Talbot House Ministries was named for Matt Talbot, an Irish man who lived in Dublin from 1856 to 1925. He was called Servant of God. He was also an alcoholic.

Talbot House Ministries was founded in 1979 by the Pastor and parishoners of St. Joseph's Church in Lakeland. Now, 71 churches in the community are actively supporting Talbot House. After operating as a meal service for the homeless for two years, the organization moved into a building on Massachusetts Avenue where, over a ten year period, its programs expanded to include night shelter, a long-term live-in recovery program, and a free medical clinic. In the late 1990s, Talbot House was informed that its building would be demolished to make way for the extension of Bartow Highway. After a capital campaign, a new facility was built at our current location, and the move into the new and expanded facility occured in June, 2001. The soup kitchen of early years has now become a mulit-service support agency for the poor and homeless. the breadth of services makes Talbot House unique in Florida and perhaps in the country.