By Karen McBride
Cornerstone Family Ministries was founded in 1892 by Eliza Wolff and Rosa Valdez to serve the children of cigar factory workers striving to improve their families’ lives. Their mission was to feed the children while developing their minds and keeping them safe while their parents went to work.
Today, although the ministry no longer primarily serves cigar factory workers, they still support families working hard to earn and learn their way out of poverty with a mission to nourish young bodies, develop young minds, and foster hope through Christ…one child at a time.
The ministry serves 17,000 children annually within Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, and Manatee Counties. Programs include:
- Nourishing Bodies: Providing over 4,000,000 nutritious meals and nutrition education.
- Developing Young Minds: Offering accredited childcare (infant-PreK) and free VPK.
- Fostering Hope: Promoting faith and community connections.
- Fund a Child’s Chance for Change: Supporting children’s opportunities for a better future through early learning and camp scholarships so children succeed while parents work and/or go to school
Matthew 19:14
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these”
A fundraiser is scheduled on November 7, 2024 from 3-6:30pm at TopGolf Tampa, 10690 Palm River Road, Tampa, FL 33619). The goal is to raise $150,000 in early learning scholarships. To learn more about the event, go to https://www.cornerstonefamilyministries.org/fund-a-childs-chance-for-change
Recently, following two shootings in the area, Cornerstone built a wall, affectionately called “the Rosa hug” to serve as a safety barrier. To brighten the community, local artist Carl Cowden, III will use his artistic talents to create a mural depicting life in Tampa.
Past students, teachers, staff, volunteers, and donors are encouraged to bring an old photo of themselves at the center and stop by any Friday morning, from August 16 – September 13 between 9:30am and 10:30am to get their picture taken with the wall before the mural is started. Participants will be invited back to the mural dedication ceremony.
The ministry is thankful for the support from churches and others in the faith community including the following North Tampa churches: Lake Magdalene Church, Bay Hope Church, Lutz Family Church, Land O ‘Lakes United Methodist Church, Harvester Community Church, Grace Family Church, Tampa Covenant Church, and Hillsborough United Methodist Church and needs your support to continue to serve the community. Whether it is through monetary donations or volunteering your time, you can be a blessing to others in need. Volunteers are needed for childcare, early childhood education, cooking, community gardening, accounting, events and more.
For more information on the ministry, please visit https://www.cornerstonefamilyministries.org
Proverbs 22:6 NIV
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.”