Hudson church still serving the hungry after devastating fire

Here's is a thankful news story around the Tampa Bay area:

HUDSON - Bev Milashouskas scooped corn from tin trays and sang quietly under her breath as she helped serve a traditional Thanksgiving meal Sunday.

"Every promise in the Book is mine," she sang, standing on the concrete slab where Lakeview Baptist Church stood before it burned in August. "Every chapter, every verse, every line."

Despite the challenges this congregation faces, that optimistic spirit showed through the smiles of the dozens of church members serving dinner to those who need it most in this rural part of west Pasco County.

The church has continued offering help, even though it has no roof and no walls. The 40 or so people who worship together here every week meet under a white canvas tent, sitting in donated pews and chairs.

"We still haven't gotten electric or a building or water," said Pastor Harry Buckwalter. "But we didn't want to cancel because so many people depend on this meal and this time together."

Lakeview Baptist has established itself not only as a house of worship but also as the place where needy families come for food every Thursday. The congregation calls it "Project Hope," a labor of love that hasn't stopped because of the Aug. 3 fire, which investigators believe may have been sparked by a power strip or the church's refrigerator, Buckwalter said.

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