As an organization dedicated to serving people, we focus on community service as a core part of our culture. Team members bring their own passion areas to their volunteer work with a wide variety of charitable causes throughout the year, including support for veterans and youth initiatives. Three of the organizations our team has volunteered with recently are Habitat for Humanity, YMCA READS! and Lowcountry Orphan Relief.

Habitat for Humanity: Veterans Build Week of Service

In honor of Veterans Day, Grow team members joined Friends of U.S. Military Families, Inc. and the Grow Financial Foundation for the Veterans Build Week of Service, a Habitat for Humanity annual event that focuses on affordable home repair services for veterans and their families in Hillsborough County.

Volunteers provided home maintenance services to limited-income veteran homeowners. Grow team members who participated recognized the special opportunity to provide support for veterans right here in Tampa Bay. Christopher Flack, MCC Operations Analyst, shared, “When it comes to sacrifices made, no group stands out more than United States veterans. The lives we lead would look much different without their daily sacrifices. Whether large or small, a veteran’s needs should never go unmet. For these reasons and so many more, it is an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to assist our local veterans. While we can never truly repay our debt to our nation’s protectors, we can honor them in service.” Learn more about the Veterans Build Week of Service.

YMCA READS!

Travel to distant lands, learn a new skill and explore any subject without leaving your room. How? Reading, of course! It’s the goal of YMCA READS! to set kids on the path to future learning and open young minds to a world full of growth and possibility — all by teaching them to read. The Tampa Bay area YReads! program supports students in kindergarten through third grade at three local elementary schools: Pizzo Elementary, Sulphur Springs Community School and Twin Lakes Elementary. Our team members are proud to support this important cause making a significant difference for children. If you’re interested in helping out, the YReads! program is always looking for volunteers. By volunteering just two hours per week, you can teach a child to read. Learn more about YMCA READS!

Lowcountry Orphan Relief

The mission of Lowcountry Orphan Relief is to provide support services and aid to meet the needs of children identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse or neglect. This week, team members spent time putting together care kits, tote bags of necessities for children in foster care. Cathleen Clark, Loan Resolution Specialist, said, “Lowcountry Orphan Relief tugs at my heart because I was once a child moving from one place to another with all my things in a black trash bag. Lowcountry Orphan Relief purposefully hands out large, durable bags, so children can move their items securely and with dignity. I am honored to serve alongside people who have a heart for these children and the situations they are all getting out of.” Learn more about Lowcountry Orphan Relief.

As we approach a time of year when thankfulness is a shared focus, it’s also an important time to give back to our communities and serve others with open hearts and minds. We’re surrounded by opportunities to lend a helping hand, whether that’s providing support for veterans, helping with youth education initiatives, reducing food insecurity or assisting the community in any way that’s dear to you.

---

Posted In:

• News