Sarah Combs has been leading organizations that uplift the most vulnerable in the community for decades. After spending 15 years leading community development efforts, Combs is now making a difference as CEO of Metropolitan Ministries, Tampa Bay’s leading nonprofit serving the homeless or those at risk of homelessness. In the past year, the nonprofit, with an annual revenue of $49.7 million for 2025, served over 2.6 million meals, provided over 157,000 nights of safe shelter, and helped over 14,000 families through their family support centers. She sat down with us to answer 10 questions on leading business for good.
1. Growing up, have you always wanted to be a community builder and advocate?
I was recently asked this question in a USF interview class. They’re interviewing me and I said, “I always knew I was meant to represent people who didn’t have a voice and to bring a voice to those underrepresented.” But they kept digging deeper. As they were pulling more questions out, I realized I did all these things — built housing, built a park — because it’s exactly what my mother did for the community in Dove Creek, Colorado. And I never made that connection. I was trying to create that sense of belonging by building this social network of supports in the community, just like my mom had done. And it took a USF class to be able to show me that.
2. If you weren’t working to help the community’s most vulnerable, what would you be doing?
Advocating for farmers. I grew up in a small community. I’m a farmer’s daughter. My dad’s a dry land farmer. I understood the importance of growing food locally. I’ve seen how small farms have been wiped out. We’re so reliant on these bigger conglomerate food industries. So, I always felt there needed to be a voice for the local farmer.
3. A hallmark of your work with the University Area CDC was not only transformative, building housing and parks, but also the public perception piece of it. Is there a public perception of Metropolitan Ministries you want to change?
Oftentimes, the individuals who are coming into our shelters, mostly single moms and children, are not seen for who they are. They’re seen for their circumstances. Incredibly, 97% of them don’t return to homelessness. So, it’s about understanding that they are more than their circumstances. Their situation doesn’t define them. We’re successful at what we’re doing because it’s that personcentered approach. We are meeting them where they are. It’s not a cookie-cutter approach where everyone comes in and gets the same box, right? It’s understanding holistically, how do we meet that person where they are? We provide them with the support that they need to be successful.
4. Of your accomplishments, what are you most proud?
The Harvest Home Park is the most important project that I’ve done by far. It taught me the most. Oftentimes, we learn more from our failures than we do from our successes. I thought we were going to build housing. Everyone needs housing, right? We’re in an affordable housing crisis. I started talking to the community, and it made me realize how wrong I was...and the importance of understanding the lived experiences in our community. They said, “We want a park. We want a place where our kids can meet and play. We want a place for parents to connect. We want a place where they can be safe and well.” After we built the park, crime was reduced by over 60%. The park became the heartbeat of the community. Building it spurred redevelopment that was grounded in the community because they were involved in every piece of it.
It’s not about you. It’s about the greater good. It’s about what we’re trying to achieve or accomplish. If we take the focus off ourselves, take that energy and focus on the people we’re trying to serve, you can go such much further.
5. What keeps you focused?
My faith keeps me grounded and focused. God has been directing my path and I’m here at Metropolitan Ministries because I know this is where I’m supposed to be. For me, working for 15 years in a community, it’s so hard to leave that community. But when you have a clear understanding of where you’re meant to be and where you’re supposed to be, it makes it a lot easier. Every decision I make is grounded in God, faith and family.
6. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
There’s so many little nuggets I’ve received along the way. An overarching one that always comes back is, “It’s not about you.” And understanding what that means. It’s about the greater good. It’s about what we’re trying to achieve or accomplish. If we take the focus off ourselves, take that energy and focus on the people we’re trying to serve, you can go such much further.
7. What advice would you give others on being an effective leader?
The most important part is listening. I haven’t mastered it. Starting in this new role as CEO, I made myself take four months of only active listening. There were no changes. So that was hard for me, because I’m like a do-it- kind-of-person. Oftentimes, we’re so busy listening to respond. We’re formulating a response already in our head instead of just listening, to hear it with no other intention other than to gain the information, insight and true understanding.
8. What do you hope to accomplish in this new role?
At the end of the day, how do we help more families? That is where I see the work that drives me. My goal is to help more children and families and to break that cycle. It’s getting them equipped with the tools, the knowledge, and the information they need to be fully self-sufficient. And then allowing their children to flourish because they have all those support systems in place.
9. What upcoming projects are you most excited about?
The opportunities for attainable housing. In order to stabilize a family, you have to stabilize their living situation. They can’t focus on anything else unless they feel safe. When they have a roof over their head and feel safe, they can start focusing on all the other different areas. We’re looking at doing more housing in the near future. And doing that in a way that meets residents where they are, by providing affordable housing, as well as those programs and services as wraparound support. That’s a space where I’m very excited about and where we’ll really meet the need.
10. What is one thing that people would be surprised to know about MetroMin?
Two things. One, 97% of our families don’t return to homelessness. When I first started, I had someone factcheck that because it sounds too good to be true. That’s impressive. I think it’s because of our holistic approach to meeting families right where they are. And knowing every family is different. Every family has different strengths and weaknesses.
Another surprising thing is that we have a school that we operate here. The Patricia Sullivan Metropolitan Ministries Partnership School is across the street. About 80% of the kids who go to that school are from here. If you give our kids an opportunity to learn and flourish, and give them access, they are rising to the occasion.