goodtimEsnEvErEndwithContinuEdsErviCE
Community Services Committee Chairs : JordanBelhman – GreenbergTraurig , P . A .; AshleyIvanov – TheLawOfficeofAshleyIvanov ; andLaraLaVoie – LaVoie & Kaizer , P . A .
fromtrinityCafe , totheadopt-a-veteran initiativewiththeJamesa . haleyhospital , tofeedingtampabay , akid ’ splace , and othernon-profits , theCommitteeservesas morethana “ committee ” butasateamwhere togetherEveryoneachievesmore ( tEam ).
As I glance back over this past HCBA Bar year , my heart smiles reminiscing about the events the HCBA Community Services Committee participated in where a team of volunteers made positive differences in the lives of those who may be less fortunate . The Committee is an energetic team of volunteer attorneys , their spouses , significant others , friends , and other professionals who give their valuable time , treasures , and / or talents in serving the community . What is required to join this Committee ? A genuine desire to serve with a positive attitude .
This spring we traded pens , papers , computers , books , and professional dress attire for paint brushes , rollers , painter ’ s tape , scrapers , and painting clothes as we enthusiastically joined the non-profit , Paint Your Heart Out Tampa . This non-profit has served the Tampa Bay Area for more than 30 years by painting in-need elderly residents ’ homes , giving these seniors ’ homes a fresh , new look . The gratitude our senior homeowner expressed and the smile on her face as she viewed her home with a new perspective was priceless . As a Committee , and most importantly as a team , we look forward to hopefully doing this event again next year . If you
would like to participate with us next year , please be on the lookout for future HCBA announcements early next year .
Earlier this year , we volunteered with Metropolitan Ministries where some of our volunteers sorted and organized items at the non-profit ’ s thrift store . We even had children join us for this service-related event .
The winter season is more than just snowflakes , or , for hot weather climates , a string of lights carelessly tossed on a palm tree ; it is the season of Elves for Elders . The Committee , and its team of lighthearted , jolly elves , assisted the Office of the Public Guardian with getting elderly wards of the state “ adopted ” by fulfilling their basic-necessity wish lists . At a local nursing home in Tampa , the spry elves dressed up in festive , holiday attire and passed out stuffed animals while filling the halls with carols . The smiles on these seniors ’ faces and hearing them even sing along with the carols was so precious and meaningful . We were thankful to have a local Pet Smart join with us
Continuedonpage45
4 4 J u l - A u g 2 0 2 3 | H C B A l A W Y E R