It's the first weekend of distribution in Hillsborough and Pasco counties as Metropolitan Ministries helps families serve up meals for the holidays.
This year, organizers said they are at capacity as the number of people needing some help continues to climb.
“The need is really big... We are budgeted to serve 30,000 families between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and for the first time since anyone can remember, we have already gotten to capacity for holiday assistance," Brensey Thompson, Director of Marketing, said.
Thompson said that at the same time, donations are down as those who were able to contribute before can no longer afford to.
That’s why she said volunteering your time to help with distribution can go a long way.
"I think a lot of us have maybe at one time been in that situation... We're grateful that we received that help, and then in return... we can move forward with helping others who are in need," volunteer Jodi Balasi explained.
Monetary donations are also welcome, but Thompson said you can drop off any donations for a Thanksgiving dinner, or whatever you can afford, at any of their distribution centers.
Here is a list of locations and times.
"We do rely on the community support. So, it hurts us that we can't help everybody, but we are certainly trying to help as many people as we can, and we would really call on the community to help us continue to fulfill our mission to serve those in the Tampa Bay area who are in need," Thompson added.
