Right here, in Pinellas County, there is a grandmother unable to survive on her Social Security benefits.

Right here, in our community, there is a single mom who just lost her job...and her hope.

Right here, in our neighborhood, there is a child crying herself to sleep tonight worrying if there will be anything to eat in the morning.

Right here in our county, in our neighborhood, there are more than 16,000 families living under the poverty level.  Every night approximately 3,200 people in Pinellas County have no place to sleep.

Jesus is right here in our county, in our communities, in our neighborhoods.  He sees the elderly struggling on a fixed income, those who have lost their jobs, and the children without the security of knowing from where their next meal is coming, and He Cares.

We Care
At our Benevolence Ministry and Thrift Store, we see the needs all around us:  the homeless, the unemployed, the elderly and those who are hurting and without hope.

We help meet those needs in a variety of ways:

• Food Pantry provides food to more than 2,400 families annually.  Families who qualify for assistance can receive a generous food allotment up to three times annually.
   

• Emergency Financial Assistance helps with rent, electric and water bills, plus other crucial expenses for those experiencing a financial crisis.
   

• Thrift Ministry provides low cost clothing and household goods for those in need.
   

• Spiritual Ministries provides for peoples spiritual needs by listening, praying and caring for the whole person.  It is in this all-encompassing approach to benevolence that is the key to He Cares.

Will You Care? 

The need is great but together we can make a tangible difference to the homeless and needy in Pinellas County.

There are four ways that you can become involved:

1. Give of Your Time:  We need volunteers to hang up clothes, stock shelves or pick up food donations from around the county.  In fact, we can use help doing just about anything!
    

2. Give of Your Goods: We need your gently used clothing, furniture and household items for our thrift store.  Your give could outfit a dad going for a job interview, give a doll to a little girl who has never owned one, or provide dishes for a family just starting out.
    

3. Give of Your Finances:  We would love to help everyone who comes in with a financial crisis but we are limited by our financial resources.  Your gift can enable the electricity to be turned back on or the water service to continue for those who have nowhere else to turn.
    

4. Pray:  Giving people food, clothes or money may help temporarily, but making a permanent difference in people's lives can only be accomplished through prayer.