Tampa Bay Newspapers
By Suzette Porter
December 19, 2011
Posted Story >>
Employees at Pinellas County governmental agencies have been working overtime lately, making sure that local children and families have something special for Christmas.
For nearly two decades, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has spearheaded a Christmas Sharing Project, using money raised during the annual Ride & Run with the Stars and other donations.
This year nearly 100 deputies and agency members “shopped for Santa,” purchasing as many items as they could with the $25,000 raised at this year’s Ride & Run. The goal is to fill the wish lists of almost 500 children and their families who qualified to participate in the Christmas Sharing program.
Employees of the sheriff’s office submit the names of children and families, who are screened to determine their level of need. Most wish lists include basic needs – underwear, socks, jackets or school clothes. Deputies also purchase toys and other gifts to help make the holidays brighter for good little boys and girls.
Deputies get help from two local businesses, including Bechtel Financial and AMSCOT. This year, the Bechtel family is donating almost 80 bicycles and AMSCOT is providing the helmets. Deputies loaded their cruisers with gifts Dec. 15 and personally delivered the gifts to area families. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri sends his appreciation to all the community partners who donated to this year’s event.
Pinellas County’s employees have been giving back to the community for 25 years now with their holiday bicycle drive, which is a “team project,” according to the county’s Communications Department. Employees donate money throughout the year for the bicycle fund.
On Dec. 16, employees loaded 56 new bicycles, which had been on display in the Courthouse lobby, for delivery to the Department of Health and Human Services in Clearwater and St. Petersburg.
County social workers will distribute the bikes to eligible families who received benefits from the county’s Health and Human Services Department this past year. County employees also donated items to fulfill wish lists offered to eligible clients of Health and Human Services. The wish lists included personal products, household goods and linens.
Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority employees also are doing their part to spread holiday cheer this season.
Boxes and bags filled with toys have been flowing into PSTA’s administrative offices over the past several weeks thanks to the generosity of the agency’s employees, according to Bob Lasher, manager of community relations.
PSTA employees have collaborated with Lutheran Services of Florida and Eckerd Youth Alternatives for the past several years to supply toys to needy children.
“We have a longstanding tradition of collecting gifts for the needy during the holidays. With so many people struggling with the economy, we weren’t sure it would be appropriate to ask for donations this year,” said PSTA director of Transportation and Gift Drive coordinator Denise Skinner. “However, before we could even make a decision, our staff asked us if they could hold a gift drive for the needy. As far as I’m concerned, their generosity and kindness are the perfect embodiment of the holiday spirit.”
PSTA asked their partners for a list of children and their holiday wish lists. PSTA staff was so responsive that organizers had to ask for more names and wish lists because the initial group was taken so quickly, Lasher said. As of Dec. 15, employees had fulfilled the lists of more than 50 children – and employees were still bringing in gifts.
PSTA employees loaded up a special holiday express, aka a hybrid SmartBus, on Dec. 16, to deliver the gifts to Lutheran Services in Largo. Staff from Lutheran Services and Eckerd Youth Alternatives will finish the project, making sure the gifts arrive to the children in time to make this year’s holidays something to remember.
