Thanksgiving Blessings at Wintergarden

by Devon Andrews

One of the greatest things in ministry is being able to serve our community and give people hope through challenging times. Wintergarden Presbyterian Church has been consistently providing hope to those who come to our food pantry since 2019. For that, we are incredibly thankful to be a blessing to our community, even more so, we are blessed by our neighbors.

When our food pantry first opened in 2019, we served approximately 40 families each week. Within one year of the COVID-19 pandemic, demand increased dramatically, and we were serving more than 250 families weekly. Following Hurricane Ian, the number of families we supported grew from 250 to 350 in just six weeks. In 2024, as Hurricanes Helene and Milton impacted our community, weekly demand rose again – from 350 families to more than 500. Most recently, the temporary discontinuation of SNAP benefits, combined with rising costs of living and a decline in local tourism, has further intensified food insecurity. Today, we serve over 630 families each week, with new families continuing to register for assistance on a regular basis.

In addition, our small church opened our doors to be a host site for PDA to welcome missionaries to our community to help rebuild the lives and homes of those impacted by hurricanes. For a 33-member church, we have huge hearts to serve our community and continue to listen as God leads us forward in a hurting and struggling world. But this past fall not only required our hearts wanting to serve with hope that we could meet the need, but a great deal of faith that God would provide to meet the growing need in our community.

Throughout the month of October, we were reading the news and watching the fear of people who were about to lose their SNAP benefit. At our food pantry, family after family would share how they didn’t know how they were going to be able to purchase food and continue to provide the basics for their family if they didn’t have that benefit for one month or more. Our food pantry was also struggling with sourcing enough food for all the families coming to the pantry. Currently, we receive food from Harry Chapin Food Bank and conduct 14 retail pick-ups a week. In addition, we have been receiving food and financial gifts from Burnt Store Presbyterian, Bee Ridge Presbyterian, St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church, and Congregational United Church of Christ in Punta Gorda. But even through these wonderful partnerships, the amount of food needed to feed over 600 families a week was not enough. As our team brainstormed on how to purchase food at discounted prices so we could provide more food to our pantry neighbors, our food pantry director, Kymmie Laurence, received an unexpected blessing. The owner of Bocca Lupo in Port Charlotte called asking if there was anything they could do to help. Together they created a plan… throughout the month of November, Bocca Lupo worked through their distribution with Cheney Brothers to donate and cover the delivery of chicken, eggs, and fresh fruit and veggies every week to help feed all of our families. In addition, every Tuesday night during the month of November, the proceeds from their restaurant would go to help Wintergarden purchase food in the future.

But the generosity didn’t stop there. Due to the gifts of so many, including Congregational UCC, St. Paul’s Presbyterian, Burnt Store Presbyterian, Bee Ridge Presbyterian, Ed and Wendy Leslie of the Port Charlotte Chic-fl-A, Indivisible, H.E.L.P., Publix, and many more beautiful Thanksgiving angels, our Thanksgiving distribution fed 654 families (or 2,500 individuals). Our neighbors who come to the pantry were able to have a little less weight on their shoulders this November thanks to our community’s commitment to generosity. The efforts of our community to life up others around us is a reminder that kindness and humanity still prevail in our world.

We wanted to share the story of one of our neighbors who comes to the food pantry:

Some nights, Angela lay awake wondering how she would make it through another day. As a single mother of three with ongoing health challenges, the uncertainty of COVID left her facing impossible choices – pay the electric bill or put food on the table.

In that season of fear and exhaustion, the food pantry became a tangible expression of God’s provision. Even when money ran out, her children did not go hungry.

With determination and faith, Angela worked tirelessly to build a small, water-based tourism business. After years of preparation, she successfully launched her business and began providing for her family independently. Just months later, Hurricane Ian struck our community.

As Hurricanes Ian, Helene, and Milton followed, local boat launches remained closed and tourism declined. Without access to the waterways her business depends on, Angela’s income disappeared once again. Today, she has returned to the food pantry – grateful for continued support and praying for the reopening of boat launches so she can work, rebuild, and once again stand on her own.

Angela’s story reminds us that while storms may shake our communities, God’s faithfulness remains steady. Through the generosity of donors, the service of volunteers, and the power of prayer, families like hers are finding hope – even in the darkest nights. 

Due to the significant increase of need in our community, Wintergarden is launching a new 501(c)(3) called Nurturing the Neighborhood on Wintergarden. Our mission aims to share God’s love through reducing hunger and supporting those in need in our community. Our goal is to offer hope by coming alongside our neighbors to help everyone feel secure through challenging times. Just last week, we received official notification that the 501(c)(3) has been approved. Through this new non-profit, the feeding ministry that was birthed out of Wintergarden will now be able to expand to meet the growing need in our community. In addition to the partnerships mentioned above, we are also incredibly thankful for the grants we have just received from the Charlotte Community Foundation and the Gulf Coast Foundation, as they have financially supported the feeding ministry through new appliances and to increase food access to the pantry. There is so much to be thankful for! And our prayer as we go into 2026, is that we can continue to be a blessing to our community in ways that God is still preparing us for. May we all become beacons of hope, peace, joy, love, and light for our communities!