Charity Tea Party Collects Basic Necessities for the Low-Income Families of Tampa Bay

 On Saturday, January 24, the Clearwater Community Volunteers (CCV) Center hosted its monthly “Charity Tea Party” in partnership with Feed Our Children (FOC) Ministries to collect in-kind donations for the underprivileged community of Tampa Bay. Donated items included non-perishable foods and hygiene products benefitting FOC Ministries. Guests enjoyed an afternoon tea while contributing back to the community.

Feed Our Children Ministries is a nonprofit that has been serving the Tampa Bay community since 1986, lead by Pastor Moses Brown. They help to provide clothing, food, and hygiene items to the less fortunate. Ms. Michelle Coote, a volunteer of FOC Ministries, spoke to guests at the Charity Tea. “People don’t realize that there are families out there that don’t have the most basic items needed to live,” said Ms. Coote. “I’ve gone into homes that had completely empty cabinets and no towels for the shower. This is why we rely on our community to give back and help to supply the less fortunate with these often undervalued basic necessities.”

A recent census shows that there are about six hundred thousand teens and children who reside in the Tampa Bay area. Out of this, 15 percent are living in poverty. That equates to about 1 in 7 children who don’t have access to many basic necessities of life.

“The monthly Charity Tea is one of the ways we give back to the community,” said Tracy Hawkins, manager of the Center. “By partnering with local nonprofits and helping to supply them with what they need to serve their community, we are working together to make a difference. At this center, we operate in alignment with the following statement from Humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard, who said, ‘A community that pulls together can make a better society for all.’”

If you’d like to learn more about how you can contribute to FOC Ministries, please visit www.feedourchildren.org.

About the Clearwater Community Volunteers Center:

The Clearwater Community Volunteers Center, established by the Church of Scientology in 2018, is a home for the benefit of all Tampa Bay nonprofit organizations. Built on the success of the Clearwater Community Volunteers, who host the signature Winter Wonderland and Easter Egg Hunt in Clearwater, the Center was created to serve the needs of local nonprofits. The Center is fully equipped to host meetings, seminars, events and gatherings, all at no cost to the nonprofit community. Please email CCVcenter@ccvfl.org for more information about the Center and its facilities.