TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa woman has made quite a turnaround in her life. She is using her second chance at life to serve her neighbors in South Tampa.

What You Need To Know

  •  Tabitha Butler turned her life around by losing 150-pounds and overcoming her alcohol addiction. 

  • Butler leads volunteers who cook hot meals for the needy at Countryside Christian Church's South Tampa campus. 

  •  The hot meals are put in to go containers for the needy, homeless and elderly. 

  • Brown is grateful to be able to serve her community.

Every Friday morning you will find Tabitha Butler in the kitchen at the South Tampa campus of Countryside Christian Church. She leads a small group of volunteers cooking food for residents in need.

“I’m working over here on the spaghetti,” she said as she opened a jar of sauce. “I have the water boiling for the spaghetti.”

Butler started as a volunteer years ago for the Friday meals by buttering bread. She took over the operation about four years ago. She really wanted to meet a need in her community. “Everybody needs to eat. Everybody deserves a meal. A hot meal at that,” she said.

Butler claims she is not a good cook, but everything turns out great. “I don’t know how I do it. I make a joke that God cooked the rice whenever we have rice because it turns out perfect,” she said.

Butler and her crew box up dozens of hot meals that residents can take on the go. “But it’s not just for the homeless,” said Butler. “There are lots of people from the community. Especially the elderly people who aren’t able to cook for themselves.”

Some people might be surprised that Butler is doing well in life. Eight years ago, she weighed 300 pounds and was an alcoholic. But she got bariatric surgery and lost 150 pounds. She was also able to overcome her alcohol addiction.

She never would have believed she would have a new shot at a life of service. “No. Never. Never thought I would be helping others,” said Butler. “Never thought I would be sober. But I am sober now and I am grateful God has given me this opportunity to give back to others and serve.”