By: Imani Craig, Yazlin Mercado, Mariya Lebedeva, Kay-Kay Smith and Arman Mouradian
“Sharing God’s Abundance with our neighbors,” is a sentiment Operation Attack carries out with their active community involvement.
Based out of Lakeview Presbyterian Church, volunteers strive to provide new and gently used clothing, including underwear and socks, to children from newborn to high school age. To serve the community of south St. Petersburg in the best way possible takes manpower. Operation Attack can only function and function well with the time and energy devoted to the volunteers.
Diane Klamer, a lead volunteer, has been attending Lakeview Presbyterian since the age of five.
“I love being able to help people when they need things. It is an important part of this church. I could become more involved now since I am retired,” Klamer says.
Operation Attack is a multi-congregational ministry located in south St. Petersburg under the stewardship of Lakeview Presbyterian Church. Given a referral from partnering organizations, families in need from south of Ulmerton can receive aid once every three months.’
If a family needs additional assistance beyond the clothing, such as housing, Operation Attack helps put them in contact with organizations that can provide the services they need.
Walking from the parking lot into the lounge of Operation Attack, visitors are welcomed with cheerful volunteers as they direct them where to go. Recipients go through a process where they are to provide volunteers with their referral prescribed to them by a local doctor or pastor.
Once that information is validated the last 4 digits of the applicant’s social security number is gathered solely for the purpose of keeping accountability of who has been served within a 3-month period.
Carts are provided to haul clothing around the center while applicants sort through the racks to pick clothing for their children. A washer and dryer are also available on site, provided by EBSCO appliances, to ensure cleanliness of the clothing.
If a family has a child under the age of 2, they are also provided with a layette filled with 10 items ranging from diapers, towels, clothing, socks, and even a toy for the toddler to play with. Clothing is also provided through donations to Operation Attack. Volunteers then sort through the clothes to size and ensure that what they are giving away is in good condition.
Located next door from the section of Operation Attack that holds clothes and essentials is the “Prep area”.
The room houses various food items, clothing, and books that are categorized and organized by the volunteers. Clothes are sized, tagged, and sent to the section next door to be given away. This is where volunteer Mary Turner spends most of her time.
Turner, 92, is seen putting together paper bags for the food bank that runs monthly out of Lakeview Presbyterian Church.
Volunteers joke about the longevity Turner has been with Operation Attack after her modest answer.
“I bet we could say you have been here 25 years. Tell them that. We have some lifelong people here,” Klamer says.
Operation Attack partners with the Neighborly Care Network to provide food to different areas once every three months.
Since her early start as a volunteer, after retiring from being an art teacher in 1988, Turner has witnessed the growth the organization has achieved. Robert Davis, 63, is an active member of the community of South St. Petersburg and works alongside Turner to pick up groceries used at the food bank.
“It’s beneficial for the children and it’s convenient since I’m only about a 3-minute walk,” Davis says on why he likes to help out with the organization.
The local is also able to provide an interpersonal outlook when engaging in conversation with Operation Attack participants.
“Mary leaves her home, picks Robert up, then goes to pick up the food at the food bank which is now in Joes Creek, and they high tail it out there and then all this food is available to us for the food bank. Robert and Mary then make a decision on what we need. Robert puts the food in her car and when he gets here he takes it out of her car. Mary used to do it but then it got to be too much,” Klamer says.
According to the volunteers, donating food and clothing is essential in keeping Operation Attack afloat but with more members constantly coming in, and receiving referrals from other churches what they need is time.
“There is such a need for volunteers in this organization. A lot of other organizations already have a lot of volunteers. This organization does not, ” Klamer says.