Church Hosts Annual Teddy Bear Sunday
Hope Lutheran Church congregation’s human Care Ministry Team hosted its annual Teddy Bear Sunday
Members and friends were encouraged to bring a new teddy bear to church with them on the Sunday closest to Valentine’s Day.
Over the years, they’ve donated the bears to Plant City Police and Fire Departments, Florida Baptist Children’s Home, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Hope members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan to share with fellow soldiers and area children
This year, church members donated more than 100 bears to their Hispanic Ministry Pastor Rev. John Cobos to share the bears with children in the Plant City Hispanic community.
Each bear is tagged with a special message from Hope and the words of John 3:16 to remind the recipient of God’s never-failing love for them.
“These bears are a special way for us to help children who are going through a difficult time,” said Sandy Howell, Hope’s Human Care Ministry Team Leader.
Plant City Garden Club Scholarships
The Plant City Garden Club will award two $1,000 scholarships in May. To be eligible for consideration, students must be a local high school senior majoring in one of the following six fields of study: Biology, Botany, Conservation and/or Forestry, Environmental Studies, Horticulture or Landscape Design.
Scholarship information and application forms are available online at plantcitygardenclub.com. In addition to the application, students must submit a personal letter describing their background, goals, commitment to their chosen career and how their goals support the Plant City Garden Club’s mission statement, two letters of recommendation from instructors/professors and school transcripts. The application deadline is May 1.
Herring Street Brick Restoration Project
Last week, the city commission authorized the city manager to execute an agreement with NJandlal Maintenance Services of Brandon, LLC, for the Herring Street Brick Restoration Project, valued at $60,420. Work is expected to begin this month, which will include removing and palletizing existing bricks, regrading and installation of base material and installation of existing bricks. The road will be closed for approximately two weeks during the repairs.
City Employees Receive Recognition
Solid Waste Refuse Collector Keith Brown, Solid Waste Equipment Operator Lee Perez and Stormwater Operators Todd Sparkman and Reginald Flowers all received City Manager coins for going above and beyond the call of duty. Brown tackled and completed a large container yard project by himself in a single day and Perez received accolades from a customer for the thorough manner in which he picked up a large brush pile. A local resident thanked Sparkman and Flowers, who while completing a street repair, took the time to answer an inquisitive child’s many questions about the work they were doing.