Bay Area nonprofit expanding facility, raising money for new activity center to help kids
Bringing joy to children
In What's Right with Tampa Bay, FOX 13's Mark Wilson highlights Sharon Alvarnaz, whose organization, A Kid’s Place of Tampa Bay, a group foster home in Brandon, tries to bring joy to children by giving them a glimpse of what a happy, normal childhood should be.
BRANDON, Fla. - For more than 16 years, Sharon Alvarnaz has been a beacon of hope at A Kid’s Place of Tampa Bay, a group foster home in Brandon.
As a youth counselor, she’s not just providing care, she’s giving kids a glimpse of what a happy, normal childhood should be.
Whether it’s teaching children how to swing, or baking sweet treats, Sharon Alvarnaz brings joy to the children.
Pictured: Sharon Alvarnaz.
"I just care about kids," said Alvarnaz. "You know, I've always been around kids all my life, always trying to help them. And this was a good opportunity for me to help kids in another capacity."
Alvarnaz's journey started long before she was a youth counselor.
"My two daughters were adopted and they were in foster care," she explained.
Pictured: Sharon Alvarnaz with her family.
She started as a volunteer, and now, as a full-time youth counselor, Alvarnaz’s passion shines through in everything she does, especially in the activities that bring the kids a sense of normalcy.
"You're doing cooking and cleaning and taking the kids on outings and feeding them and helping them with schoolwork," she said.
Soon, connecting with the kids will be even easier. A Kid’s Place is fundraising for a new activity center where Sharon and the children will have even more opportunities to bond over swinging and cooking.
Rendering of new activity center. Courtesy: A Kid's Place of Tampa Bay.
"That's going to be great for the kids," said Alvarnaz. "It'll be one more thing that we can add as a service, and they have another outlet that they can go to."
Last year, Alvarnaz’s impact was recognized in a big way. She was named a Community Hero by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Pictured: Sharon Alvarnaz with ThunderBug, Tampa Bay Lightning mascot.
"She really is able to understand what our children have experienced and connect with him in a way that they feel safe and loved," said Jynelle Armstrong, program director at A KId's Place.
A Kid's Place of Tampa Bay offers a "safe haven" for abused and neglected children.
For Alvarnaz, it's all about giving kids love and support they need to dream big.
"When I'd come on campus and the kids are running and hugging me and asking me if I'm working with them today, that makes me feel happy. You know that they want me here," Alvarnaz said.
For more information on A Kid's Place, and to find out how you can support the nonprofit, click here.
The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13 photojournalist Bryan Gray.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA:
- Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV
- Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android
- Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines
- Download the SkyTower Radar app
- Sign up for FOX 13’s daily newsletter