A Message from Sarah
In my first year as CEO of Metropolitan Ministries, one word continues to rise to the surface: hope.
I have been deeply moved by both the resilience of the families and individuals we serve and the extraordinary community that surrounds them. From the moment I stepped into this role, I was struck by the compassion, generosity, and commitment of our donors, volunteers, partners, and staff. Your belief in this mission is powerful, and it shows in the lives changed every day.
This year’s Annual Report is centered on a simple truth: Hope Does More. Here, hope is not passive. It feeds families facing hunger. It provides shelter and stability for those experiencing homelessness. It restores dignity, builds confidence, and creates real pathways forward. Because of you, hope becomes action, and action becomes lasting change.
I am in awe of this mission and the people who make it possible. Metropolitan Ministries is more than a place of help; it is a place of belonging, dignity, and transformation. I am honored to serve alongside such dedicated individuals and to help lead this organization into its next chapter.
Thank you for welcoming me, for believing in our neighbors, and for making it possible for hope to do more both today and for years to come.
With hope and gratitude,
Dr. Sarah Combs President and CEO
Mission
We care for the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless in our community through services that alleviate suffering , promote dignity , and instill self-sufficiency … as an expression of the ongoing ministry of Jesus Christ.
Vision
Metropolitan Ministries will be America’s most effective caregiver to poor and homeless people.
• Our programs will be known for their compassion and innovation in helping struggling families and individuals achieve their highest potential for self-sufficiency.
• Our approach to involving citizens in understanding and caring for their disadvantaged neighbors will serve as a replicable model.
• Our caregiving will be supported by an exemplary staff, high-quality facilities, dedicated volunteers, donors and collaborative partners.
• Above all, our witness will be to the power of love in healing broken lives and building strong, caring communities.
How We Address Critical Needs
3 PILLARS OF SERVICE
ALLEVIATE SUFFERING
• Hot Meals and Food Boxes
• Emergency Shelter for Families with Children
• Mobile Outreach and Navigation Resources for Chronically Homeless Individuals
• Family Support Centers
• Safe Residential Shelter
• Neighborhood Community-based Case Management and Resources for Families
• School-based Interventions
• Support Services for Seniors
PROMOTE DIGNITY
• Education (Early Childhood through Adult)
• Trauma-informed Counseling
• Therapeutic Programming
• Addiction/Recovery Support
• Spiritual Care
• Clothing
• Life Skills
• Financial Literacy
• Vocational Training
INSTILL SELF-SUFFICIENCY
• Landlord and Housing Navigation Support
• Career Placement Assistance
• Alumni Connection/Support
• Affordable Housing
Hunger Relief NETWORK
“I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.”
Matthew 25:35
Through our Hunger Relief Network, Metropolitan Ministries ensures that no family, senior, or individual in need goes hungry. In partnership with meal site partners across Tampa Bay, we distribute hot, balanced, and nutritious meals to neighbors facing hunger and hardship.
Our partners, including faith communities, civic groups, agencies, and nonprofits, extend this work into neighborhoods throughout the region, united by a shared commitment to care for those experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness. Together, we turn compassion into action, meeting immediate needs while restoring dignity and hope.
54 dedicated meal partners
Serving up to 105,000 hot meals every month
Locations across HILLSBOROUGH, PASCO, & PINELLAS counties
Sharing HOPE for the holidays
In 2025, Metropolitan Ministries marked a new chapter for our Holiday Tent, one defined by recovery, growth, and expanded reach. Building on the resilience of recent years, we served families across Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas counties through four Holiday Tent locations, including our first-ever tent in Pinellas County.
As the needs of our community continued to evolve, we responded with innovation and scale, ensuring more neighbors could access food, gifts, and support during the holiday season. With the unwavering support of donors, volunteers, and partners, we created welcoming spaces where dignity was honored and hope was restored.
Together, we didn’t just meet the moment—we expanded what was possible. Because when a community comes together, hope does more.
34,277 Families
4 Tents in 3 Counties
30,593 Children with 61,186 Toys/Gifts
Over 500,000 pounds of food
13,516 Volunteers
30 Collaborative Partners
“Because of the help I received here, my children have hope again. So do I.”
Together
we make Hope happen
Number
Hope in Action
$18 MILLION IN ANNUAL COST SAVINGS
Volunteer Impact In-Kind Support
20,173 unique volunteers served over 156,077 hours
$5.1 million in cost savings
$4.9 million in donated professional services
$8 million all other in-kind support (food, clothing, etc.)
$12.9 million in total cost savings
“After
losing everything, Metropolitan Ministries helped us rebuild step by step.”
A legacy ofandleadership impact
Honoring Tim Marks
After 20 years of extraordinary service, Tim Marks retired as CEO of Metropolitan Ministries. Under his leadership, the organization has grown, innovated, and touched countless lives across Tampa Bay, staying true to its mission to care for homeless and at risk families with compassion, dignity, and hope.
While we celebrate his retirement, we honor the legacy he leaves behind—a foundation of excellence, resilience, and hope that will guide Metropolitan Ministries for years to come.
Thank you, Tim, for your leadership, your heart, and your unwavering commitment to our neighbors in need.
Expanding Our Reach
PASCO
Doubled capacity with a new full-service campus and Early Learning Center
587,399 meals provided through our Hunger Relief Network of partners
47,505 shelter nights provided to families in need
8,241 families received assistance through our Family Support Centers
391 families received financial assistance for rent/utilities
95% of families successfully housed from residential programs
PINELLAS
108 families cared for in our residential program, receiving food, shelter, counseling, education, and job training
162 families served through The NeighborHOPE Project, a self-sufficiency program targeted to areas with the highest rates of poverty
100% of families who have not returned to homelessness after 18 months
Opened our first-ever shelter in this County
1,492,048 meals provided through our Hunger Relief Network of partners
18,420 families received assistance through our Holiday Tents
1,137 individuals experiencing homelessness received 2,003 services through the Metro BrigAIDe outreach team
577 families received financial assistance for rent/utilities
319 families served through The NeighborHOPE Project, a selfprogram targeted to areas with the highest rates of poverty
Board of Directors
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Jeff Marple, Board Chair
Corporate Executive
Rooms To Go
Carlos Baldor, Jr., Past Chair President & Chief Technology Officer, BST Global
Eric Bailey Vice Chair of Advancement
Principal and Financial Advisor
CAPTRUST
Gerry Coughlin, Metropolitan Ministries Foundation Liaison
Managing Partner
Oak Point Advisors
Sean DeMartino Vice Chair of Facilities
General Manager
Central Florida
Suffolk Construction
Elizabeth Dvorak Vice Chair of Programs
Chief Executive Officer
Workscapes
Keri Eisenbeis Vice Chair of Human Resources
Chief of Staff
BayCare Health System
Frank Hancock Vice Chair of Finance
Managing Director
Raymond James
Chad Keller Vice Chair of Strategic Planning Chief Operating Officer
Clover Investment Properties
Andrew (Drew) Pittman Vice Chair of Finance & Audit
Board Secretary
Co-Owner, ASAP Capital Partners, Inc.
William Schifino Vice Chair of Governance
Managing Partner Gunster Law
DIRECTORS
Derrick Brooks
COO of USF Athletics
President & Founder of Derrick Brooks Charities, Inc.
Kelly Ring (Bulleit) Former Anchor FOX 13 Tampa Bay
Reverend Evan Burrows
Pastor, First Baptist Church of College Hill
Michelle Clapper Assurance Partner Ernst and Young
Shane Donaldson Founder, Pinnacle Home Care
Jamie Egasti
Chairman, Voyant Beauty
Scott Fink
Chief Executive Officer
Fink Auto Group Volkswagen of Wesley Chapel
Nicholas Glover Vice President, Build to Zero
Rose Hester
Registered Nurse
BayCare Hospital
Client Advocate
Kurt H. Hull
Chief Executive Officer
Diversified Asset Funding
Tony March Chief Executive Officer Pay It Backward Foundation
Amy Martinez-Monfort CEO/Founder, Tampa Laundry Co.
Dewey Mitchell Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group - Evolutions
Kéto Nord Educator
Hillsborough County Public Schools
Willy Nunn President, Homes by WestBay
Debra Palmer President, LAMPLighters
Jerome Ryans President & CEO Tampa Housing Authority
Chris Schellman Retired Founder Schellman & Company
Laura Sherman Founding Partner Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners
Pedro Suriel Senior Vice President
Raymond James Financial, Inc.
Meet Shaheeda
Shaheeda is a mother of four, and she knows how quickly stability can be lost—and how life-changing it is to be welcomed with compassion.
At Metropolitan Ministries, Shaheeda and her children found safety, stability, and a sense of family. Her children now thrive in CREATE and teen programs, while Shaheeda returned to counseling and received employment support that led to a new leadership role. With renewed confidence, she is working toward a stable future and hopes one day to give back as a volunteer.
Scan this QR code to see her story
“Sometimes I felt like I was nothing. While you’re trying to be everything for your children, on the inside you are breaking down. And you don’t know how to get back up.
Now I’m self- sufficient. I didn’t have that before coming to Metro.”
Shaheeda
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Gerry Coughlin, Chair
Robert Basham
Preston Farrior
Elizabeth Fowler
FOUNDATION STAFF
Molly James Chief Executive Officer
David Redmond
Martin Silbiger, MD
Keebler Straz
Ashley Thomas
Annual Hope Partners
Reid and Gail Anderson
Anonymous
Anonymous Anonymous
Monique and Brian Dionne
Donaldson Family Foundation
Roy and Mary Edgerton
Analgesic Healthcare
Jim and Celia Ferman
Scott and Kathy Fink
Fink Five Foundation
Franklin and Barbara Carson
Family Foundation
Hettinger Foundation
Kurt and Amy Hull
Kathleen and Jack Hunt
Nancy and David Iben
Carl and Lyda Lindell
McKibbon Family Foundation
Meed Foundation
Tina Murdock
Nunn Family Foundation
Old Republic National
Title Insurance Company
James and Jean Palermo
Tara Jo Ruberg
Straz Family Foundation
The Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida
The Spurlino Foundation
Kate Tiedemann and Ellen Cotton
Annual Inspire Partners
Abbott Fund
William and Lynn Andrews
Anonymous
Anonymous
Anonymous
Coastal Construction
Danker-Basham Foundation
Dorothy Thomas Foundation
Jamie and Jane Egasti Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg
Bradford and Terry Holcombe
Thomas and Marsha Kelly
Klein Family Foundation
Richard and Joanne Lyon
McKnight Family Foundation
Mickey-Woods Family
W. Tommy Morgan
MUFG Americas
Steven and Victoria Petersen
Gwendolyn and Venkat Giri Roa
Rothschild Family Charitable Foundation
John and Kimberly Santamaria
Christopher and Lauren Gonzmart Schellman
Eileen Shapiro and Reuben Eaves
Signature Aviation
The Burton Family Foundation
Robert Ward and Lynelle Gable
Funding Partners
Area Agency on Aging Pasco-Pinellas
Children’s Board of
Hillsborough County
City of Clearwater
City of Tampa
Community Foundation
Tampa Bay
Hillsborough County
Early Learning Coalition
Health Department
Housing Finance Authority
Pasco County
Board of County Commissioners
Early Learning Coalition of Pasco & Hernando County
Pinellas County
State of Florida
Florida Department of Health
Tampa Hillsborough
Homeless Initiative
United Way Suncoast
Financials
Financials represent fiscal year 2025. July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025
PROGRAM EXPENSE RATIO
87% OF ALL GIFTS ARE PUT BACK INTO LIFE-CHANGING PROGRAMS
CONTRIBUTIONS
Total: $56.1M
MAJOR DONORS IN-KIND
DIRECT RESPONSE MARKETING
GOVERNMENT GRANTS
HURRICANE RELIEF
SPECIAL EVENTS
ESTATES
CAPITAL
PRIVATE GRANTS
LARGEST IMPACT PROGRAMS
Family Support Center
Outreach and Prevention Services
$26.6 MILLION
Residential and Community-based
Case Management
$15.1 MILLION
Childhood and Adult Education
$6.9 MILLION
REVENUE AND EXPENSES
Accountability
Metropolitan Ministries maintains a Platinum rating from Candid (by GuideStar), the world’s largest source of information on nonprofit organizations. This rating puts Metro in the top 1% of charities nationally in terms of transparency.
Metropolitan Ministries’ 4-Star rating is the highest achievable from Charity Navigator, America’s premier independent charity evaluator. We are proud to receive this symbol of trust, representing the measures we take to be accountable, transparent, and responsible stewards of donor dollars.
Great Nonprofits is unique from Charity Navigator and Candid in that their charity ratings are awarded based solely on reviews from donors, volunteers, and other supporters.
Sanctuary certification symbolizes an organization’s commitment to providing a higher level of care, a trauma-sensitive environment for the people we serve, and a better work environment for employees. Sanctuary certification requires re-evaluation every three years, as it is designed to promote, sustain, and strengthen an organization’s commitment to the maintenance of a trauma-informed culture for all of its stakeholders.
Metropolitan Ministries is honored to be recognized by Top Workplaces, the nation’s leading employer recognition program, for our people-first culture.
The bottom line
Your dollars are used in the most transparent and effective ways possible. Our fundraising efficiency is superior and exceeds industry standards at seven cents to raise one dollar.
For the most current financials, scan the QR code or visit: metromin.org/about/accountability/
