RESIDENTS IN SOUTHSHORE CAN GET FOOD ASSISTANCE FROM OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

By Kathy L. Collins

Development fueled by population growth has been an ongoing issue for the past few years with Hillsborough County estimated to be home to over 1.5 million residents, a head count that is higher than 12 states and the largest in Florida outside of Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Lost in all this is the fact that “Hillsborough County has the largest local preservation program in the state of Florida. Other counties may have more land, but a majority of that land is federal. When it comes to local dollars, no other county comes close to Hillsborough. And that’s all thanks to our citizens voting to fund the program three times,” explained Ross B. Dickerson, division manager of Environmental Lands Management.

The program he speaks of is the Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP). Beginning as a local response to rapid development and habitat loss, ELAPP continues to preserve wildlife corridors in this highly urbanized region.

ELAPP was born in 1987 as referendum county voters overwhelmingly chose to dedicate funding to purchase environmentally sensitive lands. The program acquires parcels only from willing sellers and is voluntary and nonregulatory. Anyone can nominate a property for ELAPP consideration, which triggers a review by county staf and the public ELAPP committee. Voters chose to expand the program in 1990, and again in 2008. It is a citizen-based program with

ELAPP has protected 64,530 acres of rare and important habitat in Hillsborough County. Many of our county’s 32 nature preserves were purchased in collaboration with other agencies, leveraging nearly one-third of the funds for acquisition from non-ELAPP sources and major restoration eforts with partners such as the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Information on all 32 can be found by visiting www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/residents/ recreation-and-culture/parks/find-a-park.

Additionally, Dickerson explained how the ELAPP program has provided unincorporated Hillsborough County residents with a 25 percent saving on their flood insurance premiums. “The Community Rating System (CRS) is a voluntary incentive program under FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program that rewards communities who implement floodplain management activities beyond the minimum federal requirements with discounts to flood insurance premiums for their residents,” said Dickerson.

Currently, unincorporated Hillsborough County is a Class 5 community, which corresponds to a 25 percent discount for all residents on their flood insurance premiums. This equates to approximately $5.9 million annually. One of the creditable activities under the CRS program is ‘Open Space Preservation.’ ELAPP and associated preserved lands are integral in obtaining meaningful credit for us in this activity and help us in achieving our overall rating of Class 5.

For additional information, visit www. hillsboroughcounty.org/en/residents/recreation-and-culture/conservation/elapp or email dickersonr@hillsboroughcounty.org.

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Food insecurity is a growing problem, especially among populations that are traditionally not affected by it. Today, the need is great, so food pantries such as Our Lady of Guadalupe in Wimauma serve an ever-greater need.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Food Pantry provides much-needed food to residents living in Sun City Center, Wimauma, Balm, Ruskin, Riverview, Apollo Beach or Gibsonton. The food is provided every Saturday from 7:3010:30 a.m. Clients receive a box containing bread, produce, meat, dairy items (including milk) and paper products.

Our Lady of Guadalupe currently serves approximately 350 families per week. It simply requires some type of identification which demonstrates that the individual and/or family live within one of the cities it serves. However, Our Lady of Guadalupe never turns anyone away and will provide a bag of food.

Once an individual or family is registered, they are given either a pink or yellow card, which thereafter is presented to show that residency has been verified. Families can come every other week to receive food assistance. If someone comes on an of day because they have a dire need, they are given a bag of food.

Our Lady of Guadalupe uses a drivethrough method for food distribution. Clients stay in their car as they receive their food assistance.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Food Pantry is an all-volunteer organization. It receives donations on Tuesday and Friday from 8 a.m.-12 Noon. The volunteers are on-site on Saturdays from 6:30-11 a.m. Its volunteers are older, having 50 in their 80s and two in their 90s, and it is always in need of more volunteers.

Tom Bullaro, who has been with the food pantry for 22 years and has been its director for 18 of those years, said, “We are thankful to all of the stores that donate. They help us to keep going.”

Our Lady of Guadalupe gets food from Feeding Tampa Bay and picks up donations from stores like Aldi. It has three refrigerated trucks and an impressive food storage area complete with walk-in refrigerators.

Our Lady of Guadalupe Food Pantry is located at 16650 U.S. Hwy. 301 S. in Wimauma. For more information, visit www.ourladyspantry.com.