LAKELAND, Fla. — Just days before a holiday celebrated around food, a Lakeland pantry helping those in need fell victim to arson, but thanks to the community, their mission is not burning out.
It’s still hard for Dais Abraham, founder of New Testament Ministries, to process all that’s gone on over the last few days and how someone could intentionally set fire to something he set up a few years ago to help his community.
“I’m like in shock," Abraham said.
"I said to myself, maybe this is it. I'm done. This is not what I'm supposed to do,” he recalled thinking when he first saw the burned pantry.
But he thought and prayed about it and knew it wasn’t the end. His community helped it come to fruition, turning tragedy into triumph, and helping the pantry get stocked up and ready to serve on Wednesday ahead of Thanksgiving.
On Tuesday, staff helped organize boxes and boxes of food, donations coming from people all around the Tampa Bay and Lakeland area inspired to help.
“It’s just horrible that somebody would even think to do something like this, especially to an organization trying to do so good,” Rob Lamke with Metropolitan Ministries said.
The Tampa-based nonprofit showed up with a semi to drop off 500 turkeys and 500 “boxes of hope,” the sides to complete a true Thanksgiving meal.
“When we have partners and food pantries like this one that are doing the work that we can't get to, that we then have an opportunity to support in a time of need, that's what it's all about,” Lamke added.
Though the fire took almost everything inside, it didn’t take the spirit of giving. And for Abraham, his mission didn’t fall apart, it grew.
“It’s like filled up, we are ready to feed a huge number of people, I think we can feed a lot more than we did before,” Abraham added.
It will still be a while before the pantry is fully back on its feet, if you’d like to help New Testament Ministries, click here.