IMPROVEMENTS CELEBRATED AT A KID’S PLACE OF TAMPA BAY

By Kathy L. Collins

On June 14, dignitaries and the community came together for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at A Kid’s Place. They were cutting the ribbon on some major renovations at the campus.

A Kid’s Place ofers a unique and safe home at its 60-bed campus, which is located on five acres in Brandon. The organization serves a large number of sibling groups.

Brad Gregory, CEO for A Kid’s Place, said, “It is important that children brought to A Kid’s Place after being removed from home feel safe and normal. The homes the children live in are strong, clean and beautiful, which allows them to have a peaceful night’s sleep, keep their personal possessions close, do homework without being interrupted and eat meals and visit with friends in an open space.”

Renovations were done on all five home interiors. The Stepping Stones Independent Living house was remodeled from top to bottom.

Specifically, as part of the improvement project, interior and exterior renovations were made to seven buildings and the surrounding grounds to provide a more suitable living environment for youth in foster care and those ag ing out of foster care. The improve ments include the installation of new windows in five foster care homes; new kitch en and laundry room cabinets and countertops; a new roof at the aging-out facility, as well as interior painting of walls and ceilings; renovations to a kitchen and one bathroom; and new flooring installed throughout the home. Additionally, the renovation included up grades to the flooring and interior doors in the administrative building and classrooms. Finally, multiple trees were trimmed or re moved.

The renovations cost $448,000. Hillsbor ough County contributed $340,000 from Community Development Block Grants.

The remaining amount was contributed by others, including Florida Medical Foun dation of Caring, White Family Foundation and Homes by Westbay, KeHe Cares, Alvah H. and Wyline P. Chapman Foundation and the Mabel and Ellsworth Simmons Charita ble Foundation.

Gregory said, “For the last 14 years, we have rescued almost 2,000 abused and neglected children and provided them a safe, loving and nurturing environment in which to live. Our great success would not be possible without the generous support in all ways from the county and local com munity.”

For more information, please visit https:// akidsplacetb.org/.