By LINDA CHION KENNEY
Meeting the needs of students and their families in tough times is nothing new for Catherine Gilmore, an educator at Gibsonton Elementary School, and that includes calls to action last year in the aftermath of hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Some families faced 12- to 15-foot storm surges from Hurricane Helene. And from Hurricane Milton, uprooted trees damaged roofs and houses. “We have families whose homes were condemned,” Gilmore said. “It’s been rough.”
Surrounded by water on three sides, Gibsonton sits off the Alafia River, with inlets like fingers running throughout the area. Also in the area, Bullfrog Creek, which, along with the Alafia, connects to Tampa Bay.
Volunteers set up pantry boxes at Gibsonton Elementary School.
According to Gilmore, 58 school families in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene alone needed aid in the form of shoes, clothes, beds, cots, mattresses and more. And in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton, while nearby Apollo Beach and Ruskin received county and state assistance, Gibsonton lobbied for support as well.
“We didn’t have county commissioners coming to us, so we reached out to them,” Gilmore said. “We let partners know as well, and we reached out to people on social media. The community came together.”
County officials set up a Point of Distribution (POD) drive-through relief area at the Walmart Supercenter in Gibsonton, where residents could pick up water, tarps for protecting homes and meals. At 9205 Gibsonton Drive, the store is one mile east of Gibsonton Elementary at 7723 Gibsonton Drive.
Other supporters included Feeding Tampa Bay, which brought hot food and resources to the school. “We’ve been working with them for 13 years,” Gilmore said. “From what I understand, they never had a hot meal service outside their building, we were the first one, and they did it in response to Hurricane Helene at Gibsonton Elementary.”
In all, there are two elementary schools in Gibsonton, including Corr Elementary at 13020 Kings Lake Drive, roughly three miles from the Waterset by Newland master-planned community.
The difference is that the part of Gibsonton served by its namesake school is hampered in its development by the lack of sewer service. “Everyone is on a septic tank,” Gilmore said. “You can’t bring local businesses to our Gibsonton area without there being sewer systems because you can’t have public bathrooms on septic tanks.”
Public hearings and engagement have been ongoing concerning the issue of bringing septic tanks to all of Gibsonton, and Gilmore, as a community school educator, is an active voice in the matter, while maintaining as well the need for safe homes for an aging community.
Catherine Gilmore, Gibsonton Elementary School Photos
At Mosaic’s 13th annual Holiday Meal Giveaway, Gibsonton Elementary students receive non-perishable food items to celebrate a Christmas meal with their families.
As billed by the Hillsborough County school district, “community schools are more than just centers of education, they are the heart of the community.” The schools are centered around unique neighborhood and family needs, as determined through a practice known as “the listening project, where all stakeholders are surveyed and results used to develop initiatives.
The aim is for the community school to serve as the hub for the community, “to strengthen students, families and neighborhoods through purposeful and results-focused partnerships.”
Fifteen community schools are noted on the school district’s web site, including Greco and Jennings middle schools, Sulphur Springs K-8 school, and Brandon and Tampa Bay Technical high schools. Rounding out the list are nine elementary schools, including Gibsonton and Corr.
As the community school coordinator for Gibsonton Elementary, Gilmore has presented on the topic at multiple national conferences.
“I’m very passionate about helping people live up to their fullest potential,” Gilmore said. “I was a special education teacher for nine years, and two years with students with varying exceptionalities. I always believe if we listen to people and allow them to advocate for themselves, we as a community have the answers. And community schools allow for that advocacy.”
The movement brings to the table educators, parents, school board members, donors, sponsors and community members.
“It’s not just about being a partner to be informed and to share information,” Gilmore said. “These are people who have become mentors to our students. They put their heart behind their work.”
A case in point are members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Brandon, which draws some of its membership from Riverview. Club members for years have helped with Gibsonton Elementary initiatives, including its food pantry, Smile Club weekend food backpacks, clothes closet, school supplies closet and hygiene product giveaways.
Gilmore said in Gibsonton Elementary’s first year as a community school, the needs and assessment review brought to light the concerns of parents about just how dark it is in Gibsonton when students were walking to school for morning classes.
The school in 2019 celebrated its 60th year, and that’s the year it became a community school.
“At the time we had just 12 street lights in Gibsonton, from Route 41 to Interstate 75,” Gilmore said. “We talked to community members, preachers and advocates and went to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners to advocate for lights, and for sidewalks to give kids a safe place to walk to school.”
As for the haven that is Gibsonton Elementary, Gilmore said she is in her job for the long term.
“I’m not just a teacher doing a job,” Gilmore said. “I want to see our community improve. This is my tenth year at the school, and I can honestly say we have some of the sweetest, kindest kids, and they flourish when they know people believe in them.”
For more on ways to help Gibsonton Elementary, email Catherine.gilmore@sdhc.k12.fl.us/ or call 813-671-5100, ext. 250.