Page 10 - Florida Sentinel 7-9-21

Feature
Tampa Native Is Giving Away 2 Scholarships To High School Graduates
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Staff Writer
Tampa native Eboney De Costa has always found her way back home. After job transfers and promotions have taken her to multiple cities, she always returned to Tampa and her family. The Hillsbor- ough High graduate credits her family and their closeness to her decision to settle in Tampa and build a legacy.
After climbing the ladder of success at several major retail- ers in her 20s, De Costa felt she needed a change going into her 30s. She took some time off and decided that entrepre- neurship would be her new vo- cation. Real Estate turned out to be the avenue.
After getting her Real Es- tate license in 2015, De Costa decided to open her own firm. She knew that whatever she did, it would have to honor her family and her community. De Costa Realty was opened in 2018, offering several services to help clients.
De Costa is always look- ing to help the community. She
EBONEY DE COSTA ...Tampa native works hard to give back.
encourages her staff to partake in community service and says, “everybody can partici- pate in helping the commu- nity. I try to do anything that God lays on my heart.”
She does an annual toy drive for Christmas, food drives, and provides blankets and socks to the community. She is presently creating a non-profit organization to oversee all the community services she han- dles.
In that vein, De Costa
will be giving two $500 scholarships for high school graduates with a minimum GPA of 2.5.
De Costa believes that our children must be nurtured and given the tools to be successful.
There are a few rules that candidates must follow.
Candidates must follow De Costa Realty on Facebook (Florida Living) and Instagram @decostarealty.
All candidates must be a 2021 high school graduate in the Tampa Bay Area.
Must show proof of a mini- mum 2.5 GPA and proof of higher education enrollment (college, trade/technical school, or certification).
Write a 250-word essay ex- plaining your future goals and how this the scholarship money will be used to achieve those goals. The essay must be received by Friday, July 9th.
Candidates should com- plete their contact request at decostarealty.com as soon as possible. Lucky winners will be announced Monday, July 12th via social media.
Help Available To Help Families Register For Monthly Child Tax Credit
From left, Abigail Perez, Comm. Gwen Myers, U. S. Rep. Kathy Castor, and Kelley Parris. (Photograph by BRUNSON)
U. S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) was joined on Monday, June 21 by County Commis- sioner Gwen Myers, Chil- dren’s Board Executive Director Kelley Parris, and Abigail Perez, Early Learn- ing Coalition Director of Im- pact and Relations, to highlight a new online tool to ensure that families who did not file a tax return for 2019 or 2020 and
who did not use the IRS Non- filers tool last year to sign up for the Economic Impact Pay- ments receive monthly federal Child Tax Credit advance pay- ments. In addition, a coalition of local organizations have come together to help ensure access to this new IRS Portal. Users of the tool can also choose to enter direct deposit bank information so the IRS can deposit the payments di- rectly into their account.
Eligible individuals who filed a 2019 or 2020 tax return or used the IRS Non-filers tool last year to register for Eco- nomic Impact Payments do not need to take any action to re- ceive their advance Child Tax Credit payments begin- ning in July.
Advance payments that amount up to $300 per month, per child will be made July 15th through December.
Go to: www.irs.gov/credits-de- ductions/child-tax-credit- non-filer-sign-up-tool.
Locations to Register are: Hillsborough County Public Libraries, Hillsborough County Children’s Board, Early Learning Coalition of Hillsbor- ough County, Corporation to Development Communities (CDC) of Tampa, Inc., Univer- sity Area Community Develop- ment Center, Tampa Underground/Mujeres Restau- rant and the Urban League Hillsborough County.
In Florida’s 14th Congres- sional District, 83.3 percent of children will benefit from this credit – 140,800 children – and 12,600 children will be lifted out of poverty.
PAGE 10-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2021