Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 6-4-19

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Ministry Partners With S.E.E.D.S. For Summer Program
‘Sales Tax’ Holiday Set For 2019 Hurricane Season
MS. BERNADETTE LONDON
... Founder of S.E.E.D.S. Program
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
The 2018-2019 school year ended last week in Hills- borough County. However, many parents are still scram- bling to find places for their children.
Two not-for-profit organi- zations have joined forces to offer a solution to the prob- lem. Pastor Moses Brown, founder of Feed Our Children Ministries, Inc., and Ms. Bernadette London, founder of S.E.E.D.S. are shedding light on a program being offered.
The S.E.E.D.S. Program (an acronym for Students Ed- ucation Empowerment Daily Services, Inc.,), may be the best kept secret in town.
The program brings an ex- emplary band of 9 teachers, led by Ms. London.
“Our teachers have a com- bined 89 years of experience and exemplary records in the Hillsborough County School District.
“It really does take a vil- lage and some kids are still struggling. This program is a godsend and it is my passion. My teachers share that pas- sion,” Ms. London said.
The Summer Program begins on Monday, June 10th and will culminate on Friday, August 2nd. It is earmarked for stu- dents entering kinder- garten to entering 9th grade. It will be held at Sacred Heart Academy, 3515 N. Florida Avenue, Tampa, 33603, from 8:30 a.m. until 5:45 p.m. (813) 412-0826.
Unlike many summer pro- grams that simply house stu-
PASTOR MOSES BROWN ... Founder of Feed Our Children Ministries
dents for the summer, Ms. London said S.E.E.D.S. fo- cuses on education and that children who have attended the program, leave it on a bet- ter level.
“Our kids don’t leave the program. We have awesome teachers who take students others have given up on and turn them around.
“We work harder during the summer than during the year in terms of correcting many problems the students may come to us with. But every child who has crossed our path has turned around.”
A native of Guyana, South America, Ms. London said her mother was a principal while she was growing up and that there were always stu- dents at her home.
Her family moved to the United States when she was 10, “And that came with me. I believe that it takes a village to raise a child. If one child didn’t do well, that child was at our house.”
A teacher with the Hills- borough County School Dis- trict, Ms. London has served the students of Hills- borough County for 24 years.”
Pastor Brown said they are trying to obtain scholar- ships so the children in the community can attend the program. He hopes other churches and institutions in the community will help pro- vide scholarships for the chil- dren.
Ms. London said the program offers a balance of education and relaxation. The students also have an oppor- tunity to go on field trips. “We work hard in class and we play hard.”
Earlier this month, Gov- ernor Ron DeSantis signed the 2019 Florida No Sales Tax Holiday bill. The bill allows Florida residents to make purchases of disaster items for the hurricane sea- son. The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1st and ends on November 30th.
The no tax holiday went into effect at midnight on May 31st and ends at mid- night on June 6th. During this period, certain items pur- chased for the 2019 Hurri- cane Season will not be taxed.
The items include:
Portable self-powered light sources such as lanterns or flashlights selling for $20 or less;
Portable battery-operated
radios, two-way radios, or Weatherband radios selling for $50 or less;
Tarps, waterproof sheet- ing including visqueen plas- tic sheets, plastic drop cloths, tie-down kits, or other flexi- ble waterproof items selling for $50 or less;
A self-contained first-aid kit selling for $30 or less;
A ground anchor system or tie-down kit selling for $50 or less;
A gas or diesel fuel tank selling for $25 or less;
Non-electric food storage and ice coolers selling for $30 or less;
A portable generator used to provide light or communi- cations or preserve food in the event of a power outage selling for $750 or less;
Reusable ice selling for $10 or less; and
Batteries: AAA-Cell; AA- Cell; C-Cell; D-Cell, 6-Volt, or 9-Volt batteries selling for $30 or less. Batteries for au- tomobiles or boats are not in- cluded.
Always exempt
Bottled water (unfla- vored, uncarbonated)
Canned food, including meats, vegetables, fruit, peanut butter, and other nonperishable items
Prescription and non-pre- scription medications
Baby food and formula
For more information about the 2019 Florida Disas- ter Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday, visit www.flori- darevenue.com/disaster- prep.
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