Donations and volunteers sought for Dec. 25 event in Sarasota
The Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness is inviting members of the community to participate in the Fifth Annual Christmas in the Park celebration for people experiencing homelessness.
The Sarasota House of Prayer is hosting the event on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, from 10 a.m. to noon at Whitaker Gateway Park, located at 1455 N. Tamiami Trail in Sarasota.
Donations and volunteers are needed, the Partnership has explained in a news release. The House of Prayer is seeking socks, toothpaste, deodorant, shoes, $5 McDonald’s gift cards, blankets, backpacks, gloves, lip balm, combs and brushes, sleeping bags, sunglasses, bug spray and bus passes.
Checks also are welcome, the release says. Those may be made out to the Sarasota House of Prayer with the notation, “Christmas in the Park,” and mailed to the church at 1872 18th St., Sarasota, FL 34234. Donations also may be offered online at SarasotaHOP.com.
The House of Prayer website says that Christmas in the Park has grown over the years, with more than 100 people from a number of area churches serving more than 300 homeless individuals.
For more information, call Mike at 941-266-8806 or email mfinfgeld@verizon.net.