By Amee M. Longbottom

In true deacon fashion, Deacon Sam Gilkey of the Church of St. Luke and St. Peter in St. Cloud made sure his retirement celebration on June 27 was about the needs of his community and not about him.

Instead of gathering a purse for his own retirement, he used the opportunity to raise more than $10,000 for three local charities closest to his heart: A Place for Grace, The Community Hope Center of Osceola County and St. Cloud Cares.

“(Deacon Sam) is truly an example of what it is to be a deacon,” Arch Deacon Kristi Alday said at the event. “I believe it is the greatest calling in the world. We bring the face of Jesus to the hurting world.”

Deacon Sam served in ordained ministry for 36 years with his wife, Jean, by his side. Their ministry took them from St. John’s, Kissimmee to the foreign ministry field to Virginia and North Carolina and back to Central Florida where he served the past 11 years at the Church of St. Luke and St. Peter in St. Cloud.

Although there are many things Gilkey has accomplished in his ordained years, he will be best known in the St. Cloud community for starting St. Cloud Cares, a non-profit organization that puts together sacks of food for elementary school children to take home over the weekend. Osceola County has one of the highest homeless rates in Florida and the country. When Gilkey discovered in 2012 that many school aged children were going home to motel rooms and often going hungry over the weekend because they depended on free breakfast and lunch from school, he decided to do something about it.

“I saw determination in Sam’s eyes and even anger,” said Karrie Haskett, Children’s Minister at Canoe Creek Christian Church, said. “Sam wanted to put a stop to it.”

He organized St. Luke and St. Peter’s, Canoe Creek Christian Church and five other churches in the community to begin what was then called the Greenbag Project. The churches rely on food and monetary donations from their congregations to send about 400 sacks of food home with elementary school children each week.

Haskett said Gilkey and his ministry have fed 33,150 families in just three years.

“We are serving a mighty God, this is Kingdom work,” Haskett said. “We can’t solve the world’s problems but we can feed a child. You inspire me. Thank you.”

Niki Whisler, Homeless Advocate Coordinator for the Osceola County Board of Commissioners added that the system developed by Gilkey should be used across the country.

“You know it has to be a God thing when he has all these churches working together,” Whisler said. “There were times when we didn’t think we would have enough, but food came in just in time.”

There are now Kissimmee Cares, Buena Ventura Lakes Cares and Poinciana Cares that began because of the success Gilkey had in St. Cloud, Whisler said.

Another charity where Gilkey has been influential has been The Community Hope Center of Osceola County, a collaborative effort between local churches, social services agencies, Osceola County, the city governments and community businesses to help families and individuals living in and around Osceola County, primarily those in motels and hotels along the county’s 192 Corridor. This program is used to restore dignity and self-sufficiency to those in need in our community through a holistic approach to case management, funds assistance and life skills.

Mary Downey, executive director of The Community Hope Center, said she was blown away when she found out Gilkey had chosen them as one of his charities.

“I admire and look up to Deacon Sam, and to know that this agency was chosen by him means so much,” Downey said. “Myself as a deacon in the United Methodist Church share a similar calling with Sam, to go out in the world and teach those hurting that there is a God that loves them. I hope that I will do as well of a job as Deacon Sam and Jean have done.”

Also benefitting from Gilkey’s generosity is A Place For Grace, an organization that focuses on feeding, clothing and ministering to the homeless in St. Cloud.

Gilkey was also presented with a letter from Bishop Greg Brewer and proclamations from the City of St. Cloud and the Osceola County Board of Commissioners.

After all of the speakers and accolades, Gilkey addressed the crowd.

“I hope you saved something for my funeral,” Gilkey said. “Thank you for the love and kindness you’ve shown Jean and me. Thanks even more for the love and kindness you’ve shown others.”

He added that he tried to live by words of Jewish Rabbi Tarfon that it is not your obligation to finish the work, but neither are you not to start it.

Even though the proceeds from the evening were donated to the three groups, there were still a few gifts for the Gilkeys. St. Cloud Cares named their food pantry the Deacon Sam and Jean Gilkey Food Pantry, complete with a new sign. The Church of St. Luke and St. Peter also gifted the Gilkeys with a “Trip Down Memory Lane,” a trip that will take them through their old stomping grounds in Virginia and North Carolina during the fall. A new Gospel book was also given to the church in honor of Gilkey’s service.

“Thank you for showing me true leadership and what it takes to serve the Lord,” said the Rev. Rob Longbottom, rector of St. Luke and St. Peter. “Any amount of time spent with Sam and Jean and they will teach you to love God’s people.”