If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity to help give back to those in need, consider helping out with Radius Church’s annual Thanksgiving meal donations. Whether it’s yourself or your entire family participating, many are welcome to donate and pack up the food and then deliver the meals to residents throughout St. Pete.
“Last year we donated 750 meals, and this year we plan to do 1,000,” Pastor Blake Clark reported. Food donations of canned corn, stuffing, canned green beans, instant mashed potatoes, canned sweet potatoes or yams, and macaroni and cheese can be dropped off at numerous locations throughout St. Pete. These include Great Explorations Children’s Museum, Black Crow Coffee, (where you will receive a free coffee when you donate), 9 Round Fitness, MarineMax, Machine Shop Barber, Little Greek Fresh Grill and Green Bench Brewing. Monetary donations are also greatly appreciated to purchase turkeys and pies. They can be mailed directly to the church at 165 13th St. N, St. Petersburg, FL, 33705 or given online at RadThanksgiving.com. From 6 to 8 p.m. November 19, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, volunteers will pack up all the dinners for delivery the next day.
“This year has been particularly tough on many people,“ Clark said. “With inflation and rising rent and utility costs, many of our neighbors are really hurting. We believe everyone should be able to celebrate Thanksgiving and have the freedom to not to worry about the cost.”
Names of recipients are obtained from local nonprofit organizations such as Boley Centers, CASA, the St. Pete Housing Authority, and the Boys & Girls Clubs. Individuals can also sign up at www.RadChurch.com/Thanksgiving to request a meal. Many thank-you notes have been received from beneficiaries with sentiments such as “I felt seen and not so alone.”
Helping the Throughout the Year
“We’re not a “Sunday, one-and-done kind of church,” Clark said. “We are out in the community every day seeking to show God’s love in tangible ways.” Each Sunday before gathering, a free breakfast is offered to those in need. Once a year the church partners with 25 nonprofits to offer the “Open Arms” event with showers, haircuts, and food for the homeless, plus resources for housing and veterans services.
If you are looking for a nondenominational church that models “the visible, tangible, love of Jesus,” Clark hopes you will attend a church gathering on Sundays or any volunteer projects.
For more information or to volunteer, please visit RadChurch.com, call (727) 265-1035 or follow on Facebook or X (Twitter) @RadiusChurchFL.
