North Fort Myers ministry loses home after 5 years of feeding hundreds

NORTH FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — Disciples of Hope Ministry has been told it can no longer operate from its longtime location at Merchants Crossing, leaving hundreds of people in Southwest Florida without access to the monthly outreach they've come to rely on.

The parking lot at Merchants Crossing sat empty, a stark contrast to the scene just one month earlier when hundreds of people filled the space for the ministry's monthly outreach. The ministry had been serving the community from that location for five and a half years.

Michael Evangelista, founder of Disciples of Hope Ministry, said the ministry was recently told it can no longer hold its events at Merchants Crossing.

"We were very thankful for what Merchant's Crossing has let us do for the last five and a half years, but since the ministry has gotten so large, we are told that we are no longer allowed to set up here anymore," Evangelista said.

Evangelista said receiving that notice was heartbreaking.

"Honestly, at first I didn't even know what to say. I was at work, and my boss actually said, 'You look pale, what's the matter?'" Evangelista said.

RELATED: Disciples of Hope serves hot meals to 100+ people monthly in SWFL

People continued to show up expecting the same outreach they've come to rely on. Volunteers handed out flyers, directing them to follow the ministry online for updates on where they'll be next.

While the future location remains unknown, Evangelista said the mission remains the same.

"We bring the love of Jesus, we bring clothing, we bring food, we pray," Evangelista said.

Despite the uncertainty, Evangelista said he's choosing to focus on hope. He pointed to a rainbow he saw above the empty lot as a sign that this isn't an ending but a new beginning.

"God closed this door, but He's going to open up a bigger door for us," Evangelista said.

Disciples of Hope Ministry is actively searching for a new location and hopes to be back serving the community as soon as next month. The ministry hopes someone in the community will step forward with a space that could help them expand their reach even further.

You can follow their Facebook here, where they plan to post updates about next month's outreach.