Our History

The Sharing Center of Central Brevard has been helping neighbors in need since 1978, when a small group of compassionate community members came together around a simple belief: no one in our community should have to face hardship alone.

The roots of The Sharing Center reach back to the mid-1970s, when Father Paul A. Perrine Jr., then Vicar and Priest of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Merritt Island, recognized the need for a community organization dedicated to helping individuals and families struggling throughout Central Brevard. He turned to church member Lillian van den Broek, who became instrumental in bringing that vision to life.

With the help of another volunteer, Betty Lewis, the two began distributing basic government-provided foods such as flour, cheese, rice, butter and meal. As more volunteers joined the effort, assistance quickly expanded beyond food. From an early storefront on Stone Street in downtown Cocoa, The Sharing Center distributed donated clothing and used financial contributions to help families with necessities such as water and electric bills.

Formally established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 1978, The Sharing Center began with an all-volunteer team, a small budget and approximately 30 people served each month. Lillian continued as a leading force in the organization for many years and, in 1981, was recognized as Senior Volunteer of the Year by Florida Today and the State of Florida.

As Central Brevard grew, so did The Sharing Center. In 1985, the organization expanded its services with the addition of the Community Kitchen and Thrift Shop. What began with meals donated by local churches grew into a dedicated kitchen with staff preparing hot, nutritious meals for those in need.

In 1989, The Sharing Center moved into its Cocoa facility at 113 Aurora Street, creating a permanent home from which it could serve a growing community. As needs continued to increase, a second location in Merritt Island further expanded the organization’s reach.

Nearly five decades after neighbors first came together to share food and help with an overdue bill, that same spirit remains at the heart of The Sharing Center. Today, the organization has grown into a comprehensive resource for Central Brevard, providing food, hot meals, clothing, household and hygiene items, showers, financial assistance when available, and connections to additional resources and services.

What began with a handful of volunteers helping their neighbors has grown into a community-wide network of compassion, dignity and practical support—continuing the vision that inspired The Sharing Center from the very beginning.