By Libby Hopkins
There is an old saying that goes, “If we were all like angels, the world would be a heavenly place.” To many in the Brandon community, the Brandon Foundation’s board members are considered the angels that walk among us. The mission of the Brandon Foundation is to improve the quality of life and shape the future of our community by creating public awareness, developing resources and supporting initiatives that address local needs. They do this through their Angels Program.
“The Foundation Angel Program was created in 2006 after several of us experienced the loss of family members to the devastating disease of cancer,” said the foundation’s Executive Director, Liz Brewer. “We wanted to create a program that would engage our entire community to help one another. While a business may not be able to write a check to sponsor an event, they can give of their time and talents to serve someone in need.”
The program’s first Evening of Hope was held in November of 2006 and they were able to create a database of Foundation Angels that continue to help families in our community every single day. “Our Angel Teams and Angel Providers often tell us how wonderful they feel to be able to help someone in need with their service and in return, they receive the greatest blessing,” Brewer said.
The Foundation Angel Program is unique in that they match businesses and individuals in the Brandon community with individuals in need. “Most times the providers offer their services for free or deeply discounted,” Brewer said. “We ask our community to be the eyes and ears and to submit a family in need on our website. Our team leaders then review the requests, ensure they are legitimate needs and then disburse the request to our team leaders who lead our Angel Teams.”
Once a team has accepted a family, they will make a home visit to assess their needs and begin coordinating services with the Angel Providers.
To learn more about the Brandon Foundation and the Foundation Angel Program, visit www.brandonfoundation.org or call 689-6889. The foundation will be hosting its 2016 Evening of Hope and Charity Check Presentation on Friday, November 4 at The Regent. The Brandon Foundation is located at 1210 Millennium Pkwy. Ste. 2010 in Brandon.
