Brandon/Winthrop
16
February 2022
Volume 17, Issue 2
Ph: 657-2418
See Our Ad On Page: 27
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF PUBLISHING P OSITIVE COMMUNIT Y NEWS
ECHO HOSTS ANNUAL BREAKFAST AT NEW EVENT CENTER AT NEW HOPE CHURCH IN BRANDON By Libby Hopkins
On Thursday, March 10, ECHO will host its annual breakfast at New Hope Church’s new event center in Brandon. This is ECHO’s sixth annual breakfast, and it will focus on its amazing volunteers.
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On Thursday, March 10, ECHO will host its annual breakfast at New Hope Church’s new event center in Brandon. “Our first breakfast was held in October 2015,” Eleanor Saunders, current executive director of ECHO, said. “The ECHO Board of Directors and our former executive director, Stacey Efaw, envisioned an annual fundraising event that would showcase firsthand stories, a clear presentation of ECHO’s vision for the future and an opportunity for attendees to partner with us in creating a community of hope and stability for neighbors in crisis.” This is ECHO’s sixth annual breakfast. “ECHO does not hold multiple events a year,” Saunders said. “This is our most important fundraising event. We hold to exactly one hour. It is a time for the community to meet a few individuals who have been helped, our volunteers, our board of directors and our staff. It is truly a feelgood, rally-cry type event. There is the desperate need in our community and there is some concrete, life-giving ways that all of us can be a part of the solution.” In the past breakfasts, ECHO has highlighted those who have helped, its staff and its board. This year, guests will be
hearing from ECHO’s volunteers. “ECHO could not thrive without our committed team of volunteers,” Saunders said. “We are literally nothing without them. We will be hearing this year from a few of our faithful volunteers, what have they witnessed over the past year and why do they keep coming back, week after week.” Saunders hopes everyone who attends this year’s breakfast will leave inspired. “First and foremost, I want all participants and attendees to walk away encouraged, inspired and activated to do more,” Saunders said. “The last year has been one of substantial growth for ECHO and there is nothing but additional growth ahead. The breakfast provides unrestricted revenue for the organization. The funds will empower us to hire additional staff and expand our mobile back to work program.” ECHO has been a part of the Brandon community for many years, and Saunders is proud that her organization can continue to help those in need in our community. “ECHO is part of the very fabric of Brandon,” Saunders said. “Founded in 1987, the organization serves over 15,000 local residents per year, providing everything from emergency food and clothing to one-onone job coaching and advocacy. When our neighbors are in crisis, they have somewhere to turn.” If you would like to learn more about ECHO, you can visit its website at www. echofl.org or call 685-0935. ECHO is located at 507 N. Parsons Ave. in Brandon.
The celebration of the century comes alive in Disney On Ice presents Let’s Celebrate, and this monumental ice-skating spectacular visits AMALIE Arena from Thursday to Sunday, March 24-27. Read the article on page 14 for more event information.
NEW BRANDON REGIONAL LIBRARY PROJECT MOVING FORWARD
By Brad Stager
the county owns. The project is budgeted at $12.5 million and is being paid for with county library taxing district funds. Completion of the new building is expected to be in 2025. As for appearance, the new library will likely feature a neoclassical red brick building, including A replacement for the aging Brandon Regional Library on Vonderburg Dr.will classical columns be built at the northeast corner of Lumsden Dr.and Woodview Dr., just west of with decorative Parsons Ave. cornices, acA new chapter is becording to ginning in the history of information the Brandon Regional published onLibrary. line by the The library’s current county about building, located at 619 the project. Vonderburg Dr., will be The nature replaced with a new of public lifacility to be built less The Brandon Regional Library on Vonderburg Dr. braries has will be replaced by a new facility. than a mile south at changed since the northeast corner of Lumsden Rd. and Brandon’s first library was created in 1960, Woodview Dr., just west of Parsons Ave. when the Brandon Women’s Club allocated According to Sean McGarvey, Hillsbor- space for 1,000 books in their clubhouse ough County Public Library Cooperative’s and choices were pretty much paperback or manager of support services, the current hardcover. The Brandon Branch Library of library has served the community well since the Tampa Public Library began operations opening in 1991, but things have changed in a larger facility in 1968 before moving to and a new one is required in order to meet the Vonderburg Dr. location in 1991. Curresidents’ information needs in the 21st cen- rent activities and resources include access tury. to computers and internet service, videos, “Over the past 30 years, the community 3D printers, writing workshops, story time has grown, and its needs have evolved,” said events of all types and assistive technology McGarvey, adding that the types of services to ensure everyone benefits from what the libraries provide go beyond providing shelves library offers. of books to read. “We recognize the comAt the present time Center Place Fine munity’s need for collaborative spaces and Arts & Civic Center is not part of the move access to more diverse technology resourc- and is working with county officials to enes, and the current location is unable to ac- sure use of the building maintains commucommodate this. The proposed new library nity uses. will offer customers an accessible, modern, 25,000-square-foot facility equipped with meeting room spaces to host technology instruction and library programs. The proUSF SCHOLARSHIPS ....................... PG 3 posed library will also include an enclosed NAM KNIGHTS K-9 ........................... PG 5 children’s room and audio-visual studio.” The replacement library is planned to be a EYE ON BUSINESS ................. PG 25-26 single-story building that will be built on the ARTS..................................................... PG 29 approximately 7.5-acre piece of land that
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