Over Coffee
Over Coffee Feb. 14, 2008
By
Feb 14, 2008 - 6:24:24 PM

The Java Cow in the Sun City Center Plaza seemed an ideal place to hear about Barbara Lauer’s passion for the Interfaith Council of Sun City Center.

Java Cow not only serves good coffee, it has ice cream too. But that wasn’t the reason for deciding to meet there.

Just behind the Java Cow and other businesses on the east end of the plaza’s rear strip is Interfaith’s chief money-making project: The Nearly New Shop.

The shop sells clothing, shoes, jewelry, house wares, electronics and furniture donated by local residents. The sale of these items provides the funds for the grants given by the Interfaith Council, a group consisting of representatives from seven churches and the Jewish synagogue.

Good intentions of course- but how much money can the sale of used items actually provide? A few bucks here and there maybe?

You’d think.

Barbara, who is the current president of the Council, enlightened me.

Since April, the Council has given more than $250,000 in grants and most all the funds were provided by the Nearly New.

That’s one big chunk of change. And any 501 (3) C organization (a group that has been declared tax-exempt by the IRS) may apply.

The $250,000 from the last 10 months, for example, was split 10 ways: $80,000 for scholarships to area students, mostly from East Bay High School; $50,000 to LifePath Hospice; the first $25,000 of a three-year pledge to the Kids Charity of Tampa Bay; $15,000 to the Sun City Center Emergency Squad; and $15,000 to Samaritan Services.

Besides this, needy families from all over South County received help from a $6,000 donation to local food pantries and a separate $6,000 donation to the Bethune Park HOPE Fund.

“We gave smaller grants to libraries and schools too, to cover things they aren’t budgeted for,” Barbara explained.

Barbara Lauer takes a break from her volunteer service as president of the Interfaith Council of Sun City Center to give kudos to the volunteers at the Nearly New Shop. The shop is the largest source of revenue for grants given by the Council and is always in search of volunteers, donors and recipients. Penny Fletcher Photo

It was mind-boggling to think all these donations had taken place since April. Back when I first started writing about the Nearly New (shortly after Sun City Center resident Dorothy Rich brainstormed the idea and put it into practice in a one-room building on Edina Street in Wimauma) the volunteers were proud to have raised $500 for their first scholarship. I think that was around 1990. They sure have come a long way.

But Barbara’s thrust all during her interview was thanking her volunteers.

 “They do so much work and get very little recognition,” she said from her seat beneath the smiling cow in the window. “Some of them get there very early in the morning to sort clothes and other items and stay all day. Then there are the people who pick up the heavy items donors can’t lift to bring to the shop. And there are those who man the store.” The store is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. until noon.

“They work hard to make us that money,” she said.

Grants Chairwoman Naomi Foreman and her committee of nine go over all the applications line-by-line, making sure each request gets proper attention.

“From these are chosen many varying projects, all of which owe their thanks to our tireless volunteers who come and work just because they know they’re helping others,” Barbara said.

Volunteerism is one of the things that attracted Barbara to Sun City Center. A near-native now, she and her late husband, George, first bought a home in the community in 1978 and began spending their winters in Florida to avoid the Wisconsin cold.

In 1984 they decided to live here year round.

Then, two years ago, they moved to Freedom Plaza, and now Barbara says she’s glad they did, because shortly after that, George died.

Between them, they had six children, but they are spread all over the country, so Barbara began concentrating more of her time helping others.

“I love what I do,” she said last week. “But I don’t think enough people recognize the volunteers. I just wanted to give them a plug. To say thank-you to them all. And when I read your column, I figured this was a good way to accomplish that.”

Before we left the Java Cow, she told me to be sure to let people know the Interfaith Council can never have too many members, donors, volunteers – or applicants. Anyone who wants more information about any of these things may write to P.O. Box 5342, Sun City Center, FL 33571, or call (813) 633-1245.

* Perhaps you have a story you’d like to share. Or maybe you’d rather tell the community something about your favorite charity or cause; or sound off about something you think needs change. That’s what “Over Coffee” is about.

It really doesn’t matter where – or if – we actually drink any coffee (although I probably will). It’s what you have to say that’s important.



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