Buccaneer visit helps to lift spirits
Tampa Bay Buccaneer Joe Jones surprised several AdventHealth Tampa patients and team members during a recent virtual visit. Jones is one of the newest linebackers for the Super Bowl Championship team and was eager to connect with the community. Ahead of training camp, Jones offered well wishes, and gave out some high-fives and a few thumbs-up. AdventHealth is the exclusive hospital of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Mental health support line
Tampa Bay Thrives has launched a free, confidential behavioral health support line in Hillsborough County.
The “Let’s Talk” call-in service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and connects callers with counselors, mental health services, and offers referrals to local providers.
Tampa Bay Thrives is an organization that brings together a coalition of Tampa Bay area hospitals, law enforcement agencies, local governments and community leaders.
The new service was crafted “to complement existing resources and build upon the great work already happening in our community,” said Carrie Zeisse, president and CEO of Tampa Bay Thrives.
“The pandemic has exacerbated the need to address mental health in the Tampa Bay region, and this project will help connect individuals who require additional support,” said Zeisse.
The service is available for Hillsborough County residents and is set to expand across the region in coming months.
To access Let’s Talk, call 1-833-342-5111, or visit LetsTalkTampaBay.org.
Donations needed
The Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger is seeking donations and local volunteers for its Meals on Wheels for Kids program.
The program’s mission is to provide nutritious home-delivered, shelf-stable meal ingredients, produce and prepared meals to transportation-disadvantaged and/or homebound children and their families who lack adequate access to food distribution locations throughout the community.
Meals on Wheels for Kids provides a weekly delivery of meals and shelf-stable groceries, as resources allow.
All donations go to providing these deliveries to children enrolled in the program.
Donations will be accepted via the program’s website, NetworkToEndHunger.org/mow4k/, or by calling 813-344-5837. If no one answers, please leave a message and someone will return your call within 24 hours.
Homebound vaccines
The Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA) has launched “We Will Meet You at Home,” to ensure that every older adult who wants a vaccine will receive one, according to a news release.
The initiative builds upon other programs throughout the state to provide homebound seniors access to COVID-19 vaccinations.
While many of Florida’s older residents have received a COVID-19 vaccination, not every senior is able to leave their home.
In these cases, the Florida DOEA and the state’s 11 Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) are offering seniors access to transportation to go and receive a vaccine. Elders also have the option of having a health care worker bring the vaccine to their front door.
DOEA’s statewide initiative is distributing over 175,000 informational flyers to older homebound adults requesting more information about vaccines or vaccine access.
The AAAs made tens of thousands of outbound wellness calls over a two-month period to identify people requesting more resources.
The DOEA’s Area Agencies on Aging connect seniors with community providers to get a ride to a doctor’s office, a pharmacy, a grocery store, or another vaccination site. The local AAAs also may assist in arranging a health care professional to come to the individual’s house to receive a vaccination.
If you or someone you know would like assistance with transportation in getting to a COVID-19 vaccination appointment or would like a health provider to bring a shot to your front door, call 800-963-5337, or email .
