Rotary Club of Tarpon Springs

Elisabeth Parker and Ruth Bebbens are members of the Tarpon Springs Rotary Club. In December 2015, Anna Bilirias, president-elect of the Rotary Club of Tarpon Springs, began vetting district grant initiatives to help the homeless and hungry in Pinellas County. Bilirias wanted to focus on teens in need as they are at no fault and unable to help their situations, yet soon will be able to make their own choices.

Rotarian Elisabeth Parker volunteered to write the grant and found a few programs targeting teens. Bilirias chose the Starting Right, Now program which is expanding from Hillsborough to Pinellas County this year. The program is backed by the superintendent of Pinellas County Schools, who donated a vacant school building for the program to renovate. Rotary raised money and contributed grants to help build a new kitchen in the building, focusing on the hungry part of homelessness.

Rotarian Ruth Bebbens will be sharing information on the progress of the site development.