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Unity in the community

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By LENORA LAKE

llake@tampatrib.com

Published: June 24, 2009

UNIVERSITY AREA - It was music with a mission at Festival del Amor y la Amistad.

Five Hispanic churches joined together for the free family festival, organized to help meet physical and spiritual needs in a low-income community.

Several hundred visitors attended the inaugural event June 13 at the Iglesia Tampa Para Cristo, 1110 E. 139{+t}{+h} Ave. It included musical entertainment, distribution of free clothes, shoes, toys and food, a free hot dog or taco lunch and children's entertainment. In between acts, clergy from the participating churches gave gospel messages and devotions of faith.

"With the economy the way it is, there is a lot hardships for basics, like clothing and food," said David Cantillo, pastor of the church. "Many of these people cannot access other resources."

He said it took about four months to plan the event, and the congregations as well as businesses donated the items for distribution.

"We wanted to bring in people who are not in the churches. We wanted to help the people and let them know this is coming from the churches," Cantillo said.

Volunteers from the participating churches served in all roles, including set up, serving, distributing food bags and entertaining the children. Children could have their faces painted, see a puppet show and get an animal balloon tied for them.

Carlos Acuna, 12, and Joel Morales, 17, members of the IglesiaTabernaculo de Dios, 13302 Lynn Road, were among the volunteers helping with the children's activities.

They said they were glad to be able to come out and give back to the community.

Other participating churches were Iglesia Cristiana Ebenezer, 904 W. Linebaugh Ave.; Iglesia Dios Bendiga America, 8916 N. Nebraska Ave.; and Iglesia Bautista Missionera, 10203 N. Nebraska Ave.

Cantillo said the churches hope to make the festival an annual event and to expand it to reach more people.

Correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached at (813) 259-7600. See more photos from the event, go to northeast.tbo .com.

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