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Volume 15, Issue 9 Ph: 657-2418
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Adopt A Foster Child Through Heart Gallery Of Tampa
Local Businesses Can Get Financial Help From Hillsborough County
On the webof Tampa was site of Heart created to find Gallery of forever families Tampa, there for Tampa’s fosare individual ter children who pictures of cute, have experismiling, nicely enced abandondressed kids like ment, abuse you would see and neglect. at the mall, playMany carry ing soccer in the everything they park or being Children at Heart Gallery of Tampa are waiting for own in a green dropped off by families to view their smiling pictures, read about plastic bag. their goals and dreams and adopt them. parents at Recently, school. Except, beneath each picture is Heart Gallery of Tampa expressed gratione of these three labels: “Found a tude for Riverview’s local hairdressers Family,” “Potentially Matched” or who donated time and talents helping 18 “Available.” foster children get back-to-school hairEach smiling picture and short procuts. With the uncertainties surrounding file represents a child hoping for a forev- this school year, the haircuts provided er family: some sense of normalcy for these local Armani (Found a Family): foster kids. “Destined for greatness.” On track for an Heart Gallery of Tampa is also early graduation and intends to head grateful for financial donations: $1,000 straight to college to become an will sponsor a child for one year, $500 OB/GYN doctor. will sponsor a child for six months, $300 Aries (Potentially Matched): “My provides one birthday party, $200 prosmile lights up a room.” Loves to play vides a birthday present for one child outside, ride his bike, dreams of going to and $100 provides school supplies for Disney World and hopes to wake up one child. with super powers and be able to fly. Lindsay Hermida, program director, Anna (Available): “I like spiders!” explained that 100 children are selected She dreams of ice skating outdoors and for the pictorial site and the majority are climbing mountains, though her ideal older, part of a sibling group or have day would be at Disney World dressed special needs. These children need speup as Queen Elsa from Frozen. cial families to open their hearts, homes Elijah (Available): “I’m a math and lives to adopt them. “The whole whiz!” He loves everything from video focus of our mission is to be out in the games to sports to chorus and excels in community to share our message…help math. He dreams of going to Florida spread the word about our kids waiting State University. for a place to call home.” These and all the other children For more information, visit have one thing in common: they are www.heartgallerytampa.org or email hoping for forever homes. Heart Gallery Lindsay@HeartGalleryTampa.org.
Local businessfare, with an es that have lost emphasis on revenue because of Filipino dishes. the public health According to response to the Isabella Rosal, one COVID-19 pandemof TBD@301’s ic may be eligible for owners, the finanfinancial assistance cial support from from Hillsborough Hillsborough County. County is indeed TBD@301 is one of the businesses The money is receiving grants from Hillsborough County making a difference to help cover expenses during the COVID- for the family busibeing disbursed 19 pandemic. through the counness. ty’s Rapid Response “The grants we have Recovery (R3) program, received have been our life which has been allocating support,” Rosal added. financial support to businessSocial distancing has meant es affected by the pandemic. Eligibility cri- fewer weddings and corporate events for teria has been recently expanded in order ABC Event Planning, but Owner Craig to help more businesses. Beckinger said the $10,000 grant he Financial grants up to $40,000 are received will make its way back into the available depending on the size of the economy. business. The grants do not need to be “It’ll allow me to keep the doors open repaid and can be spent on expenses and pay bills,” he said. Beckinger added such as rent, wages and vendor invoices. that the Florida Small Business Applications will be accepted through Development Center at the University of Tuesday, December 1, or until funding is South Florida provided helpful resources exhausted. in applying for his grant. Lynn Kroesen manages the To learn more about the R3 financial Hillsborough County Entrepreneur assistance, visit hillsboroughcounty.org or Collaborative Center and said the R3 pro- call 888-393-7509. gram is a significant initiative to keep business owners operating. “This provides us an opportunity to In This Issue provide them the financial assistance they need in a very challenging time, to get through some of the difficult challenges A DOOR OF HOPE.............................PG 3 they might be having,” said Kroesen. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FAIR .........PG 5 Helping get the word out about the R3 program are groups like the Greater LOCAL OUTDOOR MARKETS.............PG 6 Riverview Chamber of Commerce. According to Membership Director HCC GRANTS.....................................PG 9 Debbie Kirkland, the support is needed. LIVING IN COVID......................PGS 10‐11 “Several of our businesses have been significantly hurt during this panEYE ON BUSINESS....................PGS 17‐18 demic and any form of financial assisARTS & ENTERTAINMENT...............PG 24 tance is greatly appreciated. For some, the grants can mean the difference SPORTS CONNECTION ....................PG 26 between staying open or closing their doors.” READ MORE LOCAL NEWS ONLINE Among the businesses funded is www.ospreyobserver.com TBD@301, a cafe serving a variety of
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MOBILE APP Orders enter TENOFF when ordering Jill Horst (L) and Susan Berdy (R) are getting ready to harvest yams for the annual Yam Jam from Bay Life Church’s Seeds Of Faith Community Garden. The garden grows thousands of pounds of fresh produce for families at ECHO and Hope For Her. Individual grower beds can be rented to those who would like to grow their own produce. For more information, visit www.baylife.org/seeds-of-faith-community-garden.
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