I am presently the Executive Director and Founder of an organization called Caregiver’s Helping Hand, Inc., which was founded in 2001.

 

Our goal is to introduce young people to giving service to their community by giving service to aging and disabled citizen in need. We encourage unit multi-generational and multi-cultural experience through volunteer service. Our volunteer work includes helping our senior and disabled citizens with minor home repairs, yard clean-ups, and paint jobs. We teach teamwork, commitment, pride, and communication skills by showing our volunteers the importance of their labor and rewarding them for their good work. Our volunteers use their skills and natural talents year-round at organizational events and senior resident homes. They utilize these talents at our local partnered senior residential centers. Volunteers help residents by reading, writing, singing, playing music, and dancing for entertainment. 

 

One of our moments of pride in 2002 was when Tampa’s Mayor Dick Greco gave 30 of our volunteer’s keys to the City Of Tampa to our First-Year Student Volunteers. Caregiver’s Helping Hand, Inc. helps to organize Community Cleanups, Health, and Informational Fairs for our under-served communities and Seniors.

We have visited nursing homes year-round by groups or as individuals. Our volunteers have been delivering senior gift Baskets for Christmas seen in 2002. We started with two centers Ybor Health and Rehab Center and the Inn at University Village. Christmas 2019 we had 35 Senior Assistant Living and resident Homes to deliver gifts to for Christmas. Eleven years ago we started hosting our Community Baby Showers for low-income Moms to Be! Our Community Baby Showers have served 100 to 500 Moms at a time at these community baby showers.

In 2016 Caregiver’s along with 3 other partners started “The Taste of East Tampa” a Multicultural Celebration of Food and Music. This event has grown into Tampa’s Multicultural Family Day At Water Works Park! Caregivers are now in the process of organizing Our First Multicultural Parade for 2021.

These are the people and the reason why I have received countless leadership awards, why I try to write a page to my life story daily. I have helped people, not for fame or glory but just because so many people have helped me. I just pray that when my life is over, that my children will continue my work.

                                                                                  Richedean Yvette Hills-Ackbar