ECHO SEEKS VOLUNTEERS

ECHO SEEKS SPANISH-SPEAKING VOLUNTEERS TO ADD TO SERVICES

By Michelle Caceres

When Brandon resident Julie Bills found herself unable to work because of an automobile accident, she sought ways to fill her days with activities that would bring purpose to her life.

She found that purpose as a volunteer at Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO), where she volunteers once a week in the ECHO Clothing Closet by helping neighbors find suitable clothing for their lifestyles.

“I love giving back to the community and serving neighbors in need,” she said. “I might not get a paycheck, but every time I see someone smile, especially during these challenging times, because I’ve helped them brings me such joy.”

Brandon Center Director Savanna Thompson is thankful for Bills and all of ECHO’s volunteers but said they’re always in need of able bodies to help fulfill the organization’s mission of assisting residents of Hillsborough County with emergency food, clothing and access to life-stabilizing programs and resources.

One critical need is bilingual volunteers. Approximately half of the neighbors ECHO serves are more comfortable speaking Spanish than English, but only 10 percent of ECHO’s volunteers can speak and understand Spanish.

“Having bilingual volunteers will help

us serve our neighbors to the best of our ability,” said Thompson. Volunteers work Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., and are asked to commit to at least one day a week working at either the Brandon (507 N. Parsons Dr.) or Riverview (7807 Brandon resident Julie Bills volunteers at ECHO in Capitano St.) locathe ECHO Clothing Closet one day a week. tion. New volunteers are asked to attend a brief New Volunteer Orientation, which are ofered once a month at its Brandon ofce. Assistance is needed in several departments, including its opportunity center, which provides job coaching, GED help, financial workshops and one-on-one tutoring, and its advocacy program to help neighbors connect to local resources. In its Riverview outreach center, volunteers are needed to fill greeter positions, helping neighbors needing assistance feel welcome as the organization’s first point of contact. “If you have time, please consider volunteering at ECHO,” said Thompson. “Volunteers help our neighbors find stability in their lives and we can’t do this without them.” For more information about ECHO or about volunteering at the organization, visit www.echofl.org and click on the label at the top of the page titled ‘Get Involved’ or contact Thompson at 685-0935, ext. 8002.

DISTRICT 4 COUNTY COMMISSIONER STACY WHITE RECEIVES REPUBLICAN LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

By Makenzie Atkins

Stacy White, Hillsborough County commissioner, was awarded with the Legislator of the Year Award recently by the Hillsborough County Republican Party.

White received the award at this year’s Lincoln Day Dinner, hosted by the Hillsborough County Republican Party. The annual Lincoln Day Dinner was held on August 27 and recognized many of those in the Republican Party as well as hosting a guest speaker, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.

White is a member of the Republican Party who is currently serving on the Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners. White represents District 4, which includes Balm, Brandon, Dover, Lithia, Plant City, Riverview, Sun City Center, Wimauma, Ruskin and Valrico.

White is a fifth-generation native of Hillsborough County and currently lives in Valrico with his family. He graduated from East Bay High School and then went on to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Florida (UF). Spending a lot of time at UF, he is a practicing pharmacist as well as a clinical assistant professor of pharmacy. White is no stranger to winning awards, as in 2006, UF recognized him by naming him the Roche Preceptor of the Year in an Outpatient Setting.

“I don’t wake up every day seeking ways to win awards. Rather, it is my

Stacy White receives the Legislator of the Year Award at the 2021 Lincoln Day Dinner. goal to be a servant leader in my community—to work hard and do what is right,” said White. “Sometimes this leads to being recognized with an award, and it is a tremendous honor when this happens.” Some of the commissioner’s duties include Agency on Bay Management, Aviation Authority, Hillsborough River Interlocal Planning Board, Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Tampa Bay Estuary Program Policy Board. White enjoys working for the community as a leader and pushing to do good. He has always been a hard worker and strives to continue to do right by the community he loves. For more information, please contact Megan Nixon, senior legislative aid for White, at nixonm@hillsboroughcounty. org. Reach out the Hillsborough County Republican Party through its website, https://www.hillsborough.gop/contact.

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DURANT BREW CREW OFFERS COFFEE AND EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS

By Lily Belcher

Durant High School’s Exceptional Student Education (ESE) program started selling cofee and cookies to the student body on September 6 through ‘The Brew Crew.’

The Brew Crew gives ESE students the opportunity to run a schoolwide business and gain experience through the program.

“Brew Crew is a curriculum-based enterprise that allows students to gain employee ability skills, entrepreneurial skills and it helps bridge the gap between the workplace and real life,” said sponsor and Durant teacher Kandice Hill. “When they graduate from high school, a lot of times it takes a little more support to help them transition to actual adulthood.”

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Durant students can purchase cofee and cookies for a dollar each during the first passing periods.

“I absolutely love The Brew Crew. Coffee is one of my favorite drinks and I love that the school ofers The Brew Crew. I was excited when they finally brought it back because it saves me a lot of time during the morning,” said senior Cassidy Brankley. The money raised by The Brew Crew is used to fund new computers for the classroom, field trips and cultural celebrations for their Kandice Hill, sponsor of Te Brew Crew, helps students learn how to run a students. This allows business. for the money being made by students to be given back to them. It also helps their seniors pay for senior year activities that they may not be able to attend without the support of The Brew Crew, such as prom. Hill gets most of the cofee donated by her coworkers and through her DonorsChoose page. She said that she has been able to keep The Brew Crew running for nine years with the help of her coworkers Donna Gurda and Gretchen Trevino. They, along with Principal Gary Graham and former Principal Pam Bowden, have supported Hill and the ESE students in keeping the Brew Crew alive and brightening each student’s morning with a cup of joe. To support Hill and The Brew Crew, visit their DonorsChoose page at www.donorschoose.org/classroom/kandice-hill.

TEACHING KIDS HOW TO PLAY

By Libby Hopkins

Rooted in Play started as a direct result of a problem encountered by its two co-founders, Maggie Willman and Ashli Givens, that being the lack of opportunities for their own children to take risks, build autonomy and just play.

Willman and Givens both grew up in Brandon, became friends while attending Burns Middle School and played in the Bloomingdale High School marching band. They went on to be college roommates. After graduation, they returned to Tampa and started their career and families. As they were raising their three kids each, they were both concerned with the emphasis on extracurricular activities, organized sports and the general lack of excitement/support for allowing their kids to just play.

The two friends learned of the concept of an adventure playground when Willman was invited to take pictures at a play conference in the early spring of 2019. The seeds of Rooted in Play were planted right then and there. “Rooted in Play is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating time, space and a place for all children to engage in self-directed, outdoor play,” Willman said. “This mission is accomplished by hosting free, pop-up playgrounds at local parks and providing information, tools and resources about

play. The benefits of getting children outside to play include an increase in physical activity, mental health, creativity, concentration, vocabulary and motor skills.” Rooted in Play hosted its first popup adventure playground on Earth Day Maggie Willman (left) and Ashli Givens (right) are in 2019. “Since then, the co-founders of Rooted in Play. Teir nonproft we have hosted over started as a direct result of the lack of opportunities 10 free community for their own children to take risks, build autonomy and just play. events and served over 1,000 children,” Givens said. The co-founders agree that the best part of hosting events is seeing the joy on the children’s faces as they play and observing the amazing things that they create, including water filtration systems, pirate ships, roller coasters and even a Newton’s cradle. “The long-term vision for Rooted in Play is a world where child-led play is recognized as a child’s right and valued as a key component of their health, learning, growth and wellbeing,” Willman said. “To accomplish this, Rooted in Play is dedicated to making Tampa and its surrounding areas a leader in the playable cities trend by continuing to host pop-up adventure playgrounds, creating ‘Play Hubs’ at local parks for regular play sessions and spreading the message about the benefits of self-directed, outdoor play.” If you would like to learn more about Rooted in Play, you can visit its website at www.rootedinplay.org.