Brandon/Winthrop
21
January 2022 Volume 17, Issue 1
Ph: 657-2418
SEE AD ON PAGE 34
CELEBRATING 20 YEARS OF PUBLISHING P OSITIVE COMMUNIT Y NEWS
METROPOLITAN MINISTRIES VOLUNTEER DONATES FOOD TO NEARLY 300 FAMILIES IN NEED
HOMETOWN PAPER CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF POSITIVE COMMUNITY NEWS By Marie Gilmore, Publisher
By Lily Belcher
Brandon Regional Hospital’s Jill Lansky volunteered at Metropolitan Ministries’ holiday tent.
Osprey Observer 2109 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. Valrico, FL 33596
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In 2020, Jill Lansky volunteered at Metropolitan Ministries’ holiday tent. After volunteering with the nonprofit organization based out of Tampa, Lansky felt compelled to find a way to provide more substantial food to families in need. “I spend time volunteering … and it warmed my heart to pack boxes with food for families that are struggling in our community,” said Lansky. Lansky spent all of 2021 searching for someone who could provide 1,000 pounds of potatoes for struggling families. She remembered that one of her family friends, Zach Hawkins, a Bloomingdale High School graduate, manages a potato farm in South Carolina. With the help of Hawkins, Lansky was able to get in contact with Walther Farms, who was willing to donate the potatoes. The only problem was that she had to find a way to pick up 1,000 pounds of potatoes. “As luck would have it, Zach was traveling to Tampa at the time [and] they were ready and delivered the donated potatoes himself,” said Lansky. “I am so grateful
and proud of Zach and for his hand in giving back to his hometown.” Lansky was able to help nearly 300 families with the potatoes by donating a large bag to feed each family. A year after the initial idea, Lansky and Hawkins distributed the potatoes through Metropolitan Ministries’ holiday tent in December of 2021 to registered clients, who received a food box and toys for their children alongside the potatoes. “I saw a need to provide something substantial that would give families more on their dinner plates. I thought potatoes would be the perfect food. There are so many ways to prepare them, and they fill bellies,” explained Lansky. When Lansky is not volunteering with Metropolitan Ministries, which she has been doing for five years, she is working as the director of business development at Brandon Regional Hospital. Lansky helped start the mentor program for women through Metropolitan Ministries’ residential program during her time volunteering as well. For more information on Metropolitan Ministries, contact 209-1000 or visit its website at metromin.org. For more information on how to volunteer, visit their website to fill out the interest form or contact volunteer@metromin.org.
Mark your calendars because the Florida State Fair is coming to town. Held at the Florida State Fairgrounds from Thursday, February 10 to Wednesday, February 23, the fair offers food, fun, entertainment and even education for the whole family. See Story on Page 3.
The Osprey Observer team gathers for its recent 20th anniversary ribbon-cutting. Photo courtesy of the Ed Booth, Huth & Booth Photography
A major milestone has been reached for the award-winning Osprey Observer Community Newspapers as we print our first edition for our 20th anniversary on Wednesday, January 5. The newspaper has been publishing local, positive community news in the Southeastern Hillsborough County area since January 5, 2001, and we couldn’t have done it without the commitment and dedication of its readers and trusted advertisers. The Osprey Observer started out as a home-based business with a one-sheet newsletter and has grown into a corporation publishing more than 200 pages in five monthly editions with a team of more than 25 people. The main goal when we started was to make an impact on the local community. Our idea was to get involved and to make a difference in whatever ways we could. For our business, this has included the addition of videos, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and an active, archived website, along with the continuation of building our brand at events, festivals and with sponsorships in the community. We recently purchased a larger office space on Lithia Pinecrest Rd. in Valrico with room for team members to meet and run the day-to-day operations of the publication. As a community newspaper, we find that this is what sets us apart and keeps our readers interested as we cover the news. We are supported 100 percent by local small businesses who keep us a free community newspaper and allow us to print and mail our editions each month. Without the support of these businesses, we wouldn’t have the staff to send to cover community events nor the community office to be the hub of local information. “My 16-year experience with the Osprey Observer has allowed me to integrate into my community in a very special way,” said Kerrie Hoening, FishHawk/Bloomingdale and Valri-
co sales. “The connections I’ve made [have] allowed me to build lasting relationships and friendships that I might have otherwise never met. The heart of this team is to support our residents, our local businesses, our charitable organizations and our community, and I have been very proud to be a part of the Osprey Observer for these past 16 years.” In addition to concentrating on our main business, publishing newspapers that people read, we also have been active in our local chambers and encourage businesses to not just join but actually get involved and attend events. Just in the last year, we have been recognized for our community involvement in many ways. Managing Editor/Publisher Marie Gilmore was named the 2019 Citizen of the Year for Riverview and the Osprey Observer was named the Valrico/FishHawk Chamber Business of the Year, Brandon Chamber Business of the Year and Riverview/Apollo Beach Chamber Small Business of the Year Finalist in 2019. The best advice we can give any small business owner is to find your niche in what you do best, be the best, treat every customer like your absolute best customer and follow the general small business rules that will set you apart: Be On Time, Send a Thank-You Note, Follow Up! If it weren’t for our loyal readers and avid business supporters, we couldn’t do what we do in the community. So, from the Osprey Observer and Christian Voice team, thank you!
IN THIS ISSUE: I-75 IMPROVEMENTS..........................PG 3 NEW FOOD BANK ................................. PG 4 EYE ON BUSINESS ...................PGS 25-26 COMMUNITY ARTS......................... PGS 33
