May 2022
Riverview/Apollo Beach Edition
THE APOLLO BEACH WOMAN’S CLUB: DONATIONS, INSPIRATION AND CELEBRATION
Staff Report
The Apollo day of the month Beach Woman’s from September Club (ABWC) to May. The new was very busy meeting location is during the last few the Ruskin Moose months donating, Lodge, located at inspiring and cele1212 E. Shell Point brating. Rd. in Ruskin. On March 8, the During the club presented a March luncheon, check for $700 the guest speaker to Connie Bishop was Anne McCaof South Shore rthy, FWC, Gulf United Methodist Coast Marine Church (SSUMC) Fisheries Hatchery to support five chiland Enhancement The Apollo Beach Woman’s Club (ABWC) March dren for the year as Center at Apoland April 2022 event photos. part of Backpacks lo Beach Florida on a Mission. Backpacks on a Mission is a Conservation and Technology Center. She SSUMC outreach ministry program that discussed her career history and setup of provides a weekend supply of nutritious the Piney Point Hatchery. The speaker for food to children through their schools. At the April 13 luncheon was Sheldon Barr, the February luncheon, ABWC members chief executive officer of HCA Florida South donated 1,577 food items and $417 in mon- Shore Hospital (formerly South Bay Hospietary contributions to Backpacks on a Mis- tal), who shared HCA’s mission and goals for sion. The ABWC has been contributing to improving health care in the community. this mission for several years. The last luncheon for the season will be On March 12, ABWC honored two amaz- on Wednesday, May 11, when the ABWC ing local women, Dr. Jennifer Wells China will recognize its 2022 College Scholarship and Nurse Carla (Chrissy) Millsaps, during recipients from two local high schools and their Inaugural Inspirational Women Lun- the Woman’s Advancement Scholarship recheon at the Del Webb Southshore Falls cipient. The luncheon costs $22, and reserBallroom. The luncheon was organized by vations and payments must be received by the Woman’s Advancement Committee, the Friday prior to the luncheon. For menu whose focus is on the “advancement of details and reservations, contact Barbara womankind,” a primary objective in the DeOca at 813-892-1219 or abwclub2020@ ABWC’s mission statement. All proceeds gmail.com. If you wish to learn more about from the event will fund a scholarship for a the ABWC, information can be found at woman in need. www.apollobeachwomansclub.com/index. In addition to special events like the In- html, or contact Second Vice President of spirational Women Luncheon, the ABWC Membership Liz Pedersen at 813-777-8215 holds a luncheon on the second Wednes- or kenlizpedersen@msn.com.
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OUR LADY’S PANTRY WORKS WITH OPERATION VETERANS CONNECT Staff Report Our Lady’s Pantry has been open for 22 years to help fight hunger among our neighbors, according to Tom Bullaro. Bullaro, co-director of Our Lady’s Pantry along with his wife, Anita, explained that a few years ago, the pantry started working with Seniors in Service (SIS), a nonprofit group in Tampa. This group specializes in connecting people over age 55 with nonprofits in surrounding counties Our Lady’s Pantry recently began working with Operation to make a difference and change Veterans Connect. lives through community service. Since then, SIS volunteers have been coming to the pantry every week. Recently, Glarisol Traspalacios from SIS contacted Bullaro to tell him about Operation Veterans them as such in our computer, which digital Connect (OVC), a program under the um- information we can then share with OVC.” brella of SIS. Traspalacios is the program OVC is helping the veterans to find housmanager of OVC. The mission of this group, ing and food. which includes volunteers over the age of “By the end of March, we had identified 19, is to connect veterans, active militaries 84 veterans among our clients,” said Bullaro. and their families to community resources. “Many of these vets visited the pantry more Through this connection, they can increase than once during that month, receiving a totheir knowledge about their benefits, have tal of 147 boxes or bags of food. In addition, access to care and engage veterans in as- AmeriCorps OVC member Scott Harvey also sisting their fellow veterans through volun- delivers nine bags of food to veterans offteer service. site after the pantry closes each Saturday.” “We hope to identify more veterans in To facilitate the process, representatives need who visit the pantry,” said Traspalocios. from Volunteer Florida, SIS AmeriCorps Bullaro is thrilled to learn about OVC. OVC members and Our Lady’s Pantry met “Until now, we never had a special pro- on April 5 to share individual backgrounds gram dedicated to helping former military along with their passion for helping others men and women among our clients,” he said. less fortunate than themselves. To read more “Starting about a month ago, when clients about this meeting, please visit www.ourlacome for food, Anita asks them if they are dyspantry.com/our-ladys-pantry-workingmilitary. With the help of Jim Mecsko, the closely-with-operation-veterans-connect-topantry’s computer specialist, we identify better-serve-our-vets/.
