August 29, 2024 – Newsletter

Everyone is invited to join us as we welcome our new members, Sunday the 8th at Worship, and then at a light Welcome Brunch.  Joining are:

Sarah Dann
Shannon Dann
Sharon Smith
Stacy Wallace
Susie Rodriguez
Terry Meier

(Make new friends, but keep the old … c’mon all you Girl Scouts, SING!)

After a busy summer of hosting unique, fun-filled enrichment camps, Apollo Academy is excited to start their second year at Hyde Park. Many hands cleaned out classrooms, set up a basketball hoop, and moved furniture and supplies upstairs at a Parent Work Day.

You may notice more artwork and decorations on the walls as they settle into their existing and new spaces within the church. That’s right – with their growth in enrollment, Their Spark studio remains downstairs and their Discovery studio has moved upstairs.

School will begin Tuesday, the 3rd. Children’s laughter and excitement will once again be filling our halls. Apollo Academy specializes in self-paced, hands-on learning. The students are referred to as “learners” and the teachers are called “guides.” Their philosophy is to provide a framework and environment that prioritizes the mastery of foundational curriculum while providing children with the freedom to make their own decisions, explore at their will and define who they want to be.

We are proud that HPPC is the home for this outstanding educational offering within our community.

You may have missed the video last week because the link was missing, you were too busy right then, or something. Sooo, take a look and see what great things HPPC’s tenant Elevate Tampa Bay is doing!

The program of curriculum, mentoring, adventure, and college/career is literally changing the students’ life trajectories.

CLICK HERE for a YouTube video or visit the
Elevate Tampa Bay website at elevatetampabay.org.

End 68 Hours of Hunger has been gearing up all summer to carry out their mission of feeding food-insecure children in Tampa. This is how it “happens”:

– Contact school social workers for families in need
– Food donations from food drives
– Monetary donations to buy food & items
– Search for best prices and go shopping (like lots of CASES of tuna each week!)
– Open cases, stock shelves, recycle cardboard
– Teams fill the bags each week (not too heavy; little kids have to carry them!)
– Coordinator tries to make each week different!
– Bags placed on carts for each school
– Each school loaded into cars for delivery
– Do it all over again for next week!

Once school is up and running, it takes about $10,000 a week to furnish each of the kids of the family in need with 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 3 dinners (and snacks).

Hyde Park Pres serves as the main pantry for End 68 Hours of Hunger, using the 2 rooms closest to the Willow doors. There are an additional 4 pantries in Tampa.

Canned fruits and veggies (the regular size) are needed to get the school year off to a healthy start! Bring any donations to the Mission Box by the Willow doors.

Rev. John Hougen led the children and the congregation in prayer as our Christian Education program launched for the Fall season.
From right to left standing: Karla Grant (adults), Faith Pilafas (children), Harriet Plyler (middle school), Brooke Woodworth (children) and Rev. John.

Click on the photo and maybe it will come up large enough to see all the darling children!