Florida Volunteers Help Their Hungry

The heartbroken faces of the homeless in Pasco County light up when they see a sheriff’s car. They know Corporal Ferguson and our partner, The Volunteer Way care about their hopeless circumstances.

Over the past few years Corporal Ferguson has seen the homeless population double. He and Lester Cypher of The Volunteer Way decided to show these desperate people that they had not been forgotten. Earlier this year they began Street Grace.

The Volunteer Way assists Street Grace in giving food, hygiene products, diapers and water to homeless individuals and families on a regular basis. The food helps people maintain a healthy diet and the hygiene items lend them a hand in preparing for job interviews. Often the recipients are so touched by the Street Grace program, they begin to cry. This small act of kindness brings hope for the future they didn’t know existed.

It All Began When
Lester shakes his head in amazement. Years ago, helping people was the last thing on his mind. This former New York slumlord used to drink like a fish. Then through some divine circumstances he sold the business to his son, turned his life around, and moved to Florida with his wife. There he began a pest control and lawn business.

He remembers how The Volunteer Way began in New Port Richey back in 1992. The 68-year-old started helping the hungry with $35 and ten cases of food. With our Hunger Strike Force dropping off humanitarian loads, between 30,000 and 40,000 people throughout central Florida receive assistance every month! There are eighty receiving organizations within his network. Lester and his wife can’t do all of this alone. Since 1999, they have logged over 190,000 volunteer hours and have 70 regular volunteers. Now they own a warehouse, equipment and are in the process of acquiring another building.

“We are tremendously blessed by Operation Blessing,” expressed Lester. “I thank the staff; the drivers are fantastic! This is just the tip of the iceberg.”

In addition to making sure their network is going well, The Volunteer Way opens their door Monday through Friday mornings and gives bags of groceries to the hungry. They also deliver brown bags of food to the homebound, clean the homes of handicapped elderly, and oversee a thrift shop run by adults with Down syndrome.

Lester and his team at The Volunteer Way care about the poor in their community. Won’t you join them in their commitment? There are 31 million Americans that don’t know where their next meal will come from. Remember, $25 is all it takes to help provide a family of four with a month’s worth of food.