November 21, 2025 • 11 mins
Metropolitan Ministries President & CEO Dr. Sarah Combs checks in to discuss the need across the Tampa Bay area, the impact of the government shutdown, and MetroMin's Holiday Tent.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Time out for our CEO spotlight here on The Ryan
Gorman Show, and joining us in studio, we have the
new president and CEO of Metropolitan Ministries, doctor Sarah Combs,
is with us. You can of course learn more about
this tremendous organization at metromin dot org. That's metromin dot org.
Doctor Combs, thank you so much for coming in. Really
(00:21):
appreciate it. And first of all, again, I think just
about everybody listening has heard of Metropolitan Ministries, but there's
a lot that you do that they might not realize.
You're into lots of different people that you're helping they
might not understand as part of your purview. So just
give us an overview of all things Metropolitan Ministries absolutely well.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
First and foremost, thank you for having me on the show.
It's absolutely my pleasure to be here. And you know,
it's such a joy to be able to join this
incredible organization. So Metropolitan Ministries has been around for fifty
three years. It's truly a charger for the community and
an organization that I've been really admired as I've been
working in the community for twenty years and so to
(00:59):
be able to come along side this incredible team. This
mission to be able to make a huge difference in
the community has just been amazing. So our mission is
to 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. So we have an
incredible mission, incredible value statement. And what I found is
(01:23):
we do so much more than just what's in our
mission state. It's incredible, and so I think the beauty
of Metropolitan Ministries is the wrap around services. So outside
of the amazing homeless shelters that we run, we also
have incredible education programs right early learning that really wrap
around those children to to create an opportunity of learning
(01:44):
environment when they go to school. We also have after
school programs. We have housing programs as well. We have
education and training and certification and job placement. We also
have a resiliency center that focuses on really meeting individuals
where they are with the trauma that they've experienced through counseling,
and so again, we have so many different services, but
(02:06):
that's the beauty of Metropolitan Ministries. Is having those additional services.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
What's always stood out to me about your organization and
congratulations on taking over as president and CEO, is that
you're helping people in their time of need, but you're
also helping them to get back on their feet and
be successful moving forward.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Well, and I think that's so important to note. You know,
this organization has been rooted in giving a hand up,
not a handout, right, and so that's really the key
foundational you know, grounding of the organization is. You know,
once we get families, individuals into our shelters, it's how
do we wrap up those services around them, meet them
where they are and understand and learn what does that
(02:49):
plan look And it's really individualized towards the individual and
the family, which is so important. So learning, you know,
what does the job field look like? Do we need
to get our you know, high school diploma?
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
First, okay, so let's do that step one. We have
some incredible certifications that we do in our employment program,
so whether it be in the culinary program or also
in childcare, we can get them certified trained, and then
we have an amazing partnership with local businesses and corporations
where then we can place them employment. We also focus
on some of the other pieces that are really critical,
(03:21):
you know, those soft skills that you need to be successful.
And then you know, addressing those social emotional needs with
our resiliency center where you know, there's a lot of
trauma that our families have been through, so how do
we make sure we address that so they're healthy well mind, body,
and soul. And then the idea is to transition them
out right into into transitional housing and then into housing
(03:43):
where they can be you know, sustainable and they can flourish.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
That's the goal.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
The process makes a lot of sense. We're joined by
doctor Sarah Comb's president and CEO of Metropolitan Ministries. You
can learn more and support the work they do at
metromin dot org. Let's talk about the people who come
to you for help, because I feel like sometimes there's
a stigma attached or people view those who need the
(04:06):
kinds of services that you provide as a certain type
of person, and when you're there doing the work that
you're doing, that's not necessarily the case.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
You know. I'm so glad Ryan that you brought that up,
because we often hear from people in the community about
you know, labeling the individuals who walk in our door.
And you know, I think that is so important that
we talk about that in our Tampa Bay community. There's
so many of our working families that are living one
paycheck away from disaster.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Right, So, yeah, emergency comes up.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
You know, medical bill, a car bill, something like that
that puts them behind, and then you know, one thing
leads to another and they find themselves without shelter.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
And you know that's that's.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
The families that are coming to us is individuals and
families that you know have just fallen on hard times
and they need somewhere safe to land, somewhere to regroup,
to build themselves back up, and to make sure that
they know that Metropolitan Ministries is there for them.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
We want to meet them where they are.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
We want to welcome them with open arms, and we
want to see them for who they are and also
see and poor love and light into them so they
know we're here and we're going to help you get
back on your feet and be a place that you
can rest and be well.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
How many times have you heard I never thought I'd
be in this position where I'd need the resources of
the Metropolitan Ministries.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
You're in the stories that I've heard.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Just you know, I'm in my ninety three days in
this role. You know, I say I'm new to the role,
but certainly not new to the work. I've been doing
this work for over twenty years in Tampa Bay, and
so you know, I know the need by name and
just being able to hear these stories from individuals. I mean,
these are neighbors, they really are, and these are stories
that you hear that just break your heart and knowing
(05:46):
that you know, we are opening our doors for these families.
And the beautiful part is is that we're in three counties.
We have brick and mortar in three counties, and you know,
the need is certainly there, but most importantly, the community
spport has been there and allowed us to be able
to open up a beautiful new family residence shelter in Penelas.
We also have our beautiful Miracle Place Pasco and then
(06:08):
of course our Tampa location Miracle Place Tampa to be
able to just meet that need and make sure that
we're serving the community in the way in a dignified
way that the community expects us to do that.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
I want to take a quick break here when we
come back, I want to ask you about the impact
of the government shutdown and then also the holiday tent.
So we've got a lot more with Metropolitan Ministries. Back
with that in a moment right here on The Ryan
Gorman Show. Back now here on The Ryan Gorman Show,
it's our CEO Spotlight and we're joined in studio by
President and CEO of Metropolitan Ministries, doctor Sarah Combs. You
(06:41):
can learn more and support the work they do at
metromin dot org. So, doctor Combs, you've been in this
position for I think ninety three days now and all
of a sudden you got to deal with the government shutdown.
How did that impact the amount of need that you
were seeing recently?
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Well, you know, we were bracing ourselves because you know,
we were going to get a wave. We didn't anticipate
the kind of wave that we received, really almost three
hundred percent increase individuals seeking services at our metro markets,
our family resource centers, and you know, you can imagine
we were we weren't necessarily prepared for that kind of increase,
(07:19):
but who we saw on the line were you know, families, veterans, seniors,
and you know, for us, it was really important for
us to be boots on the ground and figuring out
how do we meet them. So we were able to
you know, adjust some of the programming and services to
open up more availability so that way they could shop
at our metro markets twice a month. We were also
seeing a lot of mental health challenges with you know,
(07:42):
the trauma that this if you don't have a paycheck,
if you know, you understand, it's hard, it's hard. So
being able to open that up and allow individuals to
be able to access those services for counseling also was
really important for us.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
And you have that surge, that three hundred percent surge
leading right into the holidays, which is an extremely busy
time for you. Tell us about the holiday tint and
it sounds like it's bigger than ever this year. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Well, what's really excited about our holiday tint is we
added a new tint in Panellis County, which is so
exciting in our partnership with Holy Cross Catholic Church supported
by the Diocese of Saint Petersburg and to be able
to meet that need. And you know what I learned
about these incredible four tints that we have. Of course
our Tampa tent, we have one in Panels one in
(08:28):
West Pasco and East Pascal as well, but we serve
over thirty three thousand families. It's incredible. And what that
takes to put on is a million pounds of food.
We get about sixty thousand toys and gift cards and
then you know, work with about thirty five community partners
in order to make it all happen.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
And it's pretty incredible.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
And you have people coming to you because you know,
for whatever reason, they're just not able this year to
be able to put on a Thanksgiving dinner for their
family or you know, when the Christmas season really comes around,
you just think, you know, you don't want those people,
our neighbors, like you said, to go without. And so
(09:10):
this must mean the world to them to be able
to have these resources in their community and see that
the community is supporting them.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
I think you know right now, in such a time
of uncertainty, people don't necessarily know where to turn, but
they know they could turn a Metro. Yeah, and so
that's a place where people are familiar with. They know
when they come and meet us, they know they're going
to be served with dignity. We're going to see them
for who they are. How we support them, and I
think the most important part is that hope piece right
(09:39):
when they walk through our doors. We're bringing that hope
with a smile and sharing love and light into them
and you know what we're finding at Unfortunately, this year,
for the first time ever, we've had to you know,
shut down registration because we're full, and that's never happened,
so it just tells you about the wave. We do
have some additional slots that are open and in Penelas
(10:01):
and so you know, I think for us are call
to action is you know, reaching out to the community
and saying, you know, where can you donate your time,
treasure and talent volunteering. We also, you know, saw that
our food donations and you know, gift cards and toys
have been down about sixty percent. Wow, and that just
shows that people that were able to give prior, you know,
are barely making it themselves. So there's no extra So
(10:22):
we really need the community to come out and support
us in that way so we can make a joyous
holiday for those families who really need it.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
We're joined by doctor Sarah Combs, President and CEO of
Metropolitan Ministries, and that was going to be my last question.
What can everyone listening do to help make sure that
these families who are in need this Thanksgiving, this Christmas holiday,
that they can enjoy themselves as well.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Yeah, we're calling on our community support and you know
they have always supported us. We always talk about Metropolitan
Ministries being the communities ministry, and so we're just asking
for you know, our amazing listeners to come out and
volunteer their time.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Also donate food.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
You know, there's a list of food that we need
specifically for the holidays. We want to make sure we
can serve those families. And then of course, you know,
gifts and gift cards for Christmas, it's going to be
really important. And then of course if you're able to
donate financially to help us order more food and get
the resources we needed, we'd be greatly appreciated to bring hope,
love and light to our families.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Every little bit helps, and again you can learn more
and offer your support at metromin dot org. That's metromin
dot org. Doctor Sarah Comb's president and CEO of Metropolitan
Ministries with us on our CEO spotlight. Doctor Colmbs, congratulations
on the new role and thanks so much for coming in.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
It's my pleasure. Thanks for having me
Time out for our CEO spotlight here on The Ryan
Gorman Show, and joining us in studio, we have the
new president and CEO of Metropolitan Ministries, doctor Sarah Combs,
is with us. You can of course learn more about
this tremendous organization at metromin dot org. That's metromin dot org.
Doctor Combs, thank you so much for coming in. Really
(00:21):
appreciate it. And first of all, again, I think just
about everybody listening has heard of Metropolitan Ministries, but there's
a lot that you do that they might not realize.
You're into lots of different people that you're helping they
might not understand as part of your purview. So just
give us an overview of all things Metropolitan Ministries absolutely well.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
First and foremost, thank you for having me on the show.
It's absolutely my pleasure to be here. And you know,
it's such a joy to be able to join this
incredible organization. So Metropolitan Ministries has been around for fifty
three years. It's truly a charger for the community and
an organization that I've been really admired as I've been
working in the community for twenty years and so to
(00:59):
be able to come along side this incredible team. This
mission to be able to make a huge difference in
the community has just been amazing. So our mission is
to 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. So we have an
incredible mission, incredible value statement. And what I found is
(01:23):
we do so much more than just what's in our
mission state. It's incredible, and so I think the beauty
of Metropolitan Ministries is the wrap around services. So outside
of the amazing homeless shelters that we run, we also
have incredible education programs right early learning that really wrap
around those children to to create an opportunity of learning
(01:44):
environment when they go to school. We also have after
school programs. We have housing programs as well. We have
education and training and certification and job placement. We also
have a resiliency center that focuses on really meeting individuals
where they are with the trauma that they've experienced through counseling,
and so again, we have so many different services, but
(02:06):
that's the beauty of Metropolitan Ministries. Is having those additional services.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
What's always stood out to me about your organization and
congratulations on taking over as president and CEO, is that
you're helping people in their time of need, but you're
also helping them to get back on their feet and
be successful moving forward.
Speaker 2 (02:28):
Well, and I think that's so important to note. You know,
this organization has been rooted in giving a hand up,
not a handout, right, and so that's really the key
foundational you know, grounding of the organization is. You know,
once we get families, individuals into our shelters, it's how
do we wrap up those services around them, meet them
where they are and understand and learn what does that
(02:49):
plan look And it's really individualized towards the individual and
the family, which is so important. So learning, you know,
what does the job field look like? Do we need
to get our you know, high school diploma?
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
First, okay, so let's do that step one. We have
some incredible certifications that we do in our employment program,
so whether it be in the culinary program or also
in childcare, we can get them certified trained, and then
we have an amazing partnership with local businesses and corporations
where then we can place them employment. We also focus
on some of the other pieces that are really critical,
(03:21):
you know, those soft skills that you need to be successful.
And then you know, addressing those social emotional needs with
our resiliency center where you know, there's a lot of
trauma that our families have been through, so how do
we make sure we address that so they're healthy well mind, body,
and soul. And then the idea is to transition them
out right into into transitional housing and then into housing
(03:43):
where they can be you know, sustainable and they can flourish.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
That's the goal.
Speaker 1 (03:46):
The process makes a lot of sense. We're joined by
doctor Sarah Comb's president and CEO of Metropolitan Ministries. You
can learn more and support the work they do at
metromin dot org. Let's talk about the people who come
to you for help, because I feel like sometimes there's
a stigma attached or people view those who need the
(04:06):
kinds of services that you provide as a certain type
of person, and when you're there doing the work that
you're doing, that's not necessarily the case.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
You know. I'm so glad Ryan that you brought that up,
because we often hear from people in the community about
you know, labeling the individuals who walk in our door.
And you know, I think that is so important that
we talk about that in our Tampa Bay community. There's
so many of our working families that are living one
paycheck away from disaster.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Right, So, yeah, emergency comes up.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
You know, medical bill, a car bill, something like that
that puts them behind, and then you know, one thing
leads to another and they find themselves without shelter.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
And you know that's that's.
Speaker 2 (04:46):
The families that are coming to us is individuals and
families that you know have just fallen on hard times
and they need somewhere safe to land, somewhere to regroup,
to build themselves back up, and to make sure that
they know that Metropolitan Ministries is there for them.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
We want to meet them where they are.
Speaker 2 (05:01):
We want to welcome them with open arms, and we
want to see them for who they are and also
see and poor love and light into them so they
know we're here and we're going to help you get
back on your feet and be a place that you
can rest and be well.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
How many times have you heard I never thought I'd
be in this position where I'd need the resources of
the Metropolitan Ministries.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
You're in the stories that I've heard.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
Just you know, I'm in my ninety three days in
this role. You know, I say I'm new to the role,
but certainly not new to the work. I've been doing
this work for over twenty years in Tampa Bay, and
so you know, I know the need by name and
just being able to hear these stories from individuals. I mean,
these are neighbors, they really are, and these are stories
that you hear that just break your heart and knowing
(05:46):
that you know, we are opening our doors for these families.
And the beautiful part is is that we're in three counties.
We have brick and mortar in three counties, and you know,
the need is certainly there, but most importantly, the community
spport has been there and allowed us to be able
to open up a beautiful new family residence shelter in Penelas.
We also have our beautiful Miracle Place Pasco and then
(06:08):
of course our Tampa location Miracle Place Tampa to be
able to just meet that need and make sure that
we're serving the community in the way in a dignified
way that the community expects us to do that.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
I want to take a quick break here when we
come back, I want to ask you about the impact
of the government shutdown and then also the holiday tent.
So we've got a lot more with Metropolitan Ministries. Back
with that in a moment right here on The Ryan
Gorman Show. Back now here on The Ryan Gorman Show,
it's our CEO Spotlight and we're joined in studio by
President and CEO of Metropolitan Ministries, doctor Sarah Combs. You
(06:41):
can learn more and support the work they do at
metromin dot org. So, doctor Combs, you've been in this
position for I think ninety three days now and all
of a sudden you got to deal with the government shutdown.
How did that impact the amount of need that you
were seeing recently?
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Absolutely?
Speaker 2 (06:58):
Well, you know, we were bracing ourselves because you know,
we were going to get a wave. We didn't anticipate
the kind of wave that we received, really almost three
hundred percent increase individuals seeking services at our metro markets,
our family resource centers, and you know, you can imagine
we were we weren't necessarily prepared for that kind of increase,
(07:19):
but who we saw on the line were you know, families, veterans, seniors,
and you know, for us, it was really important for
us to be boots on the ground and figuring out
how do we meet them. So we were able to
you know, adjust some of the programming and services to
open up more availability so that way they could shop
at our metro markets twice a month. We were also
seeing a lot of mental health challenges with you know,
(07:42):
the trauma that this if you don't have a paycheck,
if you know, you understand, it's hard, it's hard. So
being able to open that up and allow individuals to
be able to access those services for counseling also was
really important for us.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
And you have that surge, that three hundred percent surge
leading right into the holidays, which is an extremely busy
time for you. Tell us about the holiday tint and
it sounds like it's bigger than ever this year. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Well, what's really excited about our holiday tint is we
added a new tint in Panellis County, which is so
exciting in our partnership with Holy Cross Catholic Church supported
by the Diocese of Saint Petersburg and to be able
to meet that need. And you know what I learned
about these incredible four tints that we have. Of course
our Tampa tent, we have one in Panels one in
(08:28):
West Pasco and East Pascal as well, but we serve
over thirty three thousand families. It's incredible. And what that
takes to put on is a million pounds of food.
We get about sixty thousand toys and gift cards and
then you know, work with about thirty five community partners
in order to make it all happen.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
And it's pretty incredible.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
And you have people coming to you because you know,
for whatever reason, they're just not able this year to
be able to put on a Thanksgiving dinner for their
family or you know, when the Christmas season really comes around,
you just think, you know, you don't want those people,
our neighbors, like you said, to go without. And so
(09:10):
this must mean the world to them to be able
to have these resources in their community and see that
the community is supporting them.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
Absolutely.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
I think you know right now, in such a time
of uncertainty, people don't necessarily know where to turn, but
they know they could turn a Metro. Yeah, and so
that's a place where people are familiar with. They know
when they come and meet us, they know they're going
to be served with dignity. We're going to see them
for who they are. How we support them, and I
think the most important part is that hope piece right
(09:39):
when they walk through our doors. We're bringing that hope
with a smile and sharing love and light into them
and you know what we're finding at Unfortunately, this year,
for the first time ever, we've had to you know,
shut down registration because we're full, and that's never happened,
so it just tells you about the wave. We do
have some additional slots that are open and in Penelas
(10:01):
and so you know, I think for us are call
to action is you know, reaching out to the community
and saying, you know, where can you donate your time,
treasure and talent volunteering. We also, you know, saw that
our food donations and you know, gift cards and toys
have been down about sixty percent. Wow, and that just
shows that people that were able to give prior, you know,
are barely making it themselves. So there's no extra So
(10:22):
we really need the community to come out and support
us in that way so we can make a joyous
holiday for those families who really need it.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
We're joined by doctor Sarah Combs, President and CEO of
Metropolitan Ministries, and that was going to be my last question.
What can everyone listening do to help make sure that
these families who are in need this Thanksgiving, this Christmas holiday,
that they can enjoy themselves as well.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Yeah, we're calling on our community support and you know
they have always supported us. We always talk about Metropolitan
Ministries being the communities ministry, and so we're just asking
for you know, our amazing listeners to come out and
volunteer their time.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Also donate food.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
You know, there's a list of food that we need
specifically for the holidays. We want to make sure we
can serve those families. And then of course, you know,
gifts and gift cards for Christmas, it's going to be
really important. And then of course if you're able to
donate financially to help us order more food and get
the resources we needed, we'd be greatly appreciated to bring hope,
love and light to our families.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Every little bit helps, and again you can learn more
and offer your support at metromin dot org. That's metromin
dot org. Doctor Sarah Comb's president and CEO of Metropolitan
Ministries with us on our CEO spotlight. Doctor Colmbs, congratulations
on the new role and thanks so much for coming in.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
It's my pleasure. Thanks for having me
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