LAKELAND, Fla. — A nonprofit known for taking its generosity to the streets of Lakeland now has a new community center.
What started as a street ministry is now a full-scale community outreach hub.
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“We’ve built a generosity community online, and now we’re bringing it to Lakeland to make an impact locally,” said Travis Settineri, founder of Worth and Purpose.
The faith-based nonprofit Worth and Purpose is using community donations to give back to people in need through its various mobile outreach ministries, including housing and feeding the homeless. Now, they have a building to serve as their base of community operations.
“Kind of like street evangelism, just trying to reach people, and then it turned into this movement online. Now we have an actual physical location where people can come to and get served,” Settineri said.
The new location is designed to serve people in creative ways, from a pizza van and ice cream truck to a barbershop on wheels, all completely free and open to the community.
“If an individual comes here we find out is on the street, they can come get a hot meal. They can come get ice cream, a haircut or shower. Really, it’s just a time for us to pour into them, give them hope and just build that relationship and see how we can connect them to other nonprofits,” Settineri said.
There is a food pantry, dining area, clothes closet and event space all on site. And more importantly, people will be connected with local nonprofits, like Gospel, Inc. That can provide long-term help.
“By making the relationship, the connection with those individuals that will also connect them with other service providers, whether that’s the VA or one of the other ministries in town that have housing. This is that beacon of light that can represent the help that’s out there for those that are in the community living on the street,” said Ray Steadman, executive director of Gospel Inc.
The long-term vision is to expand this blueprint into something 20 times its size, building a movement rooted in love and generosity.
“God is so generous to me and that’s just overflowing out of me where I just want people to feel the love of God,” Settineri said.
The next big event is an outreach event planned for Worth and Purpose, which is a Thanksgiving food drive and dinner.
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