Manatee woman dishes up weekly homemade dinner for homeless

MANATEE -- Bradenton's homeless know her simply as "Tonia," their friend who serves up a free, nutritious home-cooked meal for them once a week and asks nothing in return.

Tonia Johnson, a businesswoman who owns Bradenton Bargain Center at 1420 20th Ave. W., says she gets much more from the homeless than she gives them at

6 p.m. every Thursday.

"I've gotten to know a lot of wonderful people who have fallen on hard times," Johnson said.

She and 12 volunteers serve them once a week in a little lot Johnson owns fronting 14th Street West near 19th Avenue West.

Motorists, who see plates stacked high with fancy restaurant bread, gleaming salads and desserts on this mean street, often beep their horns.

On Thursday, about 100 came for Tonia's dinner, which included fresh salad with greens, eight pans of barbecue chicken, fresh green beans, buttered bread, sweet tea and desserts donated by Starbucks.

Johnson says she has gone from being like most of us, hardly aware of the homeless, to actually thinking about what their lives must be like.

"They have nowhere to put stuff," Johnson said. "Think about that for a minute. Think what that must be like. That's why you see so many of them carrying backpacks."

Johnson has developed an incurable condition where she wants to "love on people" no matter their status, said Rayvone Davis, who also has this "condition."

Davis, who also works with the homeless, says she was inspired by her church, St. Mary's Missionary Baptist Church in Parrish.

"Tonia has it, too, and it just flows out of her," Davis said.

Homelessness in Manatee and Sarasota counties increased from 2015 to 2016, according to the 24-hour "Point-in-Time" survey released Friday by the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness.

According to the 2016 community report based on a count conducted the night of Jan. 25, there were 497 homeless people in Manatee and 971 in Sarasota this year.

The overall number of homeless grew by 207, with 201 more people in Manatee County and 69 more in Sarasota County.

Of the people counted, the 29-page report states 66 percent were in Sarasota County and 34 percent in Manatee County.

Johnson's relationship with the homeless began more than a year ago after she realized people were repeatedly asking her for food in the parking lot near Bradenton Bargain Center, where she sells new and used furniture and other home items.

She decided to create a dinner for the homeless.

"My vision was to have a dinner that would make them part of a family, like the Waltons," Johnson said. "No sandwiches, nothing from a can, all homemade."

The man who cooks the food every Thursday is someone who just stopped by and wanted to be a part of it all. His name is Anthony Dixon.

"Five months ago, I was passing by and I have been here ever since," Dixon said. "I'm excited about serving people."

"We couldn't do it without Anthony," Johnson said.

Johnson calls her dinner a "Freedom Gathering."

One good meal

Cherie Todd, who attended Thursday's dinner, said she has been homeless off and on for eight years. Wednesday night, she slept outside.

The free dinner gives her one meal a week that is not a sandwich, hot dog or hamburger, crackers or cookies.

"It's been a while since I've had a meal like this," Todd said, glancing down at her plate. "I've got barbecued chicken, green beans, salad and apple pie. I was here last Thursday, too."

After dinner, Todd rode around on her bicycle. She said she would find a place to sleep again Thursday night in the area of 14th Street West.

The Rev. Charles Taylor of Purposed Generation Church, 1910 14th St. W., near Johnson's business, said he became a fan of Johnson as soon as he met her.

"Miss Tonia's heart is definitely for feeding people and loving on them," Taylor said. "She is like that with everybody."

It wasn't long before Taylor and his congregation of 65, who just moved into the church building Feb. 21, were drawn in to help with the dinners. Church members soon began inviting the homeless to join them for 7 p.m. Bible study after the dinners, and 10 have become regular church members, Taylor said. Taylor also recruited Johnson to his church.

Taylor attests to the dinner's authenticity.

"This is something that grandma or mom would cook," he said. "This is not canned goods."

The first dinner drew 30. The number soon swelled to where Johnson needed a hand. She buys paper plates, cups and napkins and all the food, a tab that comes to about $200 a week. Starbucks donates desserts it doesn't sell two days before the dinner, Johnson said.

"We could use more volunteers to help us serve, and the homeless always need clothes," Johnson said.

Anyone interested in helping is asked to call Johnson at 941-524-6062 or go to freedomgathering.org or freedom Gathering on Facebook.

Richard Dymond, Herald reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7072.

or contact him via Twitter@RichardDymond.

This story was originally published April 21, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Manatee woman dishes up weekly homemade dinner for homeless."