Community

Latest reporting from the Community desk.

A JROTC honor guard in dress uniforms carries flags at an outdoor veterans ceremony.

The 48th annual Ruskin Veterans Day Parade steps off at 11 a.m. Saturday on U.S. 41 with six World War II veterans as grand marshals, while a free Concerts for a Cause show at Waterset collects food for The Community Cupboard.

Hillsborough trains 300+ crossing guards before August 10 school start

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office completed annual training for more than 300 crossing guards on July 28, preparing volunteers to staff 350+ school crossing locations countywide before classes start Monday, August 10, at Lennard High, East Bay High, Apollo Beach K-8, and other area schools.

Beth-El expands Ruskin-area farmworker visits amid summer heat

Beth-El Farmworker Ministry is intensifying weekly field visits and food pantry operations this summer to protect Ruskin-area farmworkers facing extreme heat and food insecurity, and is asking residents to donate water bottles, sunscreen, and non-perishable food.

Children in matching white jackets stand at a two-lane bowling alley during a group event.

Wimauma nonprofit uses $6,500 grant to teach neurodivergent children skills

Inspira Tampa Bay's H.E.L.P. Program used a $6,500 grant from 100 Women Who Care Southshore to take 11 neurodivergent children and their families bowling in Riverview on Feb. 28, giving counselors a chance to observe families practicing everyday skills in a public setting.

Dark red 2009 Buick LaCrosse sedan parked in a parking lot.

Sun City Center nonprofit donates car to formerly incarcerated woman

Haven of Hope of Hillsborough, a faith-based nonprofit founded in Ruskin, gave a donated 2009 Buick LaCrosse to Maggie Carr, a 62-year-old woman released on parole after serving 32 years for first-degree murder, helping her pursue employment and independence through the LEAP re-entry program in Miami.

Tractor with spray tank moving through rows of crops under a dark, cloudy sky.

Beth-El warns of daily pesticide exposure for Ruskin-area farmworkers

Beth-El Farmworker Ministry, the 50-year-old Ruskin-founded nonprofit, published a warning on Tuesday, July 21, that local farmworkers face daily pesticide exposure with little enforcement of federal protections, and outlined ways South Shore residents can help.

Volunteers sorting bags and boxes of donated food on long white tables indoors.

ECHO food drive misses 80,000-pound goal as demand grows

ECHO's Riverview center received at least 60,000 pounds of food from the May 9 Stamp Out Hunger drive but missed its 80,000-pound target, even as the nonprofit tracks toward serving 34,000 people this fiscal year.

Apollo Beach K-8 gets $3.6 million air conditioning overhaul

Apollo Beach K-8 School is receiving a $3.6 million air conditioning overhaul this summer, one of dozens of campus improvement projects funded by the voter-approved half-cent sales tax that has generated more than $1.33 billion countywide.

©2026 Apollo Beach-Ruskin Tribune

Powered by Surround Sound Media