Tampa Police Hand Out Free Food for Holidays

Tucked away in the heart of Sulphur Springs, the is “really on the front line of poverty,” said its director, Tampa Police officer Debbie Boles. And several salvos were fired in poverty's direction Wednesday, Dec. 21, at the Resources In Community Hope House, in the form of frozen turkeys, pumpkin pies, and food sacks filled with traditional holiday dinner fixings.

Needy residents from the community lined up outside the converted house at 8218 N. Marks St. for the free food. It took about 25 minutes for officers from Tampa Police's district two office and volunteers to hand out 50 food packages.

“It makes a big difference," said food recipient and R.I.C.H. House volunteer Shana Burden, "because on Christmas morning a lot of the kids know they won't only have toys, but a meal that night. It really helps parents out.”

The R.I.C.H. House was formed in 2000 when the Tampa Police Department partnered with the U.S. Attorney's Office under a grant known as the Weed and Seed Initiative. The main objective is to weed out the element that is holding a neighborhood back, be it criminal or economic, and seed in elements that will allow the neighborhood to prosper even when those funds are gone.

The house serves primarily as an after school safe haven for neighborhood children, according to Boles. Once children complete their homework, they can participate in any number of games and activities until it's time to go home. R.I.C.H. House also serves as a food pantry and clothing closet. Boles said the city owns the house and pays its utilities. Everything else is paid for by private donations.

Boles acknowledged that not every child served by the R.I.C.H. House can become a success story. But on Wednesday, after the food was given out, she wrapped her arms around two like a proud mother. Only these two were young adults, and wore Army uniforms.

Former Sulphur Springs residents Pvt. Randall Raines, 19, and Pfc. Mark Britt, 20, spent much of their youth at the R.I.C.H. House. Home on leave for the holidays, they each volunteered to help hand out the food.

“I grew up with Ms. Debbie,” said Raines. “It feels good coming back and helping. Maybe I can help some of these kids here who might want to follow in my footsteps.”

“It feels a little different,” Britt said of returning to his old stomping grounds in an Army uniform. “It felt good helping out the neighborhood.”

In the Army, Raines is a generator mechanic, and Britt is a tank driver.

Boles said with success stories like them, “we absolutely see a tangible difference. Those are two young men that grew up in the R.I.C.H. House, and this place is so important that they came to give back today.”

Tuesday's food giveaway was sponsored by the Tampa Palms Bible Fellowship group, Coca Cola Enterprises, Magical Charters and Limousines and the Samaha family of Bayshore Baptist Church.