Amscot Financial Contributes Mini-Grants to 33 Non-Profit Service Organizations

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Amscot Financial, a leading provider of convenient, consumer-oriented financial services, has made mini-grants of $50 to $250 to 34 non-profit service organizations in its 15-county service area. The grants went to:

• Girl Scouts of West Central Florida, Tampa. The Hillsborough County-based organization is organizing a fund-raising event scheduled for Nov. 6. The event, called Dessert First, will feature Tampa Bay-area chefs creating unique desserts using Girl Scout cookies. For more information, visit the group's website at http://www.gswcf.org.

• AIDS Action Initiative of Manatee County, Bradenton. This non-profit organization is planning a Latino Health Awareness Day to offer heath educational services to members of Manatee County's Hispanic community.

• Christian HELP Foundation, Casselberry. Serving five counties in Central Florida, this group seeks to prevent homelessness by helping the unemployed find jobs. It also operates a 2,000 square-foot food pantry.

• Homeless Helping Homeless, Tampa. This non-profit organization is operated by former homeless individuals and does not receive any government support. It offers 73 emergency beds to individuals and families who need a place to stay. The organization is currently working to be able to provide transitional housing for families who would benefit from longer-term assistance with shelter. For more information, visit the organization's website at http://www.homelesshh.com.

• Neptune Elementary School, St. Cloud. The school recently purchased a sun-shade structure for the children's playground.

• Project Make a Difference, Kissimmee. Working in north Osceola County, this organization seeks to serve at-risk youth with mentoring, after-school tutoring, an athletic league and a summer youth program.

• Salvation Army, Orlando. The Orlando branch of the Salvation Army offers an after-school music program for at-risk youth. For more than a century, the Salvation Army has focused on teaching at-risk and underserved children how to play musical instruments as a way of keeping them focused, engaged and out of trouble. Many of these children come from families unable to afford musical instruments and the Salvation Army seeks to assist in providing instruments.

• Orange County Sheriff's Fraternal Order of Police, Orlando. This organization seeks to raise funds for Orange County's DARE program to teach public school students skills in resisting the temptation of illicit drugs.

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Volusia/Flagler counties. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida makes a positive difference in the community by providing at-risk children with a safe place to learn and grow. The clubs also offer character development experiences as well as ongoing relationships with caring adults. Studies show that the clubs' programs make a positive impact by lowering crime, drug use, teen pregnancy and gang involvement.

• House of God Church, Mount Dora. Located on the city's east side, the church seeks to offer snacks and small meals to at-risk children twice a week.

• A Family Focus, Daytona Beach. The mission of A Family Focus is to end generational cycles of poverty and abuse through mentoring, character development and education.  To accomplish this mission, A Family Focus provides research-based programming to disadvantaged children and teens as well as vulnerable adults. For more information, visit their website at http://www.afamilyfocus.org.

• Center for Drug-Free Living, Orlando. The Center For Drug-Free Living is committed to providing individuals and families within our community the skills to achieve and maintain healthy responsible lifestyles. In addition to offering prevention services, the center is also a major provider of residential commitment and rehabilitation services for juvenile offenders.   The Center opened the first of these residential treatment programs in 1993 and now operates centers in Osceola and Brevard Counties. These programs work with more than 400 youth every year, helping them regain control of their lives and avoid the long-term results associated with criminal behavior. For more information: https://www.cfdfl.com/

• Heartland Rural Health Network, Avon Park. This non-profit organization works to provide a continuum of care for all patients served by organization in Hardee and DeSoto counties.  It also offers a Go Girls program aimed at inspiring and raising the self-esteem of middle-school-aged girls. More information: http://hrhn.org.

• Our Sisters, Our Friends, Tampa. This non-profit organization helps single mothers in Hillsborough County with occasional grants of food, clothing and partial payment of utility bills.

• Shelton Quarles Impact Foundation, Tampa. The mission of Shelton Quarles' IMPACT Foundation is to provide resources and opportunities to at-risk single parent families throughout the Tampa Bay area. The main program for Shelton Quarles' IMPACT Foundation is the Home Blitz.  Each March, at-risk single-mom families are selected to receive a complete "green" home makeover.  The families are sent away on vacation as their houses receive the makeover.  Included in this home makeover is new furniture for the entire house, interior design expertise provided by Studio M, as well as household items and accessories. Shelton Quarles played 10 years for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He is currently a scout for the NFL team. For more information, visit the Web site at http://www.sheltonquarles.org.

• HOPE Foundation for the Homeless, Oviedo. This organization's mission is to prevent and reduce homelessness in Central Florida by equipping individuals and families to become self-sufficient through Housing, Outreach, Prevention and Education. HOPE addresses issues facing individuals and families in crisis by networking with local agencies and organizations and developing innovative problem-solving ideas in a comprehensive, coordinated, and strategic fashion. More information: http://www.helpforthehomeless.net

• Park Place Behavioral Healthcare Center, Kissimmee. Among its many services, this organization offers a "therapeutic foster care program," designed for children who must be removed from their family home due to abuse or abandonment. For more information: http://ppbh.org.

• Christian Service Center for Central Florida, Orlando. The KidsFOCUS program provides a safe and healthy learning environment for children in economically challenged families who might not have an after-school alternative.  KidsFOCUS provides after-school care for children and includes tutoring, academic monitoring and family assistance.  KidsFOCUS incorporates the entire family in its program curriculum to emphasize the importance of academic attendance and achievement and to help foster a stable home environment for at-risk children.  KidsFOCUS operates from the Christian Service Center's West Orange campus. More information: http://christianservicecenter.org.

• Standing Ovation Talent Group, Ocoee. This non-profit group reaches out to youth through performing arts, dance and by training leadership skills. More information: http://standingovationtalentgroup.com.  

• ALPHA House of Pinellas County, St. Petersburg. The mission of ALPHA House is to provide housing and supportive services to homeless pregnant women and teens, new mothers with infants, and families experiencing crisis pregnancies. ALPHA House is Pinellas County's only residential maternity program. Since 1979, ALPHA has provided housing and support services to over 3000 women, teens and infants. Through the years, approximately 90% of those who have gone through the ALPHA House program made a successful transition into permanent housing and independent living. ALPHA's community outreach has distributed items to over 30,000 families in need. ALPHA does not have specified age, income or geographic criteria. More information: http://www.alphahousepinellas.org.

• Peter Pan Day Care Center Inc., Orlando. This organization offers day care for children of economically challenged families, emphasizing school readiness, nutritious meals and a safe environment.

• W.E. Freeman Outreach Center, Orlando. This organization offers mentoring for inner-city youth. It partners young people aged 8 to 17 with qualified adults and works to ensure those relationships last at least one year.

• Crosspointe Church / Trinity 4Square, Orlando. This church offers a monthly feeding program in which families receive free groceries once a month. More  information: http://trinity4square.org.

• Earl Nobles Family Service Center, Orlando. A Kids Cafe, operated daily at an after-school program, offers "latch-key" children nutritious meals.

• The Manna Project at River of Life Church, Merritt Island. The church offers a food distribution event every Monday from 10 a.m. to noon and serves about 160 families a week. The church tries to give families enough food to sustain them for four days.

• First Baptist Church of Malabar, Malabar. The church offers a food pantry that gives groceries to about 150 families a month.

• B.A.S.E. Camp Children's Cancer Foundation, Winter Park. The organization serves families with children being treated for cancer or blood diseases. It offers a "food basket" program to that gives a week's worth of groceries to families in need. More information: http://basecamp.org.

• Oak Level Baptist Church, Ocoee. The church operates an emergency food service that provides groceries to families on an as-needed basis. It also operates a food pantry service on the third Saturday of every month.

• The First Community Christian Church of Orlando, Orlando. The church distributes food and clothing to homeless individuals every Wednesday and Friday afternoon.

• Rotarys Camp Florida, Brandon. Rotary's Camp Florida is an 18-acre campground for children with medical, physical, mental and emotional illnesses and challenges. More information: http://rotaryscampflorida.org.

• Tom Lee Community Health Center, Dover. The center serves low-income and migrant workers. It seeks to provide Christmas gifts for the children of the families they serve every holiday season. More information: http://www.suncoast-chc.org.

• The Opelia Project & Boys Initiative, Tampa. This organization seeks to be  the recognized expert in social-emotional learning for youth in Tampa Bay. It works to create best practices models for communities who want to be on the forefront of meeting the specific social-emotional needs of girls and boys in an integrated and innovative fashion. More information: http://www.opbi.org.

• Negro Spiritual Scholarship Foundation, Orlando. The Negro Spiritual Scholarship Foundation sponsors a vocal competition for sacred music performed by the solo voice in characteristic Negro spiritual style. Senior high school students of eleventh or twelfth grade level who are of Afro-ethnic descent enter state or region-wide vocal competitions. More information: http://negrospiritual.org.

About Amscot Financial

Headquartered in Tampa, Fla., Amscot Financial is a leading provider of income tax preparation and electronic filing services, refund anticipation loans, prepaid debit cards, check cashing services, cash advance services, bill payment services, money transfer services and money orders through its wholly owned division, Amscot International Money Order Company.  Amscot also offers the Amscot Card, a pre-paid debit card that allows owners to make purchases from any location that accepts MasterCard™. Amscot Financial currently operates 174 tax preparation offices and 174 retail financial service centers throughout Florida and employs more than 2,000 people. Amscot Financial has been recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal as one of Tampa Bay's Best Places to Work for four consecutive years. For additional information, please visit the company's Web site at www.amscot.com.

SOURCE Amscot Financial