Visiting Angels Spreads Its Compassionate Wings Of Care In New Tampa

(L.-r.) Client care coordinator Lea O’Gara, CNA Samira El Maanaoui, director Christal Becton, office assistant Yesenia Diaz and billing assistant Kimberly Fair of the Visiting Angels office in Temple Terrace help clients get the care and help they need at home. (Photo by Charmaine George)

When Christal Becton faced the challenge of finding a caregiver for her elderly aunt in a different state, she realized she wasn’t alone in this struggle. Balancing her location in Florida with her aunt’s residence in South Carolina made it nearly impossible for Christal to provide her aunt’s care by traveling back and forth.

“As difficult as it was for me to try to find services for my aunt,” Christal says, “I determined that there’s got to be a better solution. I did some homework and researched and loved the name Visiting Angels. There was a perfect marriage right there. It all stemmed from needing in-home support for my elderly aunt. I’d always worked in nursing home environments with seniors, so it was a perfect fit for me.”

With a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix, and drawing from her expertise in rehab therapy and her role as Chief of Recreation Therapy in a nursing home, Christal recognized the potential alignment between her experience and the nationally renowned Visiting Angels. With more than 700 locations both in the U.S. and internationally, Visiting Angels seemed tailor-made to capitalize on her wealth of knowledge.

Back in 2004, Christal established her own branch of Visiting Angels on N. 56th St. in Temple Terrace, which conveniently serves New Tampa and neighboring areas of Hillsborough County. She says the primary objective is to offer an alternative to nursing homes, retirement centers and assisted living facilities, enabling elderly parents or disabled individuals to maintain their independence within their familiar home environments. The approach is highly personalized, matching each client with an independent caregiver based on a thorough assessment process. This ensures the individual is perfectly matched with the right independent professional caregiver. 

“We talk to the senior, ask their preferences, what type of person they are looking for, and we do a self-assessment as well,” Christal says. “We note if they are bubbly or quiet and don’t want a person who talks a lot. We collect a lot of information regarding the client from the assessment. Once we gather the information, we have a care plan meeting about who will be best suited and who has the skill set for the type of care they need. If someone is bedridden or in hospice, we’d need a skill set more in hospice, so we will call those contractors with that particular skill set, find out if they’re available during those times, and match them up. The caregiver will then call the client to introduce themselves and talk to the client, as well.”

Visiting Angels, licensed and bonded in Florida, is known for its flexibility. The company provides assistance ranging from a few hours per week to around-the-clock care seven days a week. Governed by the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), the caregivers, a mix of Certified Nursing Assistants and certified Home Health Aides (HHAs), undergo a rigorous “Level Two” background screening that covers the entire country and have completed specific courses and certificates. 

To stay current in their field, the owners of Visiting Angels franchises, including Christal, actively participate in conferences, seminars, Florida meetings and virtual gatherings on Zoom to share best practices and stay abreast of industry trends. Christal also is a member of the Private Care Association, which offers insights for in-home care agencies, ensuring that their individual vetting processes adhere to state regulations.

“We do the vetting in accordance with what AHCA is requiring,” she says. “Our caregivers have to meet the state requirements, as well as ours.”

Care services provided by Visiting Angels encompass a broad spectrum, including home care, companionship, personal care and respite care. This range accommodates various needs, from temporary post-illness or surgery recovery support to ongoing companionship for lonely seniors. Caregivers cater to individual requirements, including providing transportation and companionship for medical appointments, running errands, grocery shopping, meal preparation, personal care, and light housekeeping. While some clients just need help to get their day started, some require assistance with shaving or bathing, and others may need their clothing washed and linens changed.

Over time, the relationship between the caregivers and their clients evolves into a deep friendship, making caregivers an integral part of their patients’ daily lives. The team at the local Visiting Angels office includes bilingual and sign language speakers, and Christal says she consistently signs experienced caregivers to her registry.

She recalls a heartbreaking incident during the early days of the pandemic. An elderly client struggled to access food due to lockdown restrictions and a family illness. Christal swiftly responded by personally purchasing groceries and essentials to ensure her client’s well-being. She was proud to turn this sad tale into a happy ending.

“During Covid, I got a call from a client that we only serviced a few hours a week,” Christal recalls. “She said she couldn’t get out, that her son was ill, she was elderly and couldn’t get groceries. She had nothing to eat. My heart just dropped. She was in tears with me on the phone, discussing with me her current situation. I dropped everything on my agenda, headed to the nearest grocery store, and purchased groceries and essentials (for her).”

Christal bought the client’s favorite meals and pre-cooked foods to make food preparation easier for her client. She arrived with two boxes overflowing with food and essentials like toilet paper. Christal says the client broke down in tears; she was so grateful for the compassion she received.

“That is a success story like none other,” Christal says, “to be able to respond to the community’s needs immediately.”

She even introduced “No Contact Fridays” during the pandemic, where food was delivered to the community without direct contact long before the advent of Instacart. This service proved invaluable to those in need during those challenging times.

“It takes a special type of person to be a caregiver,” she says.

The dedication required to be a Visiting Angels caregiver is indeed exceptional. Christal’s location stands ready to provide care at any time, whether it’s daytime, nighttime, weekends, or holidays. In a world where care often becomes a transaction, Visiting Angels’ story is one of heartfelt connections, empathy and a genuine commitment to improving lives. Becton’s legacy continues to weave a tapestry of care, understanding, and comfort for families in New Tampa and beyond.

The Visiting Angels office serving New Tampa is located at 9812 N. 56th St. For more information, call (813) 929-7067, visit VisitingAngels.com/Tampa, search “VisitingAngelsTampaFL” on Facebook. Independent caregivers with CNA or HHA licenses are invited join the team.

Former Mayoral Candidate Hosts ‘Belinda’s Justice’ Radio/TV Show

Congratulations to New Tampa resident and former write-in candidate for Tampa Mayor Dr. Belinda Gail Quarterman Noah (photo), who recently started “Belinda’s Justice,” a new TV and radio show airing live on Channel 189 on Spectrum cable systems and on WTMP-AM (1150) and WTMP-FM (92.9 & 102.1) every Saturday morning at 10 a.m. The shows also are available online at Spectrum.net. 

“It’s like ‘Judge Judy,’ but live,” Dr. Noah says. “Each 30-minute show, I hear the facts and evidence of each case and render a ruling and provide commentary on the case law affecting that case. The participants agree to abide by my ruling, rather than go to court. I’m really enjoying it so far.” 

Although I don’t have Spectrum, Dr. Noah sent me the first episode — a “custody” dispute over a divorcing couple’s pet chihuahua — and although Dr. Noah’s show doesn’t yet offer multiple camera views or post-decision interviews like most syndicated court TV shows, I did find the long-time local attorney’s ability to put forth case law regarding the case of Smith vs. Smith to be interesting. 

I wish Dr. Noah, who also ran for the U.S. Senate in 2006, lots of luck with her latest endeavor. “Break a leg,” Belinda! 

For more info about “Belinda’s Justice,” visit Facebook.com/698763118/posts/pfbid0xUe6rqm7VzcRAgdZnKcTE1RFZR3KT35SgNCcKzTMJFWQ5WtwGve4B9sQnA8pwBRcl/?mibextid=gkx3sN. — GN 

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What’s Next For Pebble Creek?

Although I never considered Pebble Creek to be its own suburb — to me, New Tampa is a Tampa suburb; Pebble Creek is a subdivision within that suburb (more on this below) — semantics aside, this community of 1,300 or so single- and multifamily residential units has been in the news quite a bit lately.

First, owner Bill Place and his Ace Golf’s attempt to rezone the shuttered Pebble Creek golf course into 251 homes was voted down 5-2 by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) on July 17.

Some were surprised that Commission Chair and District 2 Commissioner Ken Hagan, who has long been considered to be pro-development, was the commissioner who proposed turning down the rezoning. 

Hagan said that although there was some duplication of resident feedback received, he and the six other commissioners received more than 1,300 emails and letters about the proposed rezoning, “and more than 80% of those were telling us to not allow it. Candidly, I do not recall another rezoning request that generated so much feedback. We’ve got like three binders full of resident emails and correspondence.”

Even though some of the residents who filled the commission chamber on July 17 and another 60+ in an overflow room supported the rezoning — because proposed developer GL Homes would clean up what can only be called the blighted former golf course and help increase the value of the existing homes — and also spoke at the July 17 meeting, Hagan said it was clear that the vast majority of Pebble Creek residents did not support the rezoning plan.

And, while the Save Pebble Creek group, organized and led by long-time Pebble Creek resident Leslie Green, cheered the commissioners’ rejection of the proposed rezoning, Hagan said that Place only has a few options going forward. 

“He can come up with another developer with a different plan that might be more acceptable to the residents,” Comm. Hagan said after the July 17 meeting. “We’ve also discussed the possibility of the county purchasing the golf club to convert it to a county-owned course, but he (Place) would have to come down in price a lot for us to be interested.”

Meanwhile, Green, who is still the defendant in a suit brought by Place and Ace Golf (that hasn’t yet seen a judge’s decision rendered) that she defamed the golf course owner, said that what happens next isn’t her primary concern. “Let’s see what he comes back with,” Green said. “Maybe he’s waiting for new commissioners to be elected (in 2024) who might vote differently.”

Two weeks after the BOCC vote, Niche.com named Pebble Creek as the second “Best Suburb to Live In” the Tampa area, 3rd “Best for Families” and #9 “Best to Buy a House,” according to Niche.com’s analysis of reviews and a number of statistics.

Grace Church Celebrates 101-Year-Old Former Buffalo Soldier 

Members of the Tampa & Orlando chapters of the Buffalo Soldiers motorcycle club surround 101-year-old World War II veteran & Buffalo Soldier Roy Caldwood (in blue) at Grace Episcopal Church in Tampa Palms on Aug. 13. Joining them were (front, l.-r.) Euri Jones, District 7 Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera & Roy’s daughter Diane Royer. (All photos by Charmaine George).

When 101-year-old Grand Hampton resident Roy Caldwood was a member of the Buffalo Soldiers, also known then as the U.S. Army’s 92nd Infantry Division, they were the only all-African-American division permitted to be combat troops in World War II (WWII). The Buffalo Soldiers helped liberate Italy near the end of the war. 

Today, the Buffalo Soldiers motorcycle club still honors the memory of that famous combat division. In most cases, the Buffalo Soldiers are honoring the memory of those American soldiers, but in the case of Roy Caldwood, the Tampa Chapter of the motorcycle group was on hand to honor one of the few surviving WWII Buffalo Soldiers at Grace Episcopal Church in Tampa Palms on Aug. 13. 

Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera, Roy & Roy’s daughter Diane Royer.

The event, which was organized by the motorcycle club and Grace member Euri Jones, Caldwood’s daughter (and Grace member) Diane Royer and City of Tampa District 7 Councilman Luis Viera (who says he first saw Roy at the city’s Juneteenth celebration on June 19), was an amazing day for Caldwood, who looks nowhere near his centenarian age. Those of us in attendance were told that Caldwood, who says he actually can still do ”somewhere between 30-40 push-ups” at once, might have been willing to do 20 push-ups at the event, which started outside of Grace in nearly 100Âș heat before moving indoors for a ceremony led by Viera and Grace Priest Father Benjamin Twinaamani. Roy and Diane later agreed that no pushups would be performed on this day. 

The plaque presented to Roy by the Buffalo Soldiers. 

Caldwood, already a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal — which is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces for “either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious achievement or meritorious service in a combat zone” — was honored by the Buffalo Soldiers and Troopers Motorcycle Club Tampa Chapter at the Grace event with a plaque thanking him, “for your dedication to duty and service to this great nation as Buffalo Soldiers in WWII.” 

The Orlando chapter of the Buffalo Soldiers and Troopers also were invited on stage to join the Tampa club during the special ceremony. 

But clearly, this day was all about a man who has achieved much more than just a long life. Viera called him a “bonafide American hero in WWII. When the Axis powers were threatening democracy and freedom all over the world, young men of 18 and 19, like Roy Caldwood, raised their hands and volunteered to fight for our great country.” 

Viera also noted that even though heroes like Roy Caldwood were celebrated overseas for liberating Europe, because the Buffalo Soldiers were Black, they didn’t find the same respect and admiration when they returned home. 

“But, men like Roy Caldwood,” Viera said, “nor only fought overseas, they came home to America to fight for that same dignity and respect here at home.” 

Viera then thanked the Buffalo Soldiers for not only honoring Roy, but also for all of the good the group does in the community. 

World War II Buffalo Soldier Roy Caldwood displays the plaque he received from the Tampa & Orlando chapters of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club.

“I don’t really know if this honor is deserved,” Roy said after being introduced by Viera. “I just did what came naturally. I just wanted to do my best to help.” 

He said that his division chased the Germans for four months in Italy and was told, “They will kill us all. But instead, after those four months, they all came down and surrendered peacefully.” 

Roy then said that even though he didn’t think he deserved to be so honored, he would accept it and thanked everyone in attendance for making it happen. 

Viera then took the microphone back from Roy and noted that heroic people in the military and first responders in our cities, counties and states often say the same thing, “We’re not heroes, we’re just doing our jobs. But Roy, you truly are a hero.” 

Viera then introduced the Buffalo Soldiers and their member “Duba-D,” who said that the group was so appreciative of being able to honor Roy because, “His story is our history. People who are heroes are so often also humble. They find it difficult to accept accolades for what they’ve done.” 

Councilman Viera waves a flag to members of the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club.

But, Duba-D also added, “A lot of people think that the Buffalo Soldiers today are just a motorcycle club, but we’re actually much more than that. What we do is represent the original Buffalo Soldiers.” 

He added that it was back in 1866 when the first African-Americans were permitted to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces. “And, those became the first Buffalo Soldiers,” he said, “who fought in some of the first foreign wars. Wherever they went, the Buffalo Soldiers were given the worst equipment, the worst training, the worst leadership, but they persevered and found a way to prepare. That type of grit is special.” 

He also noted that Roy’s unit was the only unit of African-American soldiers to serve in Europe, “and they were responsible for the liberation of Italy. The country he went to go fight received him and his unit better than the country he left and then returned home to after.” 

Grace Episcopal Church’s Father Benjamin Twinaamani says a blessing for Roy and those in attendance at the event

Duba-D also mentioned that Roy is a published author who was a New York City Dept. of Corrections Assistant Deputy Warden at Rikers Island when he was taken hostage (and became a hostage negotiator) during one of the prison’s infamous riots. The book is called Making the Right Moves: Rikers Island & NYC Corrections. 

Following the plaque presentation, Roy thanked Euri Jones and Councilman Viera. He said that “Euri brought the matches but Councilman Viera started the fire.” 

Roy also noted that he had received an Honor Flight on Apr. 25 and that he, “shook hundreds of hands that day, but I paid the price for it. The next day, I couldn’t lift any weights or do any push-ups. Shaking two or three hands is no big deal, but 200-300?” 

Roy had no shortage of amazing stories to tell about his life prior to the event at Grace.

And finally, this true American hero again thanked everyone for coming, but added, “You have built me a pedestal so high that I would need a helicopter to get me up on it.” 

Roy also recalled when he first met Viera a couple of months ago. “I was getting out of the barber’s chair and there’s this guy on both knees saying how honored he was to finally meet me. I told him, ‘Get up. This isn’t church,’ but all he wanted to know was how he could get in touch with me. I told him that I would be happy to sit down with him, not just to talk, but to listen to him tell me about what the problems are in this city. I like to listen and then I like to come up with answers. I want to help you help us,” he told Viera, “and get me down off this pedestal you’ve put me on. Thank you all again!” 

Viera closed the event by quoting former President Barack Obama: “There is a lot that’s right about America and it can help cure what is wrong with America.” He then turned to Roy and said, “And this man’s life is all about what’s right about America.” 

The councilman then asked all of the other military veterans in attendance to rise, raise their hands and receive a round of applause. “These are the people, like Roy, who told Uncle Sam that they are willing to do whatever it takes, up to giving their lives, to protect this great country.”