Today we’d like to introduce you to Antonette (Toni) DeForest.
Hi Antonette (Toni), so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I think the seed was planted long ago when I was a teen and my parents used to do Meals on Wheels. They befriended this one woman, and we used to go to her house with them and bring her groceries and treats as well as special meals and presents at Christmas and Thanksgiving. Later, when I lived on the street in Miami, the Hare Chrishna came to the park one day with free hot food. It was awesome. Moving along several years, my husband and I lived in our van on the street in Coconut Grove and I used to cook dinner at the park. Well people started smelling the food and stopping by so I began to make a little more to share. Life took over for many years but eventually…
Long before we were dinner and Duds for the Homeless Inc. it was just me and my kids passing out coffee and cookies on the cold evenings around the park and downtown, circa 2002. Later when they were grown I began serving breakfast in the park on Christmas and coffee and blankets on cold evenings. That was approximately 2009. The ritual was family party Christmas Eve, breakfast at the park on Christmas Day, then off to see my folks in Kissimmee. I almost always stopped for breakfast as I didn’t have time to eat, at the same waffle house halfway there.
I always used to say I spent Christmas with 50-100 of my dear friends and it was great.
Then when I bought my little travel trailer I thought how nice it would be to be able to pull up and let everyone shower. So, Operation Shower Power was born in 2016. I tried unsuccessfully to raise money to build a shower trailer. However, with what little funds I had and a lot of thrift store and bargain shopping I started handing out snacks and toiletries and eventually warm clothing in winter. My grandchildren loved to hand out food and drinks and I feel the experience was great for them.
In conversation with an older gentleman at the park he told me not to feel bad about not getting showers, what they really need is food. Then and there I put the shower idea on the back burner and concentrated on getting the food out. My sisters/officers and I called a meeting on 02/20/2022 and soon became Dinner and Duds for the Homeless Inc.
I would visit food pantries, use my own funds and cook a meal once a week whenever I had a day off. Just me and my van, but folks were always eager to help when I arrived. Dinners were mostly at William’s Park but if I could not find a space we moved across the street to the church parking lot. I got my first volunteer in January of the following year, and we’ve been growing ever since. Later that year I took over serving at StVincent DePaul Cares for another lady who could no longer go due to urgent family obligations. Twice the food had us scrambling but we managed to keep up and sometimes added a third stop near Central Plaza Bus station. She, Columbie, made sandwiches and brought drinks and I cooked and we both hunted for clothes etc.
Now thanks to the generosity of many, and a sweet gesture by the Unitarian Universalist Church we now serve 3 times the number of people and get to serve in a picnic area where our people can sit in comfort. St Vincent DePaul is a different story. As there is no real place to setup we prep everything in to go containers while we are at the church. At the end of each meal we hand out first aid supplies and any new items we have gotten. We recently added a Saturday raffle once a month that folks really enjoy and it’s a good way to give away nice things fairly.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The scads of paperwork to be able to collect donations publicly were a challenge at first. It is always a challenge to get funding and supplies. The biggest challenge has been to keep a well run vehicle. Dinner and Duds for the Homeless does not currently own it own vehicle. As I am retired I only have an older vehicle these days as my van was falling apart. We have recently been able to start looking for an inexpensive van and hope to find one soon. And of course we are always at the mercy of the weather.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a single mom I spent most of my adult life as a waitress. Although for several years I was a flower deliver person and then a floral designer. I even got to run a shop for a short time. Then it was back to waitressing and part time work at H&R block. I went to college when I was 57 and did my internship as a writer for an online magazine for 2 yrs. I have a BA in writing. I have been feeding the homeless on holidays etc for over 20 years and professionally for 4.
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
I like the way most people are very caring. I like the way the streets are set up and easy to find your way around. I like that it doesn’t yet have that big city feel.
I like the least the way it is moving closer and closer to becoming Tampa. We need more museums not more highrises, more parks not more offices. We need free parking downtown to promote shopping at all the little stores.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://dinnerandduds.com
- Facebook: @HomelessInStPete
