By Gary Hatrick
The Samaritan Project kicked off the Harvest Festival weekend with the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast Friday morning at Golden Corral in Zephyrhills.
Pastor Tim Mitchell of Chancey Road Christian Church welcomed the attendees and introduced Zephyrhills Mayor Cliff McDuffie, who led the Pledge of Allegiance prior to the breakfast that has become an annual event in connection with the Harvest Festival.
Drew Weatherford was the guest speaker for the gathering. Weatherford is a former quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles and currently a member of the Tampa Bay Storm.
After breakfast, Weatherford gave a message of hope in Christ when life doesn’t go the way you hoped or planned to a full room of breakfast attendees.
East Pasco Family YMCA executive director gave a challenge to help needy kids attend YMCA camp this summer and Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Chaplain Doug Higgins led the group in prayer.
The breakfast was followed by a golf tournament later in the day at Silverado Golf and Country Club and the Harvest Festival on Main Street Nov. 6.
The Samaritan Project is a partnership of government, business and faith-based organization with the goal of meeting the individual needs of the community. The vision of the Samaritan Project is to provide a single source help site for individuals to access for assistance and/or for guidance to assistance.
Since its establishment a little over two years ago, The Samaritan Project has helped 911 local individuals or families. More than $18,000 in assistance had been given to help pay utility bills, rent or to provide temporary shelter or miscellaneous necessities.
Through facilities provided by Chancey Road Christian Church, the Samaritan Project opened a homeless shelter July 19 providing a safe place and meals for 51 persons, 18 of whom have been children. Samaritan Project also operates a soup kitchen at the church facilities.
For more information, for donations to the project or for help call (813) 810-8670.
The weekend events were presented by The Samaritan Project of Zephyrhills,
The Zephyrhills Wesley Chapel Ministerial Association and the East Pasco
Family YMCA and sponsored by the Florida Hospital Zephyrhills, The
Laker, Edward Jones Financial, Chick-fil-A, Golden Corral, Chancey Road
Christian Church, Progress Energy, Westar Constuction and the City of
Zephyrhills.
