson, director of community collaboration, said officials sought to make a difference in neighborhoods where over 35% of children live in poverty.
“Once we looked at those zip codes, we noticed we weren’t reaching the families that seemingly needed the most,” said Robinson. “So, we started looking at some of the landscapes of those communities to try and figure out where best our impact could start and influence the most change.”
The initiative is part of Metropolitan Ministries’ NeighborHOPE project. The organization identified eight impoverished zip codes in Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough Counties and is now investing in resources, services, collaboration and capacity building in those areas. Read more
