Daystar Beacon

April 2023 Newsletter

Daystar's Mission

We fight hunger, poverty, and hopelessness

by providing the necessities of life

to our neighbors in need.

We engage, educate, and empower the community by promoting the value of nutrition, good health, and financial literacy.

Our Values

Treat all with Compassion and Dignity

Client Focused

Respect for Individuality

Responsible Stewardship of Resources

Volunteers are our Core

Emphasize Teamwork and Family Spirit

Commitment to Continuous Improvement

Mission Impact

After a heart attack, a veteran who was previously employed and financially stable found himself unable to work and pay his bills after depleting his nest egg.

Fortunately, a local community mental health agency reached out to us in an emergency when his electricity was at risk of being shut off. We quickly made arrangements to pay his electric bill and averted the disconnection.

Additionally, we provided him with several referrals to apply for a Disabled Veterans National Foundation Stability Grant and Social Security to obtain further help.

"I really appreciate your guidance. I can't believe you acted so quickly to keep my lights on! My mind is more at ease now. Thank you!" - David

After serving forty years in prison, a 64-year-old man was released with no means of identification or family connections. Daystar stepped in to help him establish his identity by securing his birth certificate and ID and enrolled him in the Daystar Secure Mail Program.

Shortly after, he was able to locate his sister and after they reconnected, she happily offered him a place to stay.

Daystar then purchased a bus ticket for him to travel to his sister's hometown and provided him with a suitcase filled with clothes and food for the journey. The man expressed his gratitude to Daystar, acknowledging that our assistance has been a significant factor in his positive transition back into society.

“Everything good that has happened to me is because of Daystar. They are returning me to my family! I am so thankful."

"I'm grateful to you for getting me help with this month's rent. I'm so happy to be starting a new job in a couple of weeks so I'll be back on my feet.

It is much easier to sleep knowing I'm not getting evicted! Thank you!" - Jim

Help us Prevent Homelessness - Click Here to make an Online Gift Now

A message from Our Executive Director

It’s May and its hard to believe the school year is already coming to an end! I think the most important decision working parents have this time of year is making sure our children have safe and enriching activities to do all summer and many of these activities come with a cost. I am blessed to have a steady income and a supportive partner who can work from home and can easily help to navigate this challenge.

Today I am thinking about the single mom of three, whose husband died earlier this year. She works two jobs to support her family. How is she going to manage care for her children this summer? Does she have options? With everything she has gone through this would seem to add stress. And yet, she still smiles.

Why is that? I want to think it is because of the amazing people here at Daystar. Where there once was darkness, a simple act of kindness has now provided a small ray of light, and that light lets her know there is still hope, and hope changes everything. All the people who support Daystar, our volunteers, donors, community partners, and friends, provide hope.

Daystar does not have a summer camp program or babysitting services for our clients, but we do have the ability to wrap the parents in need with other essential support services like food, clothing, and financial assistance that will help them care for their children. So, the next time you are thinking about a worthy cause, remember the over 11,000 children supported by Daystar services. You have the power to be their light in the darkness.

As always, be blessed,

Heide

Sincere Gratitude for

Daystar's Retiring Board Members

Daystar would like to express its sincere gratitude to Sister Marita Flynn, Dr. Christine Larsen, and Jim Garrity for their collective 30 years of serving on the Daystar Board of Directors. Daystar's mission has been greatly advanced and thousands of individuals in need have been impacted by their valuable contributions.

"The board is immensely grateful for their contributions as members and volunteers, and for their unwavering support of Daystar's mission," said Jay Ghosh, President of the Daystar Board of Directors.

We wish them every success in their future endeavors and extend our gratitude once again for their commitment to Daystar's mission.

Volunteers Move Our Mission

Celebrating National Volunteer Week at Daystar

We're shining a light on all our volunteers as we celebrate National Volunteer Week, a special time dedicated to acknowledging all volunteers for the hard work they do to help charities achieve their goals. Today and every day we recognize and appreciate our volunteers as a critical part of fulfilling Daystar's ministry. Without their help, we wouldn't be able to do what we do!

In honor of this special occasion, we celebrated with delicious food and a "spirit week" event where everyone had a chance to dress up and have some fun. Special thanks to Cakes by Carolynn for the delicious and beautifully decorated cake.

Groups Moving Our Mission

Helping the Less Fortunate: It's More Than Just a Day

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Temple Beth-El for their annual Mitzvah Day volunteer event at Daystar. The team of volunteers dedicated their time and energy to harvesting mulberries, tomatoes, eggplants, and pigeon peas. Additionally, they helped to spread tons of mulch to expand our fruit forest and later assisted with packing grocery bags for our USDA program. We are incredibly grateful for their kindness and support.

Thank you, Temple Beth-El, for this day and all that you do every day for Daystar and the community!

Service Day at Daystar

Blessed Sacrament Catholic School's 6th-grade students generously volunteered at Daystar Life Center during their recent service day. The students had the opportunity to learn about the garden and contributed in a variety of ways such as making sandwiches, packing grocery bags, and filling laundry soap bottles. We appreciate their eagerness to help and extend our gratitude to the students, teachers, and parents involved!

Volunteers are always welcome!

Please call Ashley Bigby at 727-823-4852,

or email Ashley.Bigby@daystarlife.com to learn how you can help.

CURRENT Volunteers Click HERE to Sign Up for a Shift

This April we gave away a total of 492 pounds of organic fruits and vegetables including cucumbers, peppers, green tomatoes (a crowd favorite) cherry tomatoes, eggplant, mulberries, strawberries, and bananas!

Last month we grew and gave away 673 pounds of organic produce. What's even more incredible is that in March of 2022, we grew 279 pounds IN THE SAME SPACE. Proof that no-till regenerative practices work. And remember, we are growing in only 1,000 square feet of space, that's 1/43 of an acre. The Daystar Edible Garden is small but mighty!

Meet Leonard

Leonard came to Daystar after harvest and was excited to receive fresh vegetables and fruits straight from the our garden.

"They taste so much better when they are home grown!" he said holding his bag of greens. Enjoy Leonard!

Partner Collaboration

We simply couldn't do what we do without community support -- individuals, corporations, and groups that work with us to move our mission forward. We are so grateful for these relationships.

Seedlings to Neighbors

A Bayfront Health Community Grant was awarded to Daystar providing the funds to begin a new community agricultural peer education program we titled Seedlings to Neighbors.

This new initiative is designed to assist families in growing their own home garden, from seedling to harvest. With the help of volunteer mentors, families will be guided through the entire growing season to ensure access to fresh and healthy food.

We are grateful that Bayfront Health will be aiding our mission to improve the health of Pinellas County through this grant. Our program is set to launch in June, and we look forward to sharing our progress with you. Heartfelt thanks to Bayfront Health for their support!

Health and Comfort Program

It is with great honor that we were chosen to receive 3,000 Comfort Kits from the Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF). These kits contain essential items such as health and hygiene products, clothing, and more, which assist veterans from all backgrounds. By providing these kits to the local Daystar Community, the DVNF broadens its impact across the United States, supporting veterans who are disabled, low-income, or homeless, in ways they might not have otherwise. We at Daystar are proud to play a part in fulfilling the DVNF's mission.

Recently we had the privilege of participating in this year's Stand Down for Homeless Veterans event at the C.W. Bill Young Medical Center where we gave more than 200 Comfort Kits to our vets! The Stand Down event both brings awareness to the need for veteran support in our immediate community and takes active steps to create a safe harbor for our heroes.

The DVNF Comfort Kits are available every day at Daystar. Thank you, National Disabled Veterans Foundation for making a positive impact on the lives of the men and women who stood in defense of our nation.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

A big shout out to the volunteers pictured here and the entire Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) team who station themselves at Daystar for their tireless efforts to meet the 2022 tax filing deadline for so many.

A total of 479 individuals and families from the Daystar community received free income tax preparation services from mid-January - April 15, 2023. Congratulations team!

Successful Fundraiser at

Blessed Trinity Catholic Church

Over $48,635 was raised at the 2023 With These Hands fundraiser to assist clients experiencing challenging times with rent, utilities, transportation, as well as providing basic pantry and hygiene items.

The event also helped raise awareness for the invaluable services provided by Daystar ministry.

For your viewing pleasure, we have shared the photographs taken during the event.

We extend our gratitude to Michelle Rego for a beautiful piano arrangement, and to our guest speakers Amelia Grimm, Phillip Boyle, and Jim Barron for sharing their heartfelt Daystar volunteer experiences.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Blessed Trinity, Ja'Vin's Culinary, sponsors, donors, volunteers, staff, and attendees for their generous contributions of time and gifts. Your support has made a significant impact on the lives of those less fortunate within our community, and we are immensely grateful. The clients at Daystar are incredibly appreciative of your kindness and support!

Celebrating Selfless Service:

The Saint Francis Award

The Saint Francis Award is bestowed upon individuals who exemplify a dedicated life of service, much like Saint Francis himself. These individuals have made a significant impact on the community through their unwavering commitment to Daystar's mission, promoting love and compassion. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate this year's winners of the Saint Francis Award – Judy Wilson and Tim Connolly.

With These Hands Award

The With These Hands award recognizes individuals or organizations in the community for demonstrating Daystar's values of compassion and respect for all individuals as well as active and ongoing support and advocacy for the poor and disadvantage members of our community.

The 2023 With These Hands Award was presented to the Isla Del Sol Yacht & Country Club for their support through the annual Play for Hunger Program, which has positively impacted the lives of thousands of people throughout Pinellas County.

Click to View More Event Pictures!

In-Kind Donations and Drives

Monetary and in-kind donations no matter how big or small provide the ability to sustain our programs and meet the community's basic needs. We are blessed by the many charitable gifts received this month including fresh lunches from Temple Beth-El, socks from Cover the City Project, and many other wonderful gifts including those mentioned below.

The kind residents of Dolphin Cay have generously donated a van full of essential items such as baby diapers and wipes, soaps and shampoos, hair products, feminine hygiene products, and adult incontinence items. The Daystar community is extremely grateful for these thoughtful gifts.

We extend a heartfelt thank you to the First Baptist Institutional Church for their donation of boxes filled with care bags. These bags, thoughtfully packed with hygiene items, socks, and washcloths, provide much-needed comfort and care for our homeless clients.

Easter Blessing

Heartfelt thanks to our anonymous donor who delivered Easter baskets filled with toys, books, games, and snacks. Each basket was received with joy and huge smiles, making Easter extra special for the children we serve. Thank you for your generosity and kindness.