Tales of Our Volunteer Heroes and Life-Changing Community Service Programs
Want ideas for volunteering in the Tampa Bay area? Enjoy articles and volunteer and contributor spotlights that offer insights and firsthand experiences with our programs.
Veterans Helping Veterans through Whole Health!
Operation: Veteran Connect engages AmeriCorps members who are veterans and feel a special calling to help others who've served our nation. In partnership with James A. Haley and Bay Pines VA Hospitals, this veterans-helping-veterans model helps implement Whole Health,...
Spotlight: Ms. Brascom!
Foster Grandparent volunteers make a real difference in children's lives with in-school tutoring and mentoring. That difference would not be possible without classroom teachers. Teachers, like Ms. SaTonya Brascom, are true advocates for their students and the...
Building Hope with Tomatoes
Isolation stemming from mandatory stay-at-home orders and social distancing brought fear and loneliness to Sun City Center's senior community in March of 2020. Food insecurity also skyrocketed, and a growing sense of uncertainty paralyzed many. That was not the...
Volunteer Spotlight: Jane McGrady!
Jane McGrady volunteers through the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program in Pasco County. Jane spent her career making a difference as a family law attorney in New York. A year and a half ago, she retired and moved to Florida. It didn't take long for Jane to...
Congratulations to Our Partner, Kelli Casto!
CONGRATULATIONS to Tampa Bay Lightning Community Hero Award recipient Kelli Casto! Kelli Casto made it her mission over the last 5 years to assist struggling seniors. In 2016, Kelli founded Saving Our Seniors, an organization that provides durable medical equipment to...
Chronic Conditions Can’t Stop Connection!
Brian once had a life full of activity and independence until a diagnosis changed everything. His chronic condition caused exhaustion and forced Brian to remain indoors more often than he ever had. Brian's isolation became dire after the mandatory social distancing...
Partnering Up for PTSD
Operation: Veteran Connect volunteers make an extraordinary impact in our community by serving Veterans, active military, and military family members. Volunteers partnered with the Franciscan Center in Tampa during AmeriCorps Week to help spread the word about their...
Volunteers Fight Loneliness with Connection
Research shows loneliness eclipses obesity and even smoking as a predictor of early decline/death. Seniors need social connection to preserve health and remain independent. TelePals offer socialization and wellness checks through telephone reassurance. TelePals like...
Parental Engagement Goes VIRTUAL!
Readers in Motion hosted its first VIRTUAL parent engagement event this February in collaboration with Bricks 4 Kidz. Our family events have become quite a staple, engaging our K-1 students, their siblings and even parents in various creative STEM activities. We knew...
Welcome, RSVP Pinellas!
Seniors in Service has been awarded a competitive grant from AmeriCorps Seniors to engage seniors in Pinellas County in community service through the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), addressing issues in food security, education, health, and economic...