New Tampa Rotary Donates $30K To Local Charities

By Matt Wiley

For nonprofit organizations, passion and good-hearted gestures can only go so far and accomplish so much. Many times, the generosity of donors is sometimes the main fuel for the fire that keeps a charity afloat. Luckily, there also are organizations like the New Tampa Rotary Club, which recently made a sizable donation to several local charities.

During the June 20 New Tampa Rotary Club breakfast meeting at the Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (we didn’t get the info in time for our last issue), the organization donated more than $30,000, split between 20 different area charities.

“This (charity check distribution) is a day we all look forward to with anticipation; it’s the highlight of our club year,” said outgoing Rotary Club of New Tampa president Peter Gambacorta in a press release. “Our club members work extremely hard all year with our various fund-raising projects. Thankfully, we get to see the fruition of our efforts to help others who are less fortunate, by demonstrating the Rotary motto of ‘Service Above Self.’” 

Among the charities that received checks this year are Feeding America Tampa Bay, the Fisher House at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital (located on Bruce B. Downs {BBD} Blvd., across from the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus), the Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel Foundation, the Freedom High School Naval Junior ROTC, God’s Pedal Power Ministry, the Gulf Ridge Council of the Boy Scouts of America, Helping Hands Pantry, Interact Club at Freedom High, Mort Elementary (located on E. Bearss Ave.), the New Tampa Family YMCA (located on Compton Dr. in Tampa Palms), the OASIS Network of New Tampa, Operation Helping Hand, Inc., Osher Lifelong Learning Center at USF, Quantum Leap Farm, Inc., Rotaract Club of Keiser University, Rotaract Club of the University of South Florida, Rotary’s Camp Florida, Rotary Club of Harare in Zimbabwe, Africa, Support the Troops, Inc., and the USF Diabetes Education Department.

“It is wonderful to receive a donation from the New Tampa Rotary Club!,” said OASIS Network of New Tampa executive director Ginger Bean.  “(The New Tampa Rotary is) one of OASIS’ oldest and most loyal supporters, providing funding for the past 10 years. The New Tampa Rotary Club is a very special club, comprised of so many caring individuals involved with and supporting so many different programs, schools and organizations in our community and even overseas.”

The OASIS Network’s mission is to provide basic necessities to needy students in Hillsborough County public schools.

“The funding will help us to stock up on basic school necessities for students, including socks and hygiene items, for the beginning of the school year,” Bean explained. “We anticipate serving even more than the 11,000 at-risk students per year that we have served for the past several years.”

Karen Griffin, director of development for Feeding America Tampa Bay, was on hand to receive the donation on behalf of the organization that helped deliver more than 43 million pounds of food to the less fortunate last year. Feeding America Tampa Bay covers 9,000 square miles across 10 counties, including Hillsborough, Pinellas, Polk, Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Sumter, Highlands, Hardee and Manatee counties.

“We’re thrilled with our partnership with and the donation from the New Tampa Rotary Club,” Griffin said. “The club is so generous and we appreciate their continued support.”

Griffin says that the money donated will go to help support the organization’s children’s programs, including the “Kids Café,” a partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Tampa Bay. She added that at 13 different sites across Tampa Bay, volunteers help to cook hot meals for the kids involved in the club, before they go home for the day, many of which have no guarantee of another meal at home.

Griffin noted that the funds also will help support Feeding America Tampa Bay’s “BackPack” program. In this program, volunteers help pack enough food to last the weekend home with students who have been identified as “food-insecure” by teachers or other school staff members at low-income schools. Griffin says that the food items are all “child-friendly,” including applesauce, pre-made macaroni and cheese and fruit snacks.

“Every dollar we receive can generate seven meals,” Griffin explained. “Less than two percent of the money donated goes toward our administrative costs. We’re extremely grateful.”