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Florida Hospital North Pinellas, Tarpon Springs Shepherd Center team for Thanksgiving meals for needy

 
Students fill boxes during the food donation drive at St. Cecelia Catholic School in Clearwater. From left are Diana Fernandez, Jennifer Spencer, Catherine Clark, Alexandra Desautel, Richard McKeon and Nicholas Amaro.
Students fill boxes during the food donation drive at St. Cecelia Catholic School in Clearwater. From left are Diana Fernandez, Jennifer Spencer, Catherine Clark, Alexandra Desautel, Richard McKeon and Nicholas Amaro.
Published Nov. 27, 2012

Good For You | by Nova Beall

Florida Hospital North Pinellas has partnered with the Tarpon Springs Shepherd Center for "Project Thanks," a program that provides a basket of food at Thanksgiving and Christmas to more than 1,000 community households-in-need that register with the center.

This year's Thanksgiving Project Thanks included more than 800 cans of green beans donated by Florida Hospital North Pinellas employees, families and friends. St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral donated enough rice to feed 600 families, and Tarpon Springs High School donated just as much corn to complete the Thanksgiving bags.

"There were turkeys, stuffing, butter, eggs, canned fruit, corn, green beans and cranberries; each family went home with a full meal," said Paul Hoover, vice president of business development for Florida Hospital North Pinellas and a volunteer at this year's event. "We are in great company at the Shepherd Center this year. It's great to see the community come together and to support one another and this time of thanks and giving."

A number of churches, schools and organizations make up the Shepherd Center family, including Florida Hospital North Pinellas, formerly known as Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital, which has helped with this annual project for more than 20 years.

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During a two-week donation drive, students at Clearwater's St. Cecelia Catholic School collected hundreds of items, including sugar, rice, beans, canned fruit, cooking oil, broth, ketchup, mustard, and diced tomatoes and tomato sauce for the St. Vincent de Paul soup kitchen. Personal hygiene items also were collected.

During the drive, announcements were made daily, and students made posters and provided boxes for the collection of items.

A representative from St. Vincent de Paul came to the school Nov. 16 to accept the donations and spoke to the student body about the needs of the soup kitchen and the recipients of the collected items.

Mail Good For You items to Nova Beall at 710 Court St., Clearwater, FL 33756; fax to (727) 445-4119; or email nbeall@tampabay.com.