ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. January 16, 2021 — The Dawson Academy today announced that faculty members Drs. Leonard Hess, Jeff Scott, Shannon Johnson, and staff have made significant financial holiday donations on behalf of The Dawson Academy to various local nonprofit organizations in their communities.
Last December, donations were submitted to Metropolitan Ministries of Tampa Bay, the St. Petersburg Free Clinic of Tampa Bay, the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Dare to Care of Louisville, Kentucky.
Metropolitan Ministries of Tampa Bay
On behalf of The Dawson Academy, staff and faculty collectively made a donation to Metropolitan Ministries in an effort to support their mission in providing practical solutions for poor and homeless families and individuals throughout Tampa Bay. This donation was made during the holidays and came at a critical time for Metropolitan Ministries, as the season particularly presented them with a unique challenge of meeting a need that far exceeded any other year in their history.
The mission of Metropolitan Ministries is to care for Tampa Bay homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless in their community through services that alleviate suffering, promote dignity, and instill self-sufficiency as an expression of the ongoing ministry of Jesus Christ. Their vision is to become America’s most effective caregiver to poor and homeless people.
Metropolitan Ministries made sure more families in more communities had holiday meals on the table and toys under the tree than they ever thought possible. As one of many donors, The Dawson Academy helped make the following happen in Tampa Bay:
- 157% increase in families served
- 200,000 individuals impacted
- 53,640 food boxes delivered
- 36,502 children received toys
These much-needed resources will enable Metropolitan Ministries to continue and expand services to thousands of people in need. Each individual represented in these numbers is someone who has been feeling the weight of the uncertainty and anxiety brought upon by the events of this past year.
“Each person was given a gift of HOPE during a time when it was needed the most. Thank you to everyone at The Dawson Academy for being there for them and for helping to spread HOPE to so many this holiday season,” said Patrick Davis, Senior Manager of Corporate Relations of Metropolitan Ministries.
Metropolitan Ministries is currently accepting financial donations for their 2021 Impact Fund for Tampa Bay residents on their website.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina of Charlotte
On behalf of The Dawson Academy, Clinical Director Dr. Leonard Hess submitted a donation to Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, a nonprofit organization serving residents of the Charlotte, North Carolina area.
With almost 188,000 children in the Charlotte region at risk of hunger every day, the number one goal at Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina is to end child hunger. For every dollar donated to Second Harvest, the food bank distributes seven pounds of food. This matching donation equated to tens of thousands of pounds of food and meals for those in need.
“My Charlotte community means a lot to me. No one should go hungry and we’re honored to have been able to donate to Second Harvest’s cause through this tough time in history for so many,” said Dr. Leonard Hess. Leonard A. Hess, DDS, is the Clinical Director of The Dawson Academy and joined the faculty in 2009.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina is currently accepting financial donations to end child hunger in the Charlotte, North Carolina area on their website.
St. Petersburg Free Clinic of Tampa Bay
Additionally, on behalf of The Dawson Academy, Senior Faculty Member Dr. Jeff Scott made a donation to the St. Petersburg Free Clinic, another Tampa area nonprofit. This donation was designated for the Clinic’s food bank division.
The St. Petersburg Free Clinic is a multi-service, independent, not-for-profit human services agency providing their Tampa Bay community neighbors assistance with food, shelter, and health care. The Free Clinic is comprised of eight programs that are a beacon of hope for families and individuals who fall through the cracks of existing systems and services.
“The St. Pete Free Clinic helps with not only a food bank, but also has a newly opened full service dental clinic that serves the community. I have been able to volunteer at the clinic as a provider along with my local colleges, dental assistants, and dental hygienists. We are thankful and blessed to work with a generous organization that cares about helping those in need,” said Dr. Jeff Scott. Jeff Scott, DMD, is a Senior Faculty Member of The Dawson Academy and leads their various study club programs around the United States.
The St. Petersburg Free Clinic is currently accepting financial donations for their food bank, shelter, and health care programs in Tampa Bay on their website.
Dare to Care of Louisville
On behalf of The Dawson Academy, Associate Faculty Member Dr. Shannon Johnson sent a donation to Dare to Care, a nonprofit food bank based in Louisville, Kentucky.
Dare to Care’s mission is to lead their community to feed the hungry and conquer the cycle of need. For every dollar donated, the nonprofit provides three meals to those in need. This matching donation equated to thousands of meals for local residents. Today, Dare to Care partners with nearly 300 local social service agencies, such as food pantries, shelters, and emergency kitchens to distribute food to the Louisville community.
“Food insecurity is very real for too many. Dare to Care is an incredible organization that works within our community to provide more than 22 million meals in Louisville and surrounding areas. This is a place anyone would feel good about supporting,” said Dr. Shannon Johnson. Shannon Johnson, DMD, is an Associate Faculty Member of the Dawson Academy and also leads their Association Membership webinars and teaches in their core curriculum dental CE courses.
Dare to Care is currently accepting financial donations to help their hungry neighbors in Louisville, Kentucky on their website.
The Dawson Academy faculty and staff look forward to helping make good things happen in 2021 for those in their communities and beyond.
Contact: marketing@thedawsonacademy.com
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