From food to furniture, chapel's programs continue to make an impact

By Dana Kampa
| 8:15 a.m. June 20, 2026

Palmetto community leaders showed up strong at Longboat Island Chapel's latest charity drive to support Mt. Carmel Resource Center on June 16. From left, Deputy Ken Jewett, Sgt. Joy Jewett, Chief of Police Scott Tyler, City of Palmetto Mayor Daniel West, Shirley Pearson, executive director of Strength in Action, Inc., Rev. Brock Patterson, Pearson's sister Laura Wallace, and Town of Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton.

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Palmetto's Shirley Pearson has been a longtime community leader, promoting services to ensure families in need are fed, people leaving Manatee County Jail are started on a positive path to recovery, and those seeking higher education can get the resources they need.

That spirit for giving back originated from prompting by her mother, she said.

"I remember when our mom used to tell us to, 'Get out there, do something, and help somebody,'" Pearson said at Longboat Island Chapel's latest Gather and Give charity drive. "That's what she did, and we learned from her."

The inspiration may stem from her mother, but Pearson continued to walk the walk when it comes to building a cross-community support network, as evidenced by the packed Shook Hall on June 16. Representatives from the city of Palmetto's first responders and elected officials joined Longboat Key congregants and leaders to hear from Pearson.

She offered updates on Strength in Action's work with the Mt. Carmel Resource Center, located at 1314 Second Ave. W., Palmetto.

"Our goal is always to help those in the community who need help to move forward in their lives," she said.

Shirley Pearson gives a heartfelt thank-you to supporters from Longboat Key as Rev. Brock Patterson and Jamie Engel present a check to support her and her team's work with the Mt. Carmel Resource Center.

The center serves hot meals daily to low-income families in the area, distributes emergency food baskets, and holds bi-monthly food distributions.

"On average, we serve maybe 65-70 people a day, sometimes more, sometimes less," she said.

It also provides social assistance, including free clothing.

Throughout the year, the center collaborates with the Lord's Warehouse thrift shop to bring donated furniture, clothes and other needed items to Palmetto residents.

She estimated the center has helped furnish about 25 apartments for people finding their place in the community again, largely through donations from the warehouse.

The center also focuses on helping residents access educational opportunities. Earlier that day, a young man on his journey to enroll at a local technical school called her to share an update about the progress he had made.

"He just wanted to let me know he went through the whole process and got everything done, and I was really proud of him," she said.

Among the Palmetto representatives who came to support Pearson was Mayor Daniel West. He was new to the position at last year's chapel event, and over the past year, he said he has come to appreciate her and her sister Laura Wallace's contributions to others even more.

"They have huge hearts for our community in Palmetto," he said. "I cannot say enough good things about them. It is my honor to get to work with them on a weekly, sometimes daily basis."

Longboat Island Chapel Rev. Brock Patterson and Town of Longboat Key Town Manager Howard Tipton listen intently as Shirley Pearson shares some of the success stories from Mt. Carmel Resource Center at the June 16 Gather and Give drive.

Pearson and her team work to meet the community's immediate needs, but they also look to promote long-term betterment. Once a month, they travel to the jail to offer a presentation to people who may be seeking guidance and/or support. They can then fill out an application describing what they may need after getting out to help them be successful.

"We want them to be able to move forward with their lives too," she said. "That's what God wants us to do, to reach out into the community and help those who have need — not to make judgements, but to help."

She thanked partners at the Manatee County Sheriff's Office and Palmetto Police Department for their ongoing collaboration.

"With all that support, it enables us to reach out even further in the community," she said.

That evening, Pearson collected the men's clothing items that community members had already donated. But she also received a $3,000 check from the chapel.

Rev. Brock Patterson said the community has been glad to be a long-term partner for the neighboring city.

"The focus on providing support to families is really important," Patterson said, also crediting Pearson's sister for her community assistance efforts.

City of Palmetto Mayor Daniel West thanks Shirley Pearson and her sister, Laura Wallace, for their unwavering efforts to make the community better.

Longboat Island Chapel will continue collecting clothing donations through the end of the month.

For more information on how to volunteer or otherwise support the center, visit MtCarmelResourceCenterPalmetto.org. Pearson noted that, as a 501(c)(3), the center can provide donation receipts for tax deductions.

For details on upcoming food drives, see the Mt. Carmel Community Resource Center, Inc. page on Facebook.

author

Dana Kampa

Dana Kampa is the Longboat Key neighbors reporter for the Observer. She first ventured into journalism in her home state of Wisconsin, going on to report community stories everywhere from the snowy mountains of Washington State to the sunny shores of the Caribbean. She has been a writer and photographer for more than a decade, covering what matters most to readers.