Christian Social Services and Habitat of Humanity will both benefit
Kyle LoJacono
Staff Writer
LAND O’ LAKES — Jacquie Petet has worked with Christian Social Services (CSS) for 16 years and is still thrilled when the organization can help those in need.
“It just warms my heart when we’re able to help out needy families,” Petet, CSS executive director, said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time, but I still get that joy in knowing we helped a family.”
CSS is teaming up with Habitat for Humanity in Pasco County in “The Peanut Butter Project,” which will benefit both charities.
The two organizations are asking the community to donate as many jars of unopened peanut butter and dollar bills to the CSS building, located at 5514 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. in Land O’ Lakes. The money will go to Habitat to help build homes for the needy, while the peanut butter will go to CSS to help feed the hungry.
“What is so great about this project is that it helps both now and down the road,” said Charlie Reese, Habitat board member. “We’re helping people with their immediate need for food while we are collecting money to eventually raise a roof on a home down the road.”
The project is taking the place of “Harvest for Humanity,” which the past two years did not focus on any one kind of food.
“A few years ago, we at the Habitat were trying to find a way to help raise funds to help needy families build houses, and after batting around a couple of ideas we thought of joining forces with Christian Social Services,” Reese said. “We felt like these are the two local charities that do a lot in the East Pasco and north Hillsborough region but sometimes get lost in the shuffle of the bigger charities in downtown Tampa or West Pasco…We needed a way to help the local people in need and we came up with the first ‘Harvest for Humanity.’”
Last year, more than four tons of food was collected during “Harvest for Humanity,” and this year, officials from both charities said they hope for the same in peanut butter.
“We always find that one of the things we lack is peanut butter,” Petet said. “It’s a good source of protein for children and easy for parents to pack in lunches, but for whatever reason we never have enough peanut butter.”
Not only is it a good source of protein, it is only appropriate that someone with a last name of Reese would help organize a project with peanut butter.
“It’s cosmic,” Reese said. “I love peanut butter so I guess I was born to help out a cause with peanut butter. It’s really just magic that someone named Reese is dedicated to peanut butter.”
Habitat of Pasco has raised homes from Dade City and Zephyrhills, down through Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes and even across into Hillsborough County in Lutz and Odessa. CSS in Land O’ Lakes focuses on helping those in all those regions too but does not refuse help to any in need.
Donations to both charities are tax deductible and can be made any time between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday at CSS in Land O’ Lakes, but the main collection date for the project is Oct. 30.
“Oct. 30 is just a date that we picked, but people can bring in the peanut butter and dollars, or any other food for that matter, to the Christian Social Services building,” Petet said. “We don’t know how much peanut butter we will get, but we are always grateful with what we receive. We’re always overwhelmed with what we do get, and we have never been disappointed by this community.”
For more information on Habitat call Reese at (813) 787-3500. For more information on CSS, call (813) 995-0088.
