Hurricane Recovery with Barbara Howard: Community Impact and Service Above Self
Barbara Howard is the Director of Volunteers for You Matter To M.E. Lithia, FL, she is also a wife, mother, community mentor and FishHawk-Riverview Rotarian
She manages a service organization that works in conjunction with the Migrant Education Services Center, school advocates, and the community to identify needs, gather, and deliver donated household furniture, clothing, and housewares to migrant families in need in the program.
Project manager and mentor to teens earning service hours by providing services to the Migrant Education Program for Bright Futures Service hours.
Organize and manage the pick up and delivery of school breakfast and lunch meals provided by the school district to 75-85 students of migrant families who are not able to get the meals themselves. Summer 2021
Coordinate with I Support the Girls - Tampa Bay and the Junior Women's League of Tampa for needed supplies of feminine products, bras, underwear, and diapers.
And….drumroll please! The 2024 winner of the Osprey Observer Favorite Things Sweepstakes is announced!!
Angel Foundation Brings Relief and Hope to Hurricane Victims
In the wake of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the Florida-based Angel Foundation stepped up with swift action and support for the local community. Known for assisting families facing critical illnesses and life-altering events, the nonprofit redirected its efforts to provide immediate relief for hurricane survivors, answering urgent calls for help in the Brandon and Riverview areas.
According to Liz Brewer, president of the Angel Foundation, the group acted quickly to meet the community’s needs. “I literally said a prayer and asked, ‘What can we do in this community?’” Brewer said on a recent episode of the Osprey Observer TV podcast. Within 24 hours, her team organized a relief event at The Regent in Riverview, where they distributed hot meals, meal kits, cleanup supplies, and even disaster relief assistance, working with partners such as Operation BBQ Relief, Feeding Tampa Bay, and local organizations....
https://angelfoundationfl.com/
https://www.facebook.com/AngelFoundationFL/
https://twitter.com/AngelFndnFL
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChZV-6Io_CSI4l-Te4cvNCA
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Osprey Observer TV - Operation BBQ Relief Serves Up Hope in Disaster-Stricken Areas
@Operationbbqrelief
http://OBR.org
https://www.facebook.com/OpBBQRelief/
https://www.instagram.com/opbbqrelief/
https://www.tiktok.com/@UC6MJUJrs3WBpR7xk_jt8uHw
https://twitter.com/OpBBQRelief
https://www.linkedin.com/company/operation-bbq-relief/
Combined Federal Campaign CFC# 67400
When disaster strikes, food is often one of the most immediate needs, especially for families and communities devastated by hurricanes or other natural calamities. Operation BBQ Relief (OBR), a nonprofit organization started by competitive barbecue chefs, steps up to meet that need, providing hot, comforting meals to people affected by natural disasters.
The story of OBR began in 2011 after a massive tornado hit Joplin, Missouri. Founders, including co-founder Will Cleaver, saw an opportunity to put their skills to work, showing up with equipment and a small team of volunteers. They initially planned to serve a few thousand meals but ended up distributing over 120,000 meals in just 12 days, Cleaver recalls. This experience laid the foundation for an organization that today operates on a national scale, with a network of volunteers and partners across the country.
From that first deployment, OBR has grown dramatically, having served 12 million meals in the years since. In a recent deployment in Florida, following Hurricane Melton, OBR hit the milestone of delivering 1 million meals to disaster survivors in just two weeks. With massive smokers that can cook up to 160 pork shoulders at once, OBR operates on a scale unimaginable to most, using commercial-grade equipment and an efficient, organized setup to serve up to 15,000 meals a day.
"To hand someone a hot barbecue meal and see the smile on their face—it’s incredibly rewarding," Cleaver shared in a recent interview on the Osprey Observer TV podcast. "Our volunteers don’t just show up; they’re self-sufficient, coming in with everything needed to be a support, not a burden, to the local community.”
The logistical operatio
Osprey Observer TV - What Happens When You Combine Watermelon Swim with Water Safety?
In this episode of *Osprey Observer TV*, host Marie Gilmore sits down with Frankie Beatty-Todd, Regional Vice President of Operations at Watermelon Swim, a local swim school dedicated to teaching essential water safety skills. Watermelon Swim operates four year-round indoor facilities, making it a standout business in Florida, where outdoor lessons are often disrupted by unpredictable weather.
Listeners are invited to learn more at WatermelonSwim.com and take the first step toward water safety.
