Two Sections, 40 Pages of Community News
Brandon/Winthrop 34 16 C E L E B R A T I N G
November 2019 Volume 14, Issue 11 Ph: 657-2418 1 7
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Food, Toys And Volunteers Needed For Annual Gift Of Hope Distribution
By Amanda Boston
had the privilege of running the gift wrap area for three to four of those years. It’s an honor to serve each person, look in their eyes, hear their story and pray with and for them. The experience is Local high school always exhausting, students are shown but in a beautiful sorting through toys donated to Greater way. I consider it a mission trip into my Brandon Gift of Hope. own community.” For families to participate, they must reside in the Greater Brandon area and will be vetted through Brandon’s Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO). To sign up, participants will need a picture ID, security card and proof of address. The list of zip codes being served can be found on the Gift of Hope website. For questions, call 485-5604. Last year, Gift of Hope served close to 657 families and had 380 registered volunteers. For those who wish to volunteer but are not connected to a church, help is needed during the distribution days. You can sign up for a time slot online through the Gift of Hope website at www.brandongiftofhope.com. Volunteers must be 14 years or older (unless accompanied by an adult). Donations of food items and toys are also appreciated. To see a list of requested items, please visit the Gift of Hope website. ECHO will accept donations during regular business hours. If you would rather make a monetary donation, the option to purchase a turkey is available online. First Baptist Church of Brandon is located at 216 N. Parsons Ave.
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Greater Brandon Gift of Hope is a multichurch outreach that provides a traditional Christmas meal and Christmas gifts to families in need. Hundreds of families in the Greater Brandon area are food-insecure. Hunger not only affects the homeless—often, families have to choose between paying a bill or purchasing food. To help fill the gap, the Gift of Hope ministry rallies local churches to join together and tangibly demonstrate the love of Jesus to those in their community. This year’s combined effort includes 10 churches that will collect the Christmas meal items, toys, gift wrap and other items. Over three days, volunteers from multiple denominations will assemble at the First Baptist Church of Brandon to distribute meal items and help parents ‘shop’ for their children’s Christmas gifts. This year’s distribution dates are Thursday, December 12 and Friday, December 13 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday, December 14 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. “I’m eagerly anticipating this year’s upcoming event," said Kit Enriquez, who, along with her husband, Eric Enriquez, has been involved with Gift of Hope for the last 6-7 years. She continued, “We’ve helped on occasion in the prayer chapel, but I’ve
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Blue Sky & Metro Ministries, Break Ground On New Affordable Housing Complex
By Kate Quesada
part of the solution for Hillsborough County.” JPMorgan Chase’s Tampa team helped Metropolitan Ministries develop its affordable housing division with a $400,000 grant last year. The firm also provides construction financing to Blue Sky Communities to help fund A ground breaking for SabalPlace, an affordable housing the development. community in Seffner-Mango last month. “As Tampa continues to Metropolitan Ministries is working to help combat one of the leading causes of grow at a rapid pace, we need to make sure that all residents have access to homeless in the Brandon area—the lack affordable housing,” said April Monteith, of affordable housing. In collaboration executive director and vice chair of with Blue Sky Communities, with funding JPMorgan Chase’s Tampa market leaderfrom Hillsborough County, Florida ship team. Housing Finance Corporation and Blue Sky is taking applications for its JPMorgan Chase & Co., construction Preserve at Sabal Park community which recently began on SabalPlace, which will shares a location with the SabalPlace offer 112 new affordable housing units in development. The Preserve also offers Mango-Seffner. one, two and three bedroom apartments According to President and CEO of with rent starting at $695 a month. Call Metropolitan Ministries Tim Marks, since 207-6121 or visit www.preserveatsabal2012, the number of families receiving park.com.SabalPlace is located at 10920 housing through the group has grown E. Broadway Ave. in Mango-Seffner. from 43 to more than 450 in the Tampa To learn more about Metropolitan Bay area. “We have witnessed an exploMinistries, which was founded in 1972, sion in need as the economy soars and visit www.metromin.org. unemployment rates drop,” said Marks. “Our monthly number of assessments for on-site residential programs has doubled and peaks at 200 families a month.” In This SabalPlace, the first new developIssue ment to receive funding allocated by the Hillsborough County Board of County BLOOMINGDALE CHORUS BINGO......PG 3 Comissioners especially for affordable Housing, will be a family community of BRAILLE WORKS.................................PG 4 apartment homes built of durable CBS HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC TRAINERS .PG 13 construction, featuring one, two and three-bedroom units. EYE ON BUSINESS .....................PGS 14‐15 In partnering with Blue Sky ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT................PG 20 Communities, Metropolitan Ministries is able to further its mission to implement CHALKLINES .....................................PG 22 innovative ways to address the needs of SPORTS CONNECTION......................PG 23 the community and help at-risk families maintain self-sufficiency. READ MORE LOCAL NEWS ONLINE “We have hundreds of working famiwww.ospreyobserver.com lies on the wait list at our nearby properties, said Shawn Wilson, president of Blue Sky Communities. “SabalPlace is
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