ADULT CARE CENTER RECEIVES BASKETBALL COURT GIFT

Margaret Montgomery is a local author and the owner of Destiny Quality Care in Brandon. She has worked in the health care field for more than 30 years, and she retired from the H. Lee Moftt Cancer Center after 27 years.

Montgomery is also an allied health care instructor and has taught in the field of allied health for 13 years.

“Destiny Quality Care is an up-and-coming ‘Life Enrichment Training Day Program’ for persons with disabilities,”

Montgomery said. “We are located in the heart of Brandon.”

Destiny Quality Care’s motto is serving and caring with excellence. Recently, Montgomery and her staf were served with a gift of love and care from some local Brandon residents. “These days, it seems like we hear of so many bad and horrible things that involve police ofcers,” Montgomery said. “The mother of one of our consumers is a master deputy for Hillsborough County Sherif ’s Ofce. It was placed upon Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Cribbs’ heart to donate and create a basketball court for the individuals that attend Destiny Quality Care. Our center is located on approximately 4 acres of land; however, we still had to drive the consumers to our local park for them to partake in playing basketball, four square and hopscotch, among other outside activities.”

By Libby Hopkins

Thanks to the Cribbs, Destiny Quality Care’s consumers have a basketball court that displays the court, four square and hopscotch on the organization’s property. “We did not ask for this blessing,” Montgomery said.

“This couple took it upon themselves to make this donation, which Mr. Cribbs did the work. I am so grateful for this basketball court, along with my ‘precious gems,’ which is what I call them. They are jewels and gems to me.”

The smiles on Montgomery’s consumers’ faces when they saw the new court were priceless to Montgomery and her staf “We have approximately 25 consumers,” Montgomery said. “When I see them playing on the court, it brings tears to my eyes because they are able to participate in various activities all at once. Now, they do not have to go five days a week to the Brandon Recreation Center to play basketball. The clients can now play four square, hopscotch and basketball right here at our facility.”

If you’d like to learn more about Destiny Quality Care, you can visit its website at www.destinyqualitycare.org. Destiny Quality Care is located at 711 N. Parsons Ave. in Brandon.

FAMILY HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION OFFERS COMMUNITY-BASED NAVIGATION FOR SERVICES

Finding and maintaining health insurance for individuals and families can be a daunting task. Thankfully, there is The Family Healthcare Foundation, an afordable nonprofit that helps you navigate difcult terrain and find insurance coverage that fits your needs.

For 25 years, The Family Healthcare Foundation has been helping residents of Hillsborough County as well as Pinellas, Pasco and Polk counties. Its mission is to ensure that all residents have equitable access to quality health care coverage, and its services are free to anyone, regardless of income.

If you are one of the millions who are in need of health care insurance coverage, and need help navigating the system, look to Te Family Healthcare Foundation for help. It provides health care navigator services for free to all residents of Hillsborough County.

Its services have never been more needed than they are today, as Medicaid coverage for millions, which was mandated and paid for by the federal government during the pandemic, is coming to an end.

The Family Healthcare Foundation employs highly trained and experienced navigators who will work with you to compare health care coverage from both private insurance and publicly funded health insurance, such as Florida Medicaid, Florida KidCare, the Hillsborough County Health Care Plan and the Obamacare Marketplace. Navigators are paid by The Family Healthcare Foundation, which receives funding so that it can ensure everyone has access to insurance. The navigators provide unbiased information.

Navigators speak English, Spanish, Por-

By Kathy L. Collins

tuguese and Haitian Creole. They can also get a translator for other languages.

Navigators start with a screening process to determine the type of coverage that may apply. Some programs have income requirements. You can meet with the navigator over the phone, virtually or in person. In-person meetings take place at one of seven Children’s Board Resource Centers located throughout Hillsborough County, including Brandon and Plant City.

Navigators will make themselves available in the evenings and on weekends to accommodate those who work and cannot take time o f . In addition, they are partnering with BayCare Health System, Tampa General Hospital, Evara Health and Premier Community HealthCare Group to provide additional navigators during this di f cult time.

Katie Roders Turner, executive director for The Family Healthcare Foundation, said, “Our navigators have 10 years or more experience. They do not receive commission and will do a side-by-side comparison of coverage in a completely unbiased manner.”

For more information and to get the process started, please visit https:// familyhealthcarefdn.org/ or call 813995-7005.