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If you or someone you know needs food assistance, counseling or even help with homelessness, Nativity Catholic Church, located at 705 E. Brandon Blvd. in Brandon, may be able to help.

Nativity Catholic Church, located at 705 E. Brandon Blvd. in Brandon, ofers a variety of services that are not exclusive to its parishioners. The services are ofered as a part of its Pastoral Care. Services provided include counseling, food assistance, homeless assistance and support groups.

The church has been ofering services such as the food pantry for over 35 years. Others, like counseling, have been ofered for over 20 years.

When asked why the church ofers these services, Bonnie Ussery, director of Pastoral Care, said, “As Catholic Christians, we are called to be the hands and feet of Christ. We do this by ministering to those in our community who are in need and are hurting. We help them by sharing the love of Christ with them, by encouraging and enhancing the spiritual, economic and personal development of the people in the Brandon community.”

If you or someone you know is in need of assistance, Nativity Catholic Church may be able to help.

If you need food assistance, the food pan-

By Kathy L. Collins

try is open on Thursdays at 1 p.m. It serves individuals who live in the following zip codes: 33510, 33511, 33596 and 33594. It is a drive-through food pantry, so you must stay in your car. The pantry is offered on a first-come, firstserve basis. The line starts at 12 Noon.

If homeless assistance is needed, then, as Ussery explained, “Our homeless ministry provides homeless bags with food and toiletries and other necessities such as blankets and rain ponchos (when available). We also partner with Family Promise of Hillsborough County to assist homeless families in need to regain their independence and dignity. Our Peanut Butter and Jelly Ministry makes and distributes thousands of sandwiches every two weeks to locations across the Tampa Bay area to organizations that assist the homeless and also makes up and distributes ‘goodie bags’ for the homeless three times a year that include socks, snacks, toiletry items and more.”

The church ofers counseling as well. It has four licensed counselors who ofer individual, couples, marriage, youth and family counseling.

The church also helps moms in need of baby supplies as well as seniors who may need assistance for their daily needs.

Finally, the church ofers a six-week Group Bereavement session three times a year and a 12-week Surviving Divorce Group twice a year.

To get these services, simply call the church at 813-681-4608. You can also visit www.nativitycatholicchurch.org.

FINANCIAL FOCUS DON’T LET FEAR DRIVE INVESTMENT DECISIONS

In the past year, we’ve seen some big swings in the fnancial markets. This volatility may make you feel as if you have little control over your investment success. But the truth is, you do have more control than you might think — as long as you don’t let fear guide your decisions.

Investment-related fear can manifest itself in a few diferent ways:

• Fear of loss – Some investors may emphasize avoiding losses more than achieving gains. Consequently, they might build portfolios they consider very low in risk, possibly containing a high percentage of certifcates of deposit (CDs) and U.S. Treasury securities. Yet, a highly conservative approach carries its own risk — the risk of not achieving enough growth to stay ahead of infation, much less meet long-term goals such as a comfortable retirement. To reach these goals, you’ll want to construct a diversifed portfolio containing diferent types of assets and investments — each of which may perform diferently at diferent times. Your objective shouldn’t be to avoid all risk — which is impossible — but to create an investment strategy that accommodates your personal risk tolerance and time horizon.

• Fear of missing out – You’re probably familiar with the term “herd mentality” — the idea that people will follow the lead of others for fear of missing out on something. This behavior is responsible for fads or the sudden emergence of “hot” products, and it’s also relevant to investing. In fact, herd mentality may contribute to sharp jumps in the fnancial markets as investors drive up prices by buying stocks to avoid being left behind. And the same may be true in reverse — when the market starts dropping, skittish investors