Lending a Hand at Metropolitan Ministries Thrift Store
Posted on Jul. 21, 2022 / Home Page / Subscribe 0
Lending a Hand at MetROPOLITAN MINISTRIES Thrift Store
By Joseph Priest, APR
The Metropolitan Ministries volunteer team: Noelle Fox, APR; Bart Graham; Justin Herndon, APR; and Joseph Priest, APR.
It involved just a few people and lasted only three hours, but the difference it could make it could touch hundreds of lives in the Tampa Bay area.
On July 8, the Public Service Committee volunteered for a three-hour shift at Metropolitan Ministries to lend a hand with receiving and sorting donated goods at the organization’s thrift store. As part of its family support services, Metropolitan Ministries operates the store to provide a range of items, everything from clothes to home decorations to appliances to furniture, to disadvantaged Tampa Bay residents.
Our team of volunteers included four members:
- Noelle Fox, APR
- Bart Graham
- Justin Herndon, APR
- Joseph Priest, APR
Although we only had a few hours to contribute, our team had a memorably rewarding experience. We were able to unload and organize hundreds of goods so that they could be quickly and fully available to needy families. It was rewarding to be a part of this effort, and rewarding to be a part of PRSA Tampa Bay. The shift continues our service there that we contributed in 2019.
Here is what some of the volunteers had to say about their experience:
Noelle Fox, APR
“I really appreciated the opportunity to spend time with fellow chapter members in a non-work context to connect in a different way than the usual PR chitchat. And being able to do that while serving an amazing organization that helps so many people in our community made it an afternoon very well spent.”
Bart Graham
“This was a memorable experience for me for several reasons. First, it was extremely impressive to see the well-oiled and well-run volunteer system that Metropolitan Ministries has in place for volunteers and the way that each volunteer is valued. I was also surprised to learn how many families in need live on the Metropolitan Ministries campus and benefit from its services. And it was equally surprising to see such a steady stream of folks coming in to donate a variety of goods to help our community.”
Joseph Priest, APR
“Although most of our work was inside the air-conditioned thrift warehouse, the small amount of heavy lifting and hauling that we had to do out in the heat was a vivid reminder of how fortunate a life that I and many PR pros have, and how any small act of volunteering can make a difference to those in the community less fortunate than we are. I’m grateful for Metropolitan Ministries for making these service and learning opportunities available, and grateful that so many members of our chapter regularly lend a hand to participate in these service opportunities.”
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