[New] Giving Back One Meal at a Time In St. Pete, One Woman Makes a Difference for the Homeless

By Cameron Healy

Since 2016, Toni DeForest has organized various events and cooked meals to serve out of her van for the people in her community. Dinner and Duds, formerly known as Operation Shower Power, is a non-profit organization that provides necessities for St. Pete’s homeless population.

The organization’s mission is to “provide hot meals, clean clothing, and toiletries to those in need in Pinellas County.” They also help with job referrals, bus passes, shelters, food, and healthcare.

Every week, DeForest prepares meals to serve people on Saturday evenings. She makes chili, chicken noodle soup, plus homemade casseroles, pasta dishes like American chop suey, and of course, dessert, and coffee.

“I like to serve them good food,” DeForest said. “They’re used to getting sandwiches. We serve healthy food.”

DeForest explained that the organization receives donations of money, food, toys, and clothes from various businesses, including Walmart, Publix, Wawa, Winn Dixie, Target, and Five Below. Local food pantries also donate when they have extra items.

Most Saturdays, DeForest serves people by herself at Williams Park in Downtown St. Pete, as well as at St. Vincent DePaul. Her family and friends occasionally volunteer with her. She was surprised to have two volunteers on Christmas Day this year, but expressed relief for the help.

“I had so many people show up, I almost ran out of food,” DeFor- est said. “One of my volunteers brought a whole ham and we went through all of my food and the ham and all of the coffee. I had one cup of coffee left and we started with three gallons.”

DeForest credits her background as a waitress and secretary for preparing her for the work she does each week, and the high level of organization her food service and fundraising events required throughout the year.

When she began the organization, DeForest says she struggled with funding but she did what she could to help. She says she empathizes with the people she helps, because at one point in her life, she was in their shoes. She doesn’t just see what they’re going through; she understands it.

“When I lived in my van in Miami for a while, I used to cook in my van and I fed all the local hippies and whatnot,” DeForest said. “So I figured that’s something I could do. And we could still give toiletries and clothes and give them information on where to find showers. Yeah, so I decided to go with that.”

DeForest plans to continue serving food on Saturdays, but eventually would love to open a soup kitchen. She named Dinner and Duds after her father (the acronym is DAD) and hopes to name a soup kitchen after her mother, Gommie’s Kitchen.