The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
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Life Church

Reaching out to help others at Thanksgiving

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The Metropolitan Ministries donation tent is open, and accepting food and donations at Keystone Community Church, 21010 State Road 54 in Lutz.

The tent is open Nov. 20 to Nov. 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on weekdays and Saturdays, and noon to 3 p.m., on Sundays.

On Thanksgiving Day — a free take-out meal will be provided between 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. All are welcome.

Unlike the past 25 years, the Benedictine Sisters of Florida will not be hosting its annual community Thanksgiving meal, according to a newsletter published by the Sisters.

Instead of organizing the traditional gathering, the Sisters are involved in an effort to provide Thanksgiving baskets for those in need. They joined a collaboration formed with First Presbyterian Church, of Dade City. The idea for the baskets originated with Fr. Ed Lamb, of Saint Mark’s Parish. The Knights of Columbus donated $1,520 and gift cards, and the Benedictine Sisters of Florida donated $1,305 from their monthly personal allowances.

The Saint Leo University Social Service Club faculty advisor Dr. Veronika Ospina-Kammerer stepped up, as always, to raise money and supermarket gift cards for the cause.

Another outreach effort involves Life Church at 6224 Old Pasco Road. It is providing a turkey and box of food, on a first-come, first-served basis from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., on Nov. 24.

The Tampa Bay Network to End Hunger also is doing its part to help brighten Thanksgiving for those in need.

The effort is expected to involve at least 300 volunteers to deliver more than 1,000 Thanksgiving meals, including turkey and stuffing.

The meals are being taken to families that are homebound or do not have access to transportation. Deliveries were set to begin at 10 a.m., on Nov. 17.

In addition to accepting donations for Thanksgiving, the Metropolitan Ministries tent at Keystone Community Church also will be accepting Christmas holiday donations, which will occur on Dec. 12 and Dec. 13, and from Dec. 18 through Dec. 23.

Want to help?
Metropolitan Ministries has a donation tent at Keystone Community Church, 21010 State Road 54 in Lutz.

Donations are being accepted Nov. 20 to Nov. 24, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., on weekdays and Saturdays, and noon to 3 p.m., on Sundays. The tent will reopen for Christmas holiday donations on Dec. 12 and Dec. 13, and from Dec. 18 through Dec. 23.

Items most needed are: Canned fruit, vegetables, beans, yams, stuffing, penne pasta, instant potatoes, rice, pasta sauces, canned tuna, chicken, boxed cereal, protein bars, frozen turkeys, hams and gift cards.

Published November 18, 2020

RapTime gives kids the tools to stay in school

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It’s called RapTime, and it has made a big difference for children in Wesley Chapel.

Eight years ago, sisters Pam Thomas and Susan Riley, while working with Life Church and the Life Community Center, began a program to help kids stay in school and strive for high school graduation.

The RapTime kids took a field trip to a University of South Florida basketball game, again, pre-COVID-19. (Courtesy of Pam Thomas)

They came up with RapTime, which stands for Reducing Adolescent Problems Through Increased Motivation in Education.

The first group of kids are now juniors at Cypress Creek High School. The program enrollment has grown to 24.

Their grades have improved drastically. College is not only a dream, it’s now an expectation. Through field trips, they have been exposed to a range of educational and cultural experiences.

With funding from Life Church and the United Way, which helps with professional tutors, RapTime is thriving and getting results.

“RapTime has really helped me,’’ said Serena Burgos, one of the program’s original students. “I’m more confident about school and learning a lot from the tutors. They really help me get my grades up.’’

“It has been phenomenal,’’ said her mother, Yvette Burgos. “I have two daughters participating (including 12-year-old Isabella Melendez) and I never have to worry about their grades. My older daughter (Serena) is talking about becoming a nurse or maybe a doctor. She has a lot of great goals. She talks all the time about going to college. It has been a great, great thing for us.’’

It has fulfilled the dreams of Thomas and Riley, who simply wanted to give back in their neighborhood. They once did research and found that approximately 80% of the people in their area did not finish high school. They wanted to reduce that drop-out rate.

“What separates us from most after-school programs is we follow it through all the way to graduation,’’ Thomas said. “We’ve been with some of these kids a long time and seen all the maturation, all the changes.’’

“We are part of this community, so we live it, breathe it and do it with them every day,’’ Riley said. “How can you ride down the street and turn your face in a different direction when you see someone in need? Our pastor always said, ‘Use whatever is in your hands’ and ‘Your geography is your ministry.’ The best thing is to help these children and hope they come back and help future generations.’’

Along the way, RapTime has also received some help. Life Church (formerly Victorious Life Church) opened a new 3,000-square-foot community center that replaced a 900-square-foot building, allowing RapTime to add more programming and people.

The after-school programs run from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., on Monday (elementary school), Tuesday (middle school) and Wednesday (high school).

“We are still a small program, but we have grown,’’ Thomas said. “It’s word of mouth, not open to everyone. We grow from the foundation. We have gotten the parents to buy in. Not everyone wants the private tutoring, but it’s available to those who do want it. Even beyond our after-school sessions, we try to provide other areas of growth.’’

RapTime offers field trips. The kids have gone to the University of South Florida and Saint Leo University. They have visited museums, attended concerts and experienced athletic events.

“One of the reasons we took them to a USF women’s basketball game was to show them there’s more outside the four walls of their community,’’ Riley said. “And, it showed them that if you want to get to this point and go to USF, you’ve got to do A, B, C and D. You’ve got to finish high school and maintain good grades to get scholarships.

“The parents really want their kids to be involved in something. We want to give them a goal and keep them off the streets, where we sometimes see kids running wild and crazy. We want them to be focused and accomplishing things. We are reaching those goals,” she said.

When the first group of RapTime kids reaches high school graduations next year, they can expect a huge party.

Thomas and Riley, with a laugh, promise that a limousine will be involved.

“We all have something to shoot for,’’ said Ashley Wells, 16, a sophomore at Cypress Creek. “I used to have a lot of drama at school. This program has helped me not to have drama. Whether it’s my homework or the everyday schoolwork, I get stuff done now. It’s more fun this way.’’

By Joey Johnston

Published September 23, 2020

Stepping forward to help, in time of need

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These are not normal times and the community is responding to surging needs in light of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel and Firefighters Charities of Pasco joined together to purchase $10,000 of nonperishable food items, as well as toilet paper, tissues and paper towels — to help Pasco County seniors.

Helpers in a food drive effort sort out food. (Courtesy of Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel)

The two groups collaborated with Pasco County Senior Services’ center based in Land O’ Lakes, to ensure seniors in the Central Pasco community are helped during this unique time in the history of the United States.

The Land O’ Lakes senior center serves 84 seniors, Monday through Friday.

The food drive organizers also partnered with a local food pantry operated in the Angus Valley community of Wesley Chapel, by Life Church. The pantry is located at Life Community Center.

The donated food bags include pasta, yellow rice, black beans, fruit cups, applesauce, tomato sauce, cereal, oatmeal, tuna, fruit snacks, animal crackers, white kidney beans, chewy bars and cookies.

The pantry items, which are in large bulk, include tuna, pasta, animal crackers, fruit cups, ravioli, beans, cereal and pasta sauce.

Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel and the Firefighters Charity of Pasco teamed up to feed the hungry, to help ensure that elderly people and those suffering from financial hardships have access to food during these trying times. (Courtesy of Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel)

Goodwill Industries Suncoast Inc., also is stepping forward to help collect food during this record time of unemployment. They are collecting food for Feeding Tampa Bay’s community food outreach program.

All Goodwill-Suncoast retail stores in Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties will be collection points for nonperishable food donations.

Items most needed include canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter and canned chicken.

Those wishing to help are asked to leave donated items in carts outside of the stores.

The food drive is being conducted April 15 through April 30. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m., on Sunday. For store locations, visit Goodwill-suncoast.org/store-locations/.

While some groups are focusing on food needs, volunteers from the GFWC Wesley Chapel Woman’s Club are making masks for first responders.

Numerous members are involved with picking up and dropping off supplies they can find, to allow the mask production to continue.

Meanwhile, employees of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office are making a point to purchase items at local businesses to help them weather the financial blow the pandemic has caused, and Sheriff Chris Nocco and members of his team are featured in department videos, offering suggestions intended to help people through the crisis.

Volunteers with the GFWC Woman’s Club of Wesley Chapel are working around the clock to make masks for first responders. Shown here are some of the masks they made. (Courtesy of GFWC Woman’s Club of Wesley Chapel)

“We don’t know how long this will last. I know people are frustrated being at home. They’re frustrated by being on the couch, and especially for parents having those little ones constantly running around.

“But, please continue to follow the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines. Stay at home. Keep social distancing. If you’re sick, stay inside and quarantine yourself,” Nocco said. “We have to do this to flatten the curve because it’s not going to be over next week. It’s an extended period of time.

Nocco also informed the public that they will be seeing deputies wearing masks.

“They have the option, like you, to follow the CDC guidelines. Please understand, it doesn’t mean they have symptoms of COVID-19, nor the person they are interacting with has symptoms of COVID-19.

These are some of the volunteers from the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel and the Firefighters Charity of Pasco who helped in the food drive to feed the hungry. (Courtesy of Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel)

“They’re just taking precautions like they want to, like you can, following the CDC guidelines.

The sheriff also encouraged parents to keep a close eye on the social media their children are using.

“Be nosy. Get involved,” he urged parents. “Unfortunately, we’ve found incidents where young girls, under age, were meeting up with adult males. So, please get on those social media sites. Know what they are doing.”

The sheriff’s office also has videos featuring department employees talking about the issues of maintaining mental health and de-escalating stressful situations during these difficult times.

To find out more, visit the department’s Facebook Page and click on the videos tab.

Local sources of help include:

Feeding Tampa Bay
Visit the website to find a pantry: FeedingTampaBay.org/find-a-pantry/

Life Community Center, 6542 Applewood Drive, Wesley Chapel
Services available include:

  • Laundry and showers for the homeless by appointment. Call (813) 994-0685.
  • Drive-thru hot meal Tuesday, from noon to 1 p.m.
  • Limited access to printing and faxing as needed. Call (813) 994-0685.
  • Food ministry/pantry drive-thru, Friday from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Emergency food boxes on case-by-case basis. Call (813) 994-0685.

TelePals

  • Free program that provides telephone reassurance to seniors
  • If you enjoy, value and love our seniors, if you love listening to their great stories or heartfelt advice, if you love engaging in conversation and knowing that you are bringing happiness to a senior simply by listening and caring on the phone – this may be just the volunteer opportunity you’ve been seeking.
  • Go to TelePalNow.org to apply to be a TelePal (A person who makes a phone call) or a TeleClient (A person who receives a call).
  • Training, a background check and monthly crosschecks are required for all participants.
  • Volunteers must be at least 18 for this program, which operates in Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties.

Want to help?
A new effort has started in Pasco County that’s part of a national initiative.

The Pasco chapter of the Frontline Appreciation Group, FLAG2020Pasco, is raising money to hire local restaurants to prepare meals for frontline employees working in intensive care units in hospitals.

“You know it brings a smile to our frontline workers and it helps our local restaurants in these challenging times,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, who is calling attention to the effort.

To find out more, check the Facebook Group, FLAG2020Pasco.

Published April 15, 2020

Stepping up to help

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Whether it’s sewing protective masks, printing free coloring books, holding prayer services, giving away pizzas or providing pallets of food — people across The Laker/Lutz News are stepping up to help others, in response to the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Barbara Booth is one of seven seamstresses who is contributing her sewing skills to help make protective masks to help meet needs during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. (Courtesy of GFWC Lutz Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club)

Linda Mitchell, of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, has organized a group of seamstresses who are using their skills to make protective masks.

Mitchell delivers the 100% cotton fabric and ¼-inch elastic needed to make the masks to the volunteer seamstresses, then beeps her horn when she drops off the materials in the volunteer’s driveways.

The staff at RP&G Printing, in Wesley Chapel, created youth activity and coloring books and adult coloring pages, as a way of giving back to the community — during these stressful times. They leave them outside for people to pick them up, and post pages to social media so people can print them, to avoid personal contact.

At AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, a group of “prayer warriors” arrived by caravan, to pray for the hospital’s care team and community. There were two mobile digital boards with scriptures, and the group honked their horns and flashed their lights before parking to pray, according to a news release from the West Florida Division of AdventHealth.

Cassie Coleman, director of the Lewis Abraham Lacoochee Boys & Girls Club, and Kathy Hunt, director of Restored Hope. (Courtesy of Melonie Monson)

The group’s next planned stop was on March 28, at Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point.

Meanwhile, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, donated 20,000 pounds of food on March 27, splitting the delivery between Lewis Abraham Lacoochee Boys & Girls Club and Metropolitan Ministries.

Pitching in at the Boys and Girls Club were State Rep. Randy Maggard, who represents District 38 in the Florida House of Representatives; Patrick Thornton, stake president for the church; Cassie Coleman, director of Boys & Girls Club; and Kathy Hunt, director of Restored Hope, which received 2,300 pounds of food to help people in East Pasco, according to Melonie Monson, who is involved with the church.

Life Church, in Wesley Chapel, has been providing ongoing help and remains committed to doing what it can, said Robin Granger, director of Life Community Center, which is operated by the church.

Thomas Promise Foundation board member Amanda Burns, of Dade City, left, and foundation driver Peyton Yowell, of Land O’ Lakes, watch as cars begin to pour into the parking lot of Pasco County High School, 36850 State Road 52 in Dade City. The Thomas Promise Foundation and Pasco County Schools were both distributing food, to help children who do not have access to food while schools are closed. Thomas Promise normally provides food to help feed children over the weekend, as part of its Operation Backpack program. (Christine Holtzman)

“Our pastors unequivocally said, ‘This is the time that we move forward and we press in and we don’t step back,’” said Granger, whose church is providing to-go meals instead of community lunches once a week and operating a drive-thru food pantry on another day.

It is willing to do more, she said.

“If there are folks who are sick and shut-in, I have a team of volunteers and we also have a team of folks from the church who would be willing to deliver boxes of food to them.

“If you know people who need someone to help organize donations, we have the team of people and the willing congregation to step in and be the hands and feet of who we say we are, and what we’re supposed to do,” she said. (Those needing help should call (813) 994-0685).

The church wants to help, but could use some help, too, Granger said.

It needs more food donations because grocery stores have less to give these days, Granger said.

Bubba’s 33, a restaurant in Wesley Chapel, also is stepping up. On March 27, it gave away 33 pizzas to the first 33 patrons waiting in line at 3:33 p.m.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints delivered a shipment of 20,000 pounds of food to help those in need last week. Shown here are Cassie Coleman director of Lewis Abraham Lacoochee Boys & Girls Club; State Rep. Randy Maggard, from House District 38; and Stake President Patrick Thornton, who oversees several churches. (Courtesy of Melonie Monson)

The goal was to help feed hungry families, according to a news release.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is pitching in, too.

Deputies and other agency employees are making takeout purchases at businesses across Pasco County, to offer support during these trying times.

Donations also are coming from major companies, as well as individuals.

Florida Blue, for instance, is providing $100,000 to help the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA, YMCA of the Suncoast and YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg.

The money is being combined with donations by YMCA members to offer all-day youth relief care for essential workers at 21 Y locations across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Citrus and Hernando counties.

The gift is part of $2 million that Florida Blue is using to address urgent health and safety needs in communities across the state.

There’s also a group called Together in Peace that wants to reach out to seniors who normally go to community senior centers during the week, but are unable to do so because the centers are closed.

“We will be calling them to say hello, have a friendly chat, and offer some social connection during this time of social distancing,” Sharon Hall, a member of the group, said via email.

“At this time we are just waiting for response back from Pasco County Senior Services, who we understand will connect us with seniors that have signed up/indicated they would like to be contacted,” Hall said.

Also, NAMI Pasco, a mental health care organization that provides programs and support groups, has temporarily ceased its programs. But, it is offering text peer support services to those with mental health conditions, from noon to 6 p.m., each day it is closed, with the promise of responding within one hour. To use the service, text (863) 223-6799, and provide your first name. Anyone with a mental health emergency should call 911.

Published April 1, 2020

Charities hit hard

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It was a gorgeous day on March 7, as patrons streamed into the annual Fabulous Flea Market  hosted by the GFWC Lutz Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, at the Old Lutz School.

Crowds were lined up on both sides of the school, on U.S. 41, waiting for the sale to start.

Elaine Pittman, affectionately known as “The Plant Lady,” said she sold more plants in a single day than on all but one other day during numerous years she’s sold plants at the market.

Woman’s Club member Elaine Pittman, also known as The Plant Lady, sells plants that she’s nurtured, to raise money to support Christian Social Services, which has a thrift store and food pantry. (B.C. Manion)

But, her plans to sell additional plants at the Spring Market, hosted by Citizens for the Old Lutz School, were dashed when the event was canceled because of concerns about the potential spread of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

Like a switch had been flipped, cancellations started happening all over.

The Taste of North Tampa Bay, The Land O’ Lakes Music Festival, The Jelly Bean Fling and numerous other events have been called off.

In the words of Pat Serio, who sits on the board of directors for the GFWC Lutz Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club: “Everything has completely shut down.

“I’m co-editor of the newsletter, and we cancelled our newsletter because frankly we had nothing to report because all of our calendar events for the next month would have to be listed as TBD (to be determined).”

Besides erasing opportunities for family fun and giving vendors a chance to make money — the cancellations have ripple effects.

Proceeds from Pittman’s plant sales, for instance, help to support Christian Social Services. That organization operates a food pantry within its thrift store, at 5514 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

The GFWC Lutz Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club and scores of other civic groups rely on fundraising efforts to help others. The woman’s club supports roughly 100 local organizations and charitable causes, Serio said.

The Spring Market and Fall Market are the fundraisers held each year to support upkeep of the Old Lutz School, said Stephanie Ensor, a member of Citizens for the Old Lutz School Building.

Besides raising money, the events help acquaint the community with the local historic landmark where generations of Lutz residents went to school.

Thirty-eight vendors had signed for the market. Proceeds from the event were intended to help pay for needed repairs because of termite damage.

Doors need to be replaced, Ensor said.

“The windows are rotting,” she added. “They are so expensive, we can only replace a couple at a time.”

Food pantries are feeling the pinch, too.

Robin Granger, of Life Church in Wesley Chapel, operates a food pantry and a weekly community lunch.

“The problem is, the stores that we get donations from, they don’t have very much,” Granger said.

“Typically, we pick up food from Costco three days a week and we have not gotten hardly anything at all,” she said.

Meanwhile, she said, “I know that folks that are under-resourced are really struggling.

“We did an emergency box for a single mom a couple of days ago. She worked at one of the local restaurants as a server, but they cut her hours. When they cut her hours, she was trying to get back on food stamps, but that’s a process. Meantime, she doesn’t have enough food for her kids,” Granger said.

“We’re a little concerned about having enough food for all of the folks that we serve.

“During this whole week, we’ve had emergency boxes of food going out.”

Concerns about the economic and health crisis prompted by COVID-19 are stressing people out, Granger said.

“There tends to be a lot of folks who are a little bit scared.

“I lead the single moms group at the church. Being a single mom and not having income is really, really frightening,” Granger said.

Published April 1, 2020

Seminar focuses on youth drug use, suicide

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When Heather Sefton, of Wesley Chapel, began losing close friends to suicide, she didn’t know how to cope with the trauma.

The untimely demise of one in the Bay Area was preceded by six others in Sefton’s native New Hampshire.

From front left to back right: Yahkaira Borbosa, Imam Hassan Sultan, Teresa Daniels, Eddie Williams, Jesse Varnadoe, Al Hernandez and Emery Ailes were participants at a Feb. 17 health seminar. The program was hosted by Pasco-Hernando State College to address the issues of mental health and substance abuse. (Brian Fernandes)

“I really didn’t understand what was going on,” the 19-year-old said. “They all just kind of kept hitting me.”

She too, began having suicidal thoughts as a result of her own family issues and having struggled with her self-identity, she recalled.

Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) has been active in providing resources for those like Sefton, seeking help.

One of its programs — Linking in Faith and Education (LIFE) — seeks to help improve mental and behavioral health by encouraging communication with group support.

The college also hosted a recent seminar – LIFE, Spirit, Wellness: Combating Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues in Youth.

The Feb. 17 event, at PHSC’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, focused on the issues of mental health and substance abuse.

Panelist Teresa Daniels, a volunteer for the Tampa Bay branch of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, spoke about her son, Tristen, who took his life over five years ago.

“We had no idea that he was having any thoughts, or that anything other than what we believed to be normal high school stressors, [were] going on,” she said.

Daniels said she thought her son might be having issues coping with the loss of his  grandmother, as well as working odd hours and lack of sleep.

But, there were no serious signs of depression, she said, adding that Tristen was the class clown.

He may have been “masking” his true feelings, Daniels said.

In other words, he may have been hiding his personal issues, while in the company of others.

Likewise, Sefton said there were no obvious signs that her friends were suffering.

Panelist Eddie Williams, a PHSC mental health counselor, provided some advice.

“One of the things I would say the youth is missing usually [is] socialization,” he said. “Having a peer-to-peer support group, or another youth there to talk with, could break the mold. Talking is healing.”

Williams is trying to implement these kind of groups across PHSC’s five campuses.

When it is apparent that someone is doing the opposite of their usual routines, or interests, it’s best to consult them to find out if there’s underlying issues, Williams advised.

The college’s LIFE program also encourages a religious component to be used in offering help, as well.

It aims to educate faith leaders on how to rally around and support those within their community who have mental concerns.

It was Sefton’s growing attendance at Wesley Chapel’s Life Church that helped change things for the better, she said.

“I was found by Jesus,” Sefton said. “That’s really what got me through – my relationship with him.”

And, with finding therapy, she has begun to offer it, as well.

“I’m very vulnerable and open about my story now,” Sefton noted. “I feel like that’s led a lot of people to talk to me about how they feel.”

Johnny Crowder was present at the seminar to offer to those in need, another outlet – with Cope Notes.

This texting service sends multiple messages a day, to its users, consisting of inspirational words and questions.

Cope Notes asks questions for recipients to voluntarily respond to, or just to reflect upon.

The intent is to help others consistently focus on the positive, as their mood may change throughout the day.

Crowder founded the service as a result of his own background.

“I’m a suicide and abuse survivor,” he said. “I spent 10 years in treatment for mental illness.”

He said there wasn’t a specific catalyst that led him to suicidal tendencies.

Besides experiencing domestic violence at home, Crowder said he did not find a sense of community in school and felt isolated.

“It was a childhood full of trauma and neglect that eventually snowballed,” he explained.

Crowder said that he began to find solace in singing, painting, writing and playing the guitar.

This, coupled with socializing and gradually building trust, is what helped him through his pain, he added.

Another speaker, Rachel Starostin, provided a presentation on substance abuse, an issue in which she has struggled with.

She had lived an independent life as a nurse, raising three children before she was hit by a drunk driver.

As a result, she was placed on pain medication to cope with her injuries.

However, Starostin became hooked on her prescription medicine and found it difficult to maintain her daily life.

“I functioned for a long time — until I didn’t,” she said, adding that she gradually transitioned to crystal methamphetamine.

She began neglecting her responsibilities as a mother and eventually lost her home, having to move her children from one hotel to another, Starostin recalled.

A brush with the law resulted in her arrest and her children being taken in by their grandmother.

“When I got out, they didn’t want to come home,” Starostin said. “They didn’t want to look me in the eye.”

Elizabeth Statzer, of the Medical Center of Trinity, took part in Starostin’s class, noting “substance use disorders are something that effects all ages, all races, all genders.”

The Medical Center of Trinity offers selective programs to help users overcome their addiction, she said.

Services include in-patient mental health services. There also is an outpatient program at the hospital where an addict can come by for group therapy three days a week.

Family support groups and family-to-family education classes also are provided to assist loved ones.

Starostin went through a 12-step program for recovery.

She currently is a public speaker, educating others on the dangers of substance abuse.

She also plans to help open a faith-based recovery home for women.

For free treatment referrals and information, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at (800) 662-4357.

To learn more about, or to try Cope Notes for free, text COPE to 33222, or visit CopeNotes.com.

Published February 26, 2020

‘Imagine Christmas’ helps families

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Leslie Egan and Ruby Tillson made their way around the room, checking out gifts on display.

They had lots of shopping to do for the children in their charge.

Egan is a single parent raising three grandchildren — ages 10, 12 and 14.

Tillson is raising a 12-year-old great-niece and two stepsons, ages 8 and 11.

From left: Leslie Egan, Robin Granger and Ruby Tillson take a break during a recent shopping night at ‘Imagine Christmas.’ Egan and Tillson were able to go shopping for holiday presents because they worked volunteer hours, to earn the gifts. Granger coordinates the program, which is offered through Life Church in Wesley Chapel. (B.C. Manion)

Both women were shopping earlier this month in the “Imagine Christmas” store, operated by Life Church, at 6224 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

The women were able to select three gifts for each child, with each child receiving at least one gift valued at $25 to $30, and the other two valued at $15 to $20.

There were lots of presents to choose from, from tables laden with stuffed animals, educational toys, cosmetic kits, dolls, purses, basketballs and other items.

The women received the presents at no charge, but they’d already earned them by performing various tasks.

Imagine Christmas works this way: Participants can earn three presents per child by providing seven service hours, which Life Church refers to as Time Exchange hours.

Once a family reaches 21 Time Exchange hours, all of the children receive presents, regardless of how many children there are in the household, said Robin Granger, who coordinates Imagine Christmas.

The Time Exchange can be performed at Life Church or other churches, schools or nonprofit organizations, Granger said.

Pastor Ed Russo said Life Church wants to give people a hand-up, not a hand-out.

“We’re always looking to empower people. We’re looking to preserve their dignity,” Russo said.

This year, “Imagine Christmas” is providing presents for 232 children at Life Church’s Wesley Chapel campus and 50 kids at its Spring Hill campus.

By giving people a chance to contribute to the community, they become part of the community’s fabric, said Granger, who is the chief elf for Imagine Christmas.

Some of the gifts are donated by church members; Granger shops for others.

Shoppers had lots of choices at ‘Imagine Christmas,’ a program which allows people to work volunteer hours, in exchange for holiday gifts for the children in their care.

She also oversees the Imagine Christmas volunteers.

They do everything from validating participants’ Time Exchange hours, to serving as personal shoppers, to helping in the wrapping room and performing other chores.

Participants arriving at Imagine Christmas are invited to enjoy cookies and hot chocolate.

They also have a personal shopper, who helps them find gifts for the children on their list.

After that, the shoppers take their gifts to a wrapping room — to add a final festive touch.

Shoppers taking part said Imagine Christmas helps them to provide a brighter holiday than they could otherwise.

“It’s good. It helps out,” Tillson said.

Egan noted: “Both of us are school bus drivers. For my school district, we were off the week of Thanksgiving, so we don’t get paid that week. And then, we’re off again at Christmas through New Year’s, and we don’t get paid for that.”

Life can get challenging, especially at the holidays, Tillson said.

“It’s pretty hard when you get a paycheck and it’s gone. I only have $30 left this week. I am maxed out,” she said. “It makes me feel good that you can do something to earn stuff,” she added.

Jaquelin Easedo, another participant, also is being able to earn presents for her 3-year-old son, Nicholas, and her 18-month-daughter, Adrianna.

She doesn’t like the thought of getting something for nothing, she said, through a volunteer translator.

Imagine Christmas participants earned their Time Exchange hours in a variety of ways — pitching in at the church’s food pantry at Life Community Center, on Applewood Drive, or collecting toys from church members, or directing traffic for the church’s Thanksgiving in a Box, to name a few.

Egan and Tillson said their faith helps see them through hard times.

“When I’m down on my luck and I need that money, I always pray, ‘Please, help me get it.’ And, it always comes through,” Tillson said.

Egan added: “You know what? God always provides. Just when I don’t know how it’s going to happen, it happens.”

Some of the Imagine Christmas volunteers initially came to the church because they needed help with a water or light bill, Granger said. They did Time Exchange hours, in exchange for the church’s help.

And, then, they stayed on as volunteers, Granger said.

By contributing their time and talents, they become connected, Granger said. “They become family in the process.”

“Even if I didn’t earn presents, I would still love working at the pantry. There’s an amazing group of people here,” Egan said. “I love this church for many reasons. I just think the spirit of Jesus is in this church.”

Christina Edwards, who volunteers for Imagine Christmas” said she’s been on both the giving and receiving end at the church.

“Sometimes, it’s me being compassionate. Sometimes, it’s about — I need the fellowship. I need people to turn to. I love the community center. I love being able to go there when I’m down and I just need a friend to pick me up,” Edwards said.

“This church is my home,” she said.

Published December 25, 2019

Inspiration found in the city, and the hills

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As a member of Life Church in Wesley Chapel, Demene Benjamin embarked on a nine-day missionary trip with Life Church and Life Church International to Guatemala and El Salvador, in November.

Demene Benjamin took part in a nine-day mission trip to Guatemala and El Salvador, focusing on outreach and the love of Jesus. (Courtesy of Demene Benjamin)

The mission was a passionate drive to give hope by sharing the love of Jesus, and to inspire change, said Benjamin, who is manager of CMX Cinemas, at The Grove at Wesley Chapel.

In Guatemala, alongside Pastor Luis Pedro Solares, the team visited with an orphanage in the mountains — providing education and meals, as well as life skills to moms in the community. There was also the opportunity to learn both Spanish and English. It was here that one of Benjamin’s teammates took polaroid photos of the kids, who were amazed to see themselves in a picture taken by a camera.

Children from an orphanage in Guatemala get together for a group photo. During the mission trip, the children were amazed to see themselves in pictures.

In El Salvador the team found more laborious work, but also an unconditional love for the city. Life Church partnered with Pastor Paco Rosales on sharing and inspiring hope. The team also had the opportunity to visit the well system Pastor Paco is working on that will provide a life source for the people who suffer from liver failure, kidney and heart issues, as a result of dehydration. With donations, the well is expected to be up and running before the end of the year and will provide the community with free, clean water.

The group also served inside an El Salvador church, serving the elders and adding fresh paint to the sanctuary.

Along the way, Benjamin said she found two countries connected in love.

“It was an overwhelming and majestic trip,” she said, and inspired her to seek more opportunities to demonstrate unconditional love.

For information about the church missions, call Natalie Dougherty at (813) 973-2230.

Published December 11, 2019