Amscot Presents Mini-Grants To 10 Tampa Bay Nonprofits

TAMPA, FL -- Amscot Financial recently awarded mini-grants of $250 to $3,000 in support of 15 Florida nonprofit service organizations including 10 in the Tampa Bay area.

“It’s up to businesses like ours to support nonprofit service organizations. They can’t do it alone nor should they,” said Ian MacKechnie, founder and CEO of Amscot Financial. “If we can play a small part, we’re glad to.”

Among the organizations receiving mini-grants were the following Tampa Bay nonprofits:

• Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando Counties Inc., Spring Hill. The coalition is an organization administering early learning programs for nearly 13,000 children annually within their communities. The children are served through the coalition's two main programs - School Readiness, a financial assistance program for working families, and the State of Florida's Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) program for all 4- and 5-year-old children. For more information, click here.
• Hillsborough County 4-H Associations Sassy Cows 4 Savvy Kids Program, Riverview. The program’s goal is to make a difference in the lives of special needs children, while fulfilling its mission to empower youth to reach their full potential, working and learning in partnership with caring adults. Kids work with mentors and volunteers on a weekly basis, learning life-changing skills in a real-world setting. The simple interaction with an animal and the relationship between child and mentor can build independence, instill self-confidence, and boost determination. For more information, click here.
• Inspire Equine Therapy Program, Clearwater. Inspire serves teens and adults with disabilities along with disabled veterans through equine-assisted therapies and programs. For more information, click here.
• Koss Music and Cultural Arts Institute, Lutz. Koss puts musical instruments into the hands of disadvantaged and underprivileged youth. Its mission is to keep guns, knives and needles out of their hands and give the healing gift of music to a greater number of troubled and impoverished children throughout the surrounding counties. For more information, click here.
• New Season Apostolic Ministries Inc., Tampa. The ministries host an annual youth conference where it focuses on education, life skills training and entrepreneurship. It initiated the Ronnie Felton's Scholarship Fund, giving scholarships to graduating seniors who need assistance due to family financial status. For more information, click here.
• R’ Club Child Care Inc., St. Petersburg. R’Club programs emphasize the importance of the four R’s: Respect, Responsibility, Resourcefulness and Responsiveness. It provides quality early education programs, extended learning opportunities, tutoring by certified teachers, homework assistance and an overall enhancement to each child’s academic experience and success. For more information, click here.
• Rotary's Camp Florida, Brandon. Rotary’s Camp Florida offers special needs groups the ability to rent the entire 21-acre facility and tailor each of their camps to suit the specific needs of the children and adults they serve. Camp fees for special needs children and adults are sponsored by their groups and the Camp’s Memory Maker Scholarship Fund. For more information, click here.
• Special Olympics of Florida - Hillsborough and Pinellas, Tampa. The Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for people with intellectual disabilities who wish to participate, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage, learn skills and experience the rewards of competition. For more information, click here.
• Trinity Café Inc., Tampa. The café is a free restaurant serving more than 380 hot and hearty meals daily to men, women, children, elderly, veterans and the physically and mentally challenged. An army of loyal volunteers unconditionally serves the hot, well-balanced meals. Tables are set with cloths, centerpieces, plates and silverware. Guests are seated just like in fine dining restaurants. A volunteer host sits at each table offering conversation, encouragement, support and community connection, as another volunteer serves a chef-prepared meal in courses. The café offers respect and kindness given with the goal of restoring dignity to lives turned bleak by the streets, poverty and need. For more information, click here.

Headquartered in Tampa, Amscot Financial is a leading provider of consumer-oriented financial services, including cash advances, check cashing, bill payment, money transfers, prepaid access cards and money orders. Amscot Financial currently operates 237 retail financial service centers throughout Florida and employs close to 2,000 associates.

Image via Trinity Cafe

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