Brandon/Winthrop Edition
February 2023
IF IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE, NATIVITY CATHOLIC CAN LEND A HELPING HAND
By Kathy L. Collins
try is open on Thursdays at 1 p.m. It serves individuals who live in the following zip codes: 33510, 33511, 33596 and 33594. It is a drive-through food pantry, so you must stay in your car. The pantry is offered on a first-come, firstserve basis. The line starts at 12 Noon. If homeless assistance is needed, then, as Ussery explained, “Our homeless minIf you or someone you know needs food assistance, counseling or istry provides homeless bags even help with homelessness, Nativity Catholic Church, located with food and toiletries and other necessities such as at 705 E. Brandon Blvd. in Brandon, may be able to help. blankets and rain ponchos Nativity Catholic Church, located at 705 (when available). We also partner with E. Brandon Blvd. in Brandon, offers a vari- Family Promise of Hillsborough County to ety of services that are not exclusive to its assist homeless families in need to regain parishioners. The services are offered as a their independence and dignity. Our Peapart of its Pastoral Care. Services provided nut Butter and Jelly Ministry makes and include counseling, food assistance, home- distributes thousands of sandwiches every less assistance and support groups. two weeks to locations across the Tampa The church has been offering services Bay area to organizations that assist the such as the food pantry for over 35 years. homeless and also makes up and distribOthers, like counseling, have been offered utes ‘goodie bags’ for the homeless three for over 20 years. times a year that include socks, snacks, toiWhen asked why the church offers these letry items and more.” services, Bonnie Ussery, director of PasThe church offers counseling as well. It toral Care, said, “As Catholic Christians, has four licensed counselors who offer indiwe are called to be the hands and feet of vidual, couples, marriage, youth and family Christ. We do this by ministering to those counseling. in our community who are in need and The church also helps moms in need of are hurting. We help them by sharing the baby supplies as well as seniors who may love of Christ with them, by encouraging need assistance for their daily needs. and enhancing the spiritual, economic and Finally, the church offers a six-week personal development of the people in the Group Bereavement session three times Brandon community.” a year and a 12-week Surviving Divorce If you or someone you know is in need Group twice a year. of assistance, Nativity Catholic Church may To get these services, simply call the be able to help. church at 813-681-4608. You can also visit If you need food assistance, the food pan- www.nativitycatholicchurch.org.
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LIGHTNING OWNERS HAVE DONATED ALMOST $5 MILLION TO V FOUNDATION
Staff Report
The V Foundation for the V Foundation is Cancer Research, a top funding,” said Vitale. cancer research chari“We need new therty, is receiving a donaapies and new treattion of over $1 million ments that are more from Jeff and Penny precise and have fewVinik. Jeff, owner of er side effects because the NHL’s three-time these kids deserve it. Stanley Cup champion And thanks to generTampa Bay Lightning, ous donors like Jeff and his wife, Penand Penny, we will get ny, have now donatthere.” ed almost $5 million “We are extremely Photo courtesy of the V Foundation. to the V Foundation, thankful for Jeff and Jeff and Penny Vinik. dedicated to the Dick Penny Vinik’s commitVitale Fund for Pediatric Cancer. This lat- ment to the V Foundation and our mission est donation of over $1 million includes a of accelerating Victory Over Cancer®,” said $100,000 sponsorship of the 18th annual V Foundation CEO Shane Jacobson. “MiniDick Vitale Gala, benefiting the V Founda- mal federal funding is dedicated to pediattion, which takes place on Friday, May 5 at ric cancer research, meaning private fundthe Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota. ing is critical to saving lives.” “Penny and I are committed to the worldThe honorees at this year’s Dick Vitale class research the V Foundation supports, Gala are: and we continue to be inspired by our good • Three-time World Series champion friend Dick Vitale’s tireless dedication to with the San Francisco Giants and V Founchanging, and saving, the lives of kids,” Jeff dation board member Buster Posey. said. • NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson. The V Foundation has awarded $66.7 • ESPN tennis analysts John and Patrick million in research grants through the Dick McEnroe. Vitale Fund for Pediatric Cancer. Cancer • NC State Athletic Hall of Fame basketis the leading cause of death by disease ball player and V Foundation board memamong children. The good news is research ber Dereck Whittenburg, who will receive is helping to save lives. The five-year sur- the John Saunders Courage Award. vival rate for children (0-14) has increased • Tennessee men’s basketball head coach from 58 percent to 84.7 percent from the Rick Barnes, who will receive the Dick Vimid-1970s to 2017. For adolescents (15-19), tale Spirit Award. it has increased from 68 percent to 85.8 To learn more about the Dick Vitale Gala, percent during that same time period. visit www.v.org/event/dick-vitale-gala/. For “I’m amazed at the continued support more information about the V Foundation’s Jeff and Penny Vinik are providing to help mission to accelerate Victory Over Cancer, kids battling cancer and the great research visit www.v.org.
FINANCIAL FOCUS
813.433.4047
DON’T LET FEAR DRIVE INVESTMENT DECISIONS In the past year, we’ve seen some big swings in the financial markets. This volatility may make you feel as if you have little control over your investment success. But the truth is, you do have more control than you might think — as long as you don’t let fear guide your decisions. Investment-related fear can manifest itself in a few different ways: • Fear of loss – Some investors may emphasize avoiding losses more than achieving gains. Consequently, they might build portfolios they consider very low in risk, possibly containing a high percentage of certificates of deposit (CDs) and U.S. Treasury securities. Yet, a highly conservative approach carries its own risk — the risk of not achieving enough growth to stay ahead of inflation, much less meet long-term goals such as a comfortable retirement. To reach these goals, you’ll want to construct a diversified portfolio containing different types of assets and investments — each of which may perform differently at different times. Your objective shouldn’t be to avoid all risk — which is impossible — but to create an investment strategy that accommodates your personal risk tolerance and time horizon. • Fear of missing out – You’re probably familiar with the term “herd mentality” — the idea that people will follow the lead of others for fear of missing out on something. This behavior is responsible for fads or the sudden emergence of “hot” products, and it’s also relevant to investing. In fact, herd mentality may contribute to sharp jumps in the financial markets as investors drive up prices by buying stocks to avoid being left behind. And the same may be true in reverse — when the market starts dropping, skittish investors
may accelerate the decline by selling stocks so they, too, can get out before it’s too late. Buying or selling investments should be considered as needed to help advance your long-term financial strategy — not in response to what others are doing. • Fear of the unknown – Some investors fall victim to “familiarity bias” — the tendency to invest only in what they know, such as local or domestic companies. But this behavior can lead to under-diversified portfolios. If your portfolio is dominated by just a few investments, and these investments are fairly similar to each other, you could experience some losses when the inevitable market downturn occurs. To help reduce the impact of market volatility, it’s a good idea to spread your investment dollars across large and small companies in a range of industries and geographical regions. And that’s just on the equities side — it’s also wise to consider further diversifying your portfolio by owning bonds and government securities. (Keep in mind, though, that diversification can’t guarantee profits or protect against all losses.) • Fear of admitting failure – Some individuals don’t like to admit when they’ve been wrong about something, and they may continue the same failed activities, hoping for eventual success. This behavior can be costly in the investment arena. Sometimes, a particular investment, or even an investment strategy, just doesn’t work out, but an investor is determined to stick with it — even if it ultimately means considerable financial loss. Don’t let his happen to you — if it becomes apparent you need to change your investment approach, move on to something better. Fear can hold us back in many walks of life — but don’t let it keep you from making appropriate investment moves.
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