Sandwich Sunday

Sandwich Sunday was a very popular, sustained and active ministry before the pandemic. St. Thomas' parishioners made over one thousand sandwiches and delivered them to St. Vincent's. COVID shut this ministry down, but St. Thomas' decided to reintroduce it after Mthr. Anne met Robin Taylor of Isaiah's Place, a local non-profit. The week before she started working as a curate, Mthr. Anne was walking her dog in downtown St. Petersburg when she saw a few people handing out hot meals in styrofoam containers from the trunk of a car. She introduced herself and exchanged contact information with the leader, Robin Taylor, an APRN. When people in need cannot travel to or receive services from established non-profits, Isaiah's Place meets them where they are. 

For about the first six months, Mthr. Anne helped Robin in the kitchen on Saturdays to prepare meals. When Mthr. Anne shared this with Fr. Ryan, he suggested the parish reintroduce Sandwich Sundays, when parishioners make sandwiches in the parish hall. Now, once a month, 12-15 St. Thomas' parishioners make two hundred sandwiches. A parishioner delivers them to Robin downtown, where she offers a Bible study. Leftover sandwiches are distributed to Williams Park and Tampa by people like Robin who minister to the food insecure in other parts of St. Petersburg and Tampa. St. Thomas' is proud to play a small, but effective role in feeding people in our city. Robin's story--her commitment to gospel work--reminds us all that we are called to stand in the margins, like Jesus did. The first step is sandwich-making, but our hope is that St. Thomas' relationship with Isaiah's Place will grow and develop into a mature, robust mutual ministry.