You Matter to M.E. - Lithia, FL

06/04/2026

To the anonymous angel who sent food for the pantry directly to the office, thank you! 😘

To see items we like to keep stock for families or to send an order, https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2Z74RQ34H8GR4?ref_=wl_share
For summer deliveries, please note that that the office is open M-Th only.

Thank you for your continued support of families in the program. 🥰

06/02/2026

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love." - Saint Mother Theresa

The quote above is certainly dependent on perspective. For the items we are able to put together to help families, those are GREAT THINGS!

Imagine finally being able to eat together at a table as a family. Imagine being able to provide a nice outfit for your 5th grader for their graduation. Imagine your aging mother having a new bed to sleep on, your student having a new mattress that you dreamt of providing.

With your kindness, this past week, a 5th grader received needed clothes, 2 families received a table and chairs set each, another a complete full-size bed, and another a twin mattress & fan.

Thank you to all the donors and their families for giving so generously: Dannellys, Olusope, Erin, Nicole, Jakki, and Ritesh. And a big thank you to Toni, Tim, Junior, Jasmine, and Antonio for helping with logistics and deliveries!

❤️

06/01/2026

🌟Hurricane 🌀supplies for Farmworker families🌟
Hurricane season kicks off today and the Newsome Red Cross Club is spearheading a summer collection for hurricane supplies to give to families this fall.

How you can help
👉 Set up a collection site at your business or ask businesses to be a collection site.
👉 Be a drop off location in your neighborhood.
👉 Donate supplies.
👉 Encourage others to donate.

Students can earn service hours by spreading the word and by collecting supplies. You Matter to M.E. will sign off on the hours.

All collection sites and questions can be directed to [email protected] OR comment below.

A huge thank you to Ella Baroni and the Newsome Red Cross Club for devising such a thoughtful, meaning summer project!

05/31/2026

Volunteer Opportunity with Nativity Food Bank - 2 slots each Friday - 1 dedicated for ages 16+ and 1 open to middle school+ (with an adult driver if not driving).

Volunteers will help Aurea Rodriguez, volunteer with Nativity Food Bank, pack bags of food for impoverished families in the Dover area then help distribute the food. This is a very eye opening experience!

Only ages 16+ are allowed in the warehouse to pack the food, but there is a slot open each Friday for middle schoolers who would like to help distribute. Aurea will sign volunteer forms.

Nativity Food Bank, San Jose Mission, Dover: Every Friday from June 5-July 31 (except July 3rd & 24)
👉 7:00 AM arrival for 16+, 8:25 AM arrival for all others. Usually, volunteers finish by 10:30 AM, but the SignUpGenius says 11 AM, just in case.

Signup here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080845A4AB283-57203940-2026

05/22/2026

UPDATE: Thank you to Kristin, Karen, and Julia! The family will receive their air conditioner tomorrow morning. ❤️
BIG NEED: We have a family in need of a window air conditioner for their trailer. If anyone has one with similar dimensions or would like to contribute to purchasing one, Venmo .

Any donations in excess of the cost of this one will be set aside for families needing AC units. Next week, the “Feels Like” temperatures are expected to be in the high 90s-100.

❤️

05/21/2026

05/20/2026

There are so many great things happening and the smiles say it all! 🥰

While delivering in Dover on Saturday, we picked up 3 bags of snacks provided by Cecelia, some of which were doled out to 3 families we visited on Sunday. The rest was sent to the southern end of the county today for staff to distribute.

On Sunday,
🙌 One family received a complete queen bed - frame donated by The Batts Family, mattress by The Bhatt Family, and sheets from The Howard Family. Now mom & dad can sleep well after a hard day’s work,
🙌 a 1st grader received a chair, compliments of Lindsey, to go with a desk previously dropped off,
🙌 a 3rd grader received a desk and chair thanks to Lindsey and Marc, and
🙌 a teen girl received a twin bed thanks to donations by Joy, Heather, Ananya, and Candace. And a big thank you to Danna & Linda for connecting us to donors. The family is currently using 2 twin boxsprings to lift the bed until we find a twin frame.

All these tangibles are no doubt helpful, but with each gift of reaching out, the intangibles boost family morale - kindness, generosity, and compassion. Thank you for transforming some of the toughest days into joy.

❤️

05/19/2026

Help us celebrate Julie! 🎉👏🎉

Last night we celebrated Julie Snyder as she received her CHEERS to PUBlic Service Award from Irish 31 Hyde Park and Icarefoundationfl. We are so thrilled that your love for your students and families in the program was recognized!

Keeping students on track for graduation while collaborating with high schools and businesses to offer special experiences that your students wouldn’t normally experience has utterly and completely impacted all those who know you in an immensely positive way.

We are so thankful! A big thanks to Jay & Bianca Mize, Melissa Maloney, and The Junior League of Tampa for a beautiful evening!

irish31pub juniorleagueoftampa

05/17/2026

Working together this week, we were able to provide a complete bed and desk for a 1st grader and a mattress and a complete crib for an expectant mom.

Both families were home when we delivered and were just thrilled! You could see a visible sigh of relief that their needs were finally met. ❤️

Thank you to all those who contributed to these deliveries - Nando, Jennifer, Tiffany, Hiral, Beatriz, Erin, Jessica, and Gail. Thank you for your generosity!

❤️

05/16/2026

Hats off to Koen, a local high schooler, who put out a social media campaign to gather food for the Food Pantry at the resource center!

Working with teens taking action to make someone else’s life a bit easier is a real blessing!

Next week, Koen will be throwing that hat up in the air! 🎓 Congrats! 🎉

Thank you for sharing about the program and the needs of the students and families! ❤️