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Food Pantry Collecting Toys, Gift Certificates For Families

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By BARBARA ROUTEN, Tribune correspondent

Published: December 12, 2007

Updated: 12/10/2007 06:56 pm

BRANDON - The Nativity Outreach Food Pantry is collecting new, unwrapped toys in shopping carts in the social hall of Nativity Catholic Church, 705 E. Brandon Blvd., after all Masses.

For Mass times, visit www.nativity catholicchurch.org or call the church office at (813) 681-4608. The toys will be distributed to families in need Monday at St. Nicholas' Toy Shop at the church. The toys and other items will be available for parents to choose for their children ages 12 and younger.

Looking for another opportunity for giving? There's also the Family Gift Tree program. Families assisted by the food pantry have envelopes on a Christmas tree in the church vestibule.

"We ask that you pick a family and purchase a gift certificate for them," Pat LeJeune, pantry director, wrote in a recent church bulletin. "This is a gift of personal empowerment, allowing each family to fill a special need of theirs."

The gift certificates will be given to the families Thursday, the last food pantry distribution of 2007.

For details or to have large items picked up, call LeJeune at (813) 707-1523.

Newcomers Invited To Christmas Luncheon
BRANDON - The Brandon Newcomers Club will hold its annual Christmas luncheon at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 19 at Center Place Fine Arts and Civic Association, 619 Vonderburg Dr.

The program will have a Christmas theme and many surprises, according to the December club newsletter. Members are asked to bring a gift worth $10 to exchange and food to share. The deadline for reservations is today. Call Carol Marden at (813) 657-1622 to make or break a reservation.

In other club news, Let's Eat Out has reserved room for 20 at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 28 at Buckhorn Springs Golf and Country Club, 2721 S. Miller Road, Valrico. An Elvis cover band will provide music for dancing. For details, call Hilda Hiner at (813) 626-4940.

The Book Club will meet Jan. 30 to review Richard Russo's book, "Bridge of Sighs." The time and place are yet to be determined, chairwoman Betty Cocchiola said.

Two of the club Bowling League teams are tied for first place after 10 weeks of bowling: the Mighty Mites, Edna Standland, Marcia Gordon and Cathy Visscher; and the Go Getters, Miriam Smith, Pat Fuller-Gardner and Mima LaVarta. Gordon won an award in November for bowling a 200 game for the first time.

For information about bowling in the Brandon Newcomers League, call Alma Ace at (813) 651-0236. To contact Cocchiola for information about the Book Club, call (813) 685-9730.

First Baptist Pastor Turns 50 Dec. 20

BRANDON - "Ain't it nifty," said Brandon resident Sondra Holley, longtime member of First Baptist Church of Brandon, "Dr. Tommy Green is turning 50!" Green, pastor of the historic congregation, will reach this milestone Dec. 20.

"He's really a wonderful person," Holley said.

On Dec. 5, church member Cindy Szydlowski attended a class taught by Green and the Rev. Miles Dowdy. The topic was the book of Genesis.

"Someone asked how many years it was between the beginning of creation and Jesus' birth," Szydlowski said. "Pastor Dowdy glanced at Pastor Green and said, 'I figured it out, and I think it was 50 years. That's a long, long time!'"

Green's wife, Karen, announced that her husband has already received an invitation to join the AARP. It's official.

Merry Christmas From Stagedoor

BRANDON - Stagedoor Performing Arts is offering a Christmas present to the community - lower prices for "Scrooge: the Musical," at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday at Limona Village Chapel, 408 Limona Road.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children older than 5 and seniors older than 55. Children younger than 5 are admitted free. Canned goods will be collected for the troupe's food drive for Metropolitan Ministries in Tampa.

Doors open 30 minutes before showtime. Tickets are available at the door or in advance from any cast member; online at www.ticketleap .com; at The Green Boutique, 1032 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico; or at the offices of The Osprey Observer, 900 Lithia-Pinecrest Road.

Snippets

Felicitations to the following couples, who are celebrating wedding anniversaries of 30 years or more: Steve and Henrietta Olson of Valrico, 37 years Nov. 14; Curt and Frances Davis of Seffner, 59 years Dec. 9; Glenton and Florence Myrie of Valrico, 64 years Dec. 11; Arnold and Gloria Nieuwendam of Brandon, 59 years Dec. 17; Charles and Virginia Boyer of Brandon, 62 years Dec. 29; and Dave and Terri Carter of Brandon, 30 years Dec. 30.

Send news and photos of community interest to Barbara Routen at The Tampa Tribune, 505 W. Robertson St., Brandon FL 33511, e-mail neighbors@tampabay.rr .com or call (813) 657-4531.

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