17 minute read
Hooked On Books
The back-to-school season can be a special time for families. As our younger children move from one grade to the next, we certainly want to encourage them in their God-given purpose, inspire them to be successful and comfort them during the transition to their next school year.
A fantastic way to celebrate the upcoming new school year is by reading faith-based children’s books together. Encouraging and fun books that can be read as a family can often ease the worry of the new school year for both students as well as parents.
Sometimes, it can be a challenge to find books that include a back-to-school theme while also addressing topics important to Christian families. Check out some of these back-to-school books that your family may find helpful to encourage faith-filled conversations with kids. “Be strong and Courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9. Have a blessed school year.
By Kelly Wise Valdes
Different Like Me By Xochitl Dixon
Diferent Like Me is a perfect back-toschool book for this time of year where students will often make new friends. The rhyming text is fun to read and reminds kids about the connections of friendships while the illustrations show students working together to solve a problem. The book starts and ends with Bible verses and also includes conversation starters for families.
Dad Time: Savoring the God-Given It Will Be Okay
By Lysa TerKeurst
Join beloved pastor and author Max LucAt back-to-school time, this book is perfect for Christian families facing a transition. The book tells a parable about a seed being planted and growing into a tree, all under the care of a faithful gardener. The seed also has the support of a caring friend. Of course, the seed doesn’t fully understand all the good that will come from being planted.
Do Unto Otters
By Laurie Keller
Part of the back-to-school experience involves learning efective, loving ways to relate to others. Although this book doesn’t specifically mention the Bible, Christian families can use it to illustrate the love of God. It’s a fun-filled play on words similar to the Bible verse referred to as the Golden Rule: “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” — Luke 6:31. This is a meaningful story about kindness and love.
Hand to Hold By J.J. Heller
An important part of successfully sending kids off to school (or teaching them at home) is creating a loving environment for them to be encouraged and successful while also assuring them of your unconditional love as a parent. Hand to Hold is a love song from parent to child and is a beautiful way to inspire young children at the beginning of a new school year
TWO ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL-SOUTH NURSE APPRENTICE STUDENTS AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS
Staf Report
Sherard McKenzie and Abiodun Olusesi, both in nurse apprentice positions at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview and part of BayCare’s student nursing program, were recipients of nursing scholarships through the St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation and community benefactors. McKenzie and Olusesi were surprised with oversized checks in ‘Publishers Clearing House’-type presentations during their shifts. Both men said the scholarships will help as they balance raising their families, working and going to school.
McKenzie, from Sefner, is a nurse apprentice II and received a $2,500 scholarship through the Kosaraju Family Scholarship program and the foundation. He is studying at St. Petersburg College to become a registered nurse and will have his associate degree in December.
McKenzie has been with BayCare for seven years, working at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South and in the BayCare mobile nursing pool before taking a permanent position at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South. He has been all over the BayCare ‘map,’ as he has provided patient care in 10 of BayCare’s 16 hospitals.
“I’ve always wanted to help since I was a child and give back. I always wanted to
respond to disaster situations and help people in need so I knew nursing would get me onto that path and field,” explained McKenzie. Olusesi, from Ruskin, is a nurse apprentice I and was awarded a $5,000 nursing schol-
Abiodun Olusesi, a nurse apprentice I at St. arship through the
Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview. Al Greenway Nursing
Scholarship program and the foundation. He has been with St. Joseph’s Hospital-South for less than a year but has made a big impact in that short amount of time. He goes to school during
Sherard McKenzie, a nurse apprentice II at St. the day and works at
Joseph’s Hospital-South in Riverview. the hospital at night.
Olusesi, who already has a degree in biochemistry, is scheduled to have his bachelor’s in September from Rasmussen University to become a registered nurse. Olusesi said his passion for taking care of people led him to pursue a nursing degree, but his biochemistry education also spurred his interest in nursing. “That knowledge (in biochemistry) pushed me into nursing,” he said. “I wanted to know more about how the body works.” In the nurse apprentice positions, Sherard and Abiodun provide care under the direct supervision of nurses. St. Joseph’s Hospital-South is one of 16 BayCare hospitals in the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions.
FLORIDA HOME PARTNERSHIP BREAKS GROUND ON MAGNOLIA GARDEN SQUARE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMMUNITY IN WIMAUMA
Staf Report
Future Homeowners, Florida Home Partnership
Employees and representatives from the USDA and Hillsborough County were present at the groundbreaking for the new Magnolia Garden Square development.
Florida Home Partnership (FHP), Hillsborough County’s leading nonprofit-certified afordable housing homebuilder, recently broke ground on Magnolia Garden Square in Wimauma. Magnolia Garden Square is one of the first afordable housing communities in Florida to also ofer healthy living features that will enhance quality of life for its residents.
The community will feature 38 new homes that are available to those earning 80 percent or below the median income. The owners receive their loans through USDA’s Mutual Self-Help Housing program and are expected to participate in a minimum of 600 hours in the building of their homes and their neighbors’ homes, using sweat equity as a stipulation to the loan.
“We are so proud to build these homes and to partner with USDA to provide afordable living options in Wimauma,” said Vanessa Josey, FHP COO. “The program is designed to build a sense of community and ownership that is crucial to its long-term success.” The community of villas and townhomes will have a variety of environmental and healthy features that will enhance the quality of its residents’ lifestyles. “We truly see the green space as a meeting spot for the community. We envision them stroll ing the area in the eve nings, playing catch with their children and gathering to enjoy the outdoors on a beautiful fall afternoon,” said Josey.
Attendees included board members as well as current and former FHP clients. Speakers included: Martine Dorvil, FHP board member; Michael Marina, FHP executive director; Josue Robles Caraballo, USF research faculty in Architecture and Urban Design; Kimberly Overman, Hillsborough County Commissioner; Lakeisha Hood, USDA Rural Development state director; Cheryl Howell, Hillsborough County Afordable Housing and Community Development director; and Walter Walker Jr., FHP board member.
FHP expects to start construction of Magnolia Garden Square by the end of the year. For those interested in learning more about afordable housing options through FHP, please visit its website at https://flhome.org/ or call 813-6727860.
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MOSAIC AND GEORGE JENKINS FOUNDATION DONATE TO RCMA COMMUNITY ACADEMIES
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Established in 1965, RCMA is Florida’s largest nonprofit provider of early childhood education and a nationally recognized charter school operator. Headquartered in Immokalee, RCMA operates 65 child development centers and two K-8 charter schools, with plans to add Mulberry Community Academy (MCA) for the 2023-24 school year. Florida recently designated RCMA a ‘School of Hope’ charter school operator, reflecting its success and making it eligible for grants and low-cost loans as it builds more charter schools.
The Mosaic Company has pledged $50,000 per year over three years to RCMA. The first $50,000, donated on June 20 to RCMA’s Wimauma Community Academy, will help fund a steel protective cover over the newly built 52’ x 90’ sports court utilized for physical education classes and after-school sports programs.
Mosaic will contribute $50,000 in May 2023 and $50,000 in May 2024 toward MCA, which will serve K-1 students in modular classrooms when it opens, with construction for the K-8 school serving 360 students expected to be completed by fall 2025.
What’s more, RCMA received $200,000 from the George Jenkins Foundation, also known as Publix Super Markets Charities, for stafng at MCA. The grant covers 18 months of salary for a talent and recruitment manager, who is hiring
From left to right: Jackie Barron; Morgan Odum; Sarah Fedorchuk; three Wimauma Community Academy (WCA) teachers and administrative students, who are holding Mosaic’s donation; coach Joe Puente; staf for the new a WCA student; Bill Ferrari; Principal Mark Haggett; Erica Gal- school, and an legos and her two sons, who are current or past WCA students; Linda Adams (in the back in a white top); and RCMA executive director Isabel Garcia. after-school coordinator, who
will help families register their children for summer school at MCA for 2023. “At this exciting time, as we prepare to provide a continuum of education for students transitioning from our child development center to our charter school, we are extremely grateful to the George Jenkins Foundation for helping us identify new staf members and to let families about the additional services we are providing,” said Isabel Garcia, RCMA executive director. “RCMA is committed to ensuring that children in Florida’s rural communities have access to the best education possible and that they and their families benefit from our holistic approach that includes health care, parenting classes, English language instruction, nutrition services and immigration support programs.” In addition, earlier this year, the Charter School Growth Fund, the largest funder of high performing charter schools in the country, pledged a $1.275 million investment over four years to help RCMA expand its schools. For more information about RCMA, please visit http://rcma.org/.
WORLD WAR II VETERAN CELEBRATES HIS 100TH BIRTHDAY AND MILITARY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE
By Linda Chion
With family and friends at the River Hills Golf and Country Club in Valrico in June, World War II veteran Robert Kittner reveled in the celebration that marked his 100 years of life.
It was just one of many birthday celebrations for the Bloomingdale resident, whose tours of duty and life adventures took him to locations near and far, guided by his enduring beacon of faith. When asked to reveal his secret to a long life, Kittner didn’t miss a beat. “Just don’t take yourself too seriously,” he said.
What is serious, however, is his record of service, starting with Kittner’s enlistment on December 8, 1941, the day after the Japanese surprise attack on the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on Oahu Island, Hawaii, which precipitated the nation’s entry into World War II.
Kittner at the time was a college student at Rutgers University in New Jersey, where he studied engineering. He would eventually earn a degree in business administration and spend a career in the hotel industry, which led him to live in many countries, including Lebanon, England, Belgium and India. A top executive for Sheraton Hotels, where he worked for 24 years, Kittner began his career by designing, building and managing a ski lodge in Vermont.
As Kittner put it, he “used the war to get out of trouble.” As a flight instructor
in Albany, Georgia, Kittner trained French pilots, and to avoid getting killed, he said he “went to the company commander and asked if he could transfer me
World War II veteran Robert Kittner at River Hills Country Club on into the real
June 12, where he celebrated with family and friends his 100th. war.”
Kittner was stationed in the remote Aleution Islands in Anchorage, Alaska, a fiercely contested battleground in the Pacific Ocean. He would later serve as a general’s aide-de-camp. Over the years, Kittner was a high school ski coach, church deacon and Rotarian and served on the boards for libraries, a college a medical center and the Calvin Coolidge Association. An active member of St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church in Valrico, Kittner recounted a close call he had flying in bad weather during his U.S. Army Air Force service, finding the “only spot that was clear to land” before the wind stopped and his plane came straight down on a nearby island. A father of six, grandfather of 11 and great-grandfather of 13, Kittner celebrated his June 1 centenarian birthday at River Hills on June 12. “What you see is what you get with my father,” said Shirley Tucker, a longtime Bloomingdale resident, who noted as well his father’s longtime service on the board for the Bloomingdale Regional Library.
THE WESTSIDE CHAPTER OF THE NAM KNIGHTS MOTORCYCLE CLUB HOSTS OPENING OF NEW K-9 MEMORIAL
By Libby Hopkins
In the summer of 1989, a small group of Harley-riding combat vets of the Vietnam War, who were also police officers, banded together to form the Nam Knights. The club was founded in New Jersey by Jack Quigley, now retired undersheriff of the Bergen County Sherif’s Department. Quigley served as a platoon sergeant with the 11th Motor Transport Battalion, First Marine Division.
Today, the Nam Knights of America Motorcycle Club has grown to 69 chapters in 16 states, Washington D.C. and two Canadian provinces with hundreds of members made up of veterans of all eras as well as law enforcement personnel, plus a few special and dedicated ‘patriots.’ As Quigley has said, “The club was formed to recapture the brotherhood its founding members shared while serving in Southeast Asia and to help other veterans of all wars who are unable to physically or financially help themselves.”
On June 29, the Westside Chapter of the Nam Knights Motorcycle Club in Brandon hosted the unveiling of their K-9 Memorial in Temple Terrace. “The
city has kindly donated a piece of property to us for this memorial,” said Travis Wright of the club. “The Westside Chapter of the Nam Knights Motorcycle Club has a long history of providing assistance to
Gary and Dennis Olson, owners of HiTech Automotive in military vetBrandon and members of the Name Knights, with the new erans and law K-9 Memorial (Aramis). enforcement in
the bay area. Each time we take on a project, we hope to make a diference and a positive impact in the community. This memorial will be an important place for people to come and pay respect to all law enforcement K-9s. I am a local law enforcement K-9 handler, so there is no doubt this memorial will hold a special place in my heart.” One of the K-9s that was honored at the memorial was named Aramis. “K-9 Aramis passed away on 06/17/2021 after years of dedicated service with the Temple Terrace Police Department,” Wright said. “His handler’s name is master patrol ofcer Rick Scilabro. Aramis is just one of the K-9s that was honored at the memorial.” If you would like to learn more about the Nam Knights Westside Chapter in Brandon, you can visit its website at www.namknightswestside.com.
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IMPACT TO HOST ‘UGLY PROM’ FOR TEENS IN THE COMMUNITY
By Madeline Gardner
Tis event is named to encourage shopping at Goodwill and Salvation Army to piece together an ugly prom outft.
Impact, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting and providing information on healthy relationships and lifestyles to students and parents within the community, plans to hold its ‘Ugly Prom’ on Friday, July 8 at Kings Avenue Baptist Church. The event ofers teens from Hillsborough and Polk counties access to a host of fun games and dancing from 7-9 p.m. First established in 2006 on a federal grant, Impact’s summer staf program has since incorporated activities such as Ugly Prom as part of its ‘Fun Friday’ initiative.
“The returners of summer staf definitely look forwards to and expect it. The new members are exposed to it then, and it becomes a tradition for them as well. If we weren’t to have it, they’d be seriously disappointed,” said Angie Kagey, executive director of Impact.
Encouraging teens to shop around at their local Goodwill or Salvation Army, the event is centered around the attendees piecing together the ugliest prom outfit they can imagine. After purchasing a $5 ticket, students will gain access to food and a series of featured activities, such as crowning a king and queen for the event who will pass down their crowns the following year. Promoting group dancing, selection will range from the Electric Slide to the “Y.M.C.A.” to various limbo challenges. “It’s a lot of fun. So, we do a lot of pictures and get them dancing, and the students go all out too,” said Kagey. “It’s a good, clean atmosphere.” Among its other initiatives and projects, such as huddles held on the last Monday of every month, Ugly Prom is specially designed to discourage giving into peer pressure. The purpose of hosting these events allows for students to recognize that fun can be had without taking risks that can eventually create problems for youth. Impact works to foster a close and collective community where students can enjoy engaging in activities and collaborations that are both safe and beneficial.
“There’s fun out there that doesn’t involve high-risk behavior. It’s possible to have a good time,” said Kagey. “It’s really to provide good, positive peer support and be around students who are like-minded, to gain the atmosphere of being around students who are going to support you in making healthy lifestyle decisions.”
For information on Ugly Prom and Impact, call 264-9368 or visit www.whatisimpact.com.
PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN
(never known to fail) O Most beautiful fowers of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me here you are my mother. O Holy Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart, to succeed me in my necessity (make request). Tere are none that can withstand your power. O Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee (three times). Holy Mary I place this cause in your hands (three times).
Say this prayer for three consecutive days and then you must publish and it will be granted to you. T.O.C.M.B.
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