WHAT IS LOVE WEEK
During Love Week, we are looking to saturate the Fruitland Park and Wildwood communities with Random Acts of Kindness and special planned activities. This year, we are encouraging local businesses, churches, civic groups and individuals to join us in our efforts by brainstorming and carrying out your own creative ideas within our neighborhoods and communities. We are encouraging participants to flood social media with “the good” that is happening in and around us as we care for and encourage one another by taking pictures and using #LOVEWEEK.
JOIN IN ON THE FUN IN 2023
Stavros Pizza With A Purpose:
On Wednesday, February 15th, Stavros will be giving 5% back to Bless Fruitland Park on all orders. They will also be a drop-off location for children’s shoes, soccer balls and diapers throughout the month of February. Recycle For Sight: Heritage Community Church is partnering with our local Lion’s Club during Love Week to collect new, used, and broken eye wear and sunglasses so that they can be refurbished and used to address eye care needs within our local community. You can donate your eye glasses by dropping them off at Heritage Community Church, located at 509 West Berckman St, from 10 am-2 pm, Monday through Thursday, or at the Fruitland Park Police Department, the Fruitland Park Post Office or at the our local Lions Club, located at 200 Fountain St. in Fruitland Park. For more information on how you, your church, club, or civic group can be involved, please contact Ms. Jamie Heritage at 201-486-4020. Giving Hearts Day: On Tuesday, February 14th, 2023, at 9:00 am, Project Legacy will host its Giving Hearts Day celebration at Heritage Community Church (509 W. Berckman St. in Fruitland Park) in the fellowship hall. The event will gather supporters of Project Legacy, as well as recognize some of the area’s nonprofit organizations (focusing on child and teen programs) that have received financial assistance from Project Legacy over the past several years. We will also hear about upcoming plans and opportunities. Trinity Constructors will be sponsoring this event and provide a light breakfast beginning at 8:45 am. For more information on Project Legacy or the Giving Hearts Day event, please contact Karen Mercer at g8rlady@gmail.com or 352-406-1769. Cruisers and Rocketships: During the month of February, the Fruitland Park Police Department will be collecting items for the Fruitland Park Elementary School Challengers. Items needed are as follows: Boys size 1-4 shoes, boys and girls socks and underwear, headphones, play dough, paintbrushes, kickballs, soccer balls, vortex footballs, and contractors tape. Drop box locations are at Fruitland Park City Hall, Fruitland Park Community Center, Fruitland Park Library, Infinity Fitness, and Etheredge Chiropractic. For more information, contact Fruitland Park Police Department at 352-360-6655. Local Girl scouts support “The Rock”: The Local Girls Scout Troop will be bringing awareness to a need at Oak Park Middle School’s “The Rock” Program. Their fundraising efforts will help purchase jackets and shoes that will be used to assist students in need. For more details or how you can be involved, you can contact Mrs. Mandy Hanke at hankea1@lake.k12.fl.us or Mrs. Jennifer Marsh at jvmom2@aol.com or 352-267-4154. Diaper Drive: During the month of February, we will be collecting baby diapers, pull ups, and adult diapers. Items can be dropped off at Community United Methodist Church located at 309 College Ave in Fruitland Park. For more info, contact Melinda Milhorn at 352-408-7558. First Responders and Public service personnel: to be honored during “LOVE WEEK 2023": Local Churches will be providing cookies and sweets for our local First Responders and Public Works employees during Love Week. For more info on how you can participate, contact Rev. George Mulford of Grace Bible Baptist Church at gnkmulford@aol.com or 352-516-9134. In addition, Citizens First Bank, located at 3290 US Highway 441/27, Fruitland Park, will feed first responders free lunch from 11 am-2 pm on Friday, February 17th. |
Fruitland Park Library:
The library is partnering with Beyond the Walls Food Pantry and Abundance of Love ministry to collect yarn beginning February 11th through the month of March. Donated yarn will be used to make hats, scarves, and other items. Yarn needed is Acrylic #4. Yarn can be donated at Heritage Community Church located at 509 West Berckman St. in Fruitland Park or the Fruitland Park Library. Abundance of Love volunteers knit items for cancer patients and others in need. Other events happening during “Love Week” at the Fruitland Park Library are as follows: Monday - Performer Dave DeLuca covering Neil Diamond songs, family friendly event Tuesday - Valentine’s Day Chocolate and Wine Pairing Wednesday - Preschool story time, pizza and book give-away from Kiwanis, hearing and vision tests, and clowns. Thursday - Author visit from Hallmark Author, Mary Flynn For information on how you can participate in any of these activities, contact Skylar Baumann at (352)-360-6561 or skylar.baumann@mylakelibrary.org. It's All For The Kids: The men’s ministry of the First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ in Wildwood will be holding their annual 9 hole scramble golf tournament at Continental Country Club in Wildwood, Florida on Monday February 13th, to raise funds to support local youth and children’s programs. For more information on how to play or become a sponsor, please contact Mr. Johnny Miller at 352-303-3967. Blood Mobile: The Big Red bus will be located at 509 W. Berckman St. in Fruitland Park on Wednesday February 15th from 11 am-5 pm. Persons donating will be given a $20 E-Gift card and free T-shirt while supplies last. Contact One Blood at 888-936-6283. Love Week 5K: This year the run will benefiting “The Rock” of both Leesburg High and Oak Park Middle School. “The Rock” is a community funded program operating on school campus during the day, designed to address food, clothing, hygiene and counseling needs of students. The race will be held on Saturday, February 11th, with a $30 registration fee. Icy King will be providing a breakfast wrap for each registered runner. For more details on the race and to sign up, go to https://raceroster.com/events/2023/70281/2023-love-week-5k-run. This year, Citizens First Bank will be sponsoring the FREE Kids Fun Run. For more info, call Michelle Yoder at 352-516-9149. Citizen’s First Bank: Citizen's will be selling raffle tickets for a “basket” that will be valued at approximately $500.00. Raffle tickets may be obtained at the Fruitland Park branch during “Love Week”. In addition, Citizens First will also be cooking hotdogs for lunch on Friday February 17th at the Fruitland Park branch for a suggested donation of $7. First responders eat free. Any proceeds will go to Bless Fruitland Park to help us continue impacting our local community. For more information contact Cindi Falanga at 352-751-2025. Senior Adult Luncheon: A free senior adult fellowship and Bingo is scheduled to be held at the Fruitland Park Recreation Dep. located at 205 W. Berckman St. in Fruitland Park on Wednesday February 8th from 11:30-1:30. Oak Park Middle will be providing valentines while Fruitland Park Elementary chorus will provide musical entertainment. For more information on how you can help or be part, contact Michelle Yoder, Fruitland Park Recreation Director, at (352) 516-9149. Random Acts of Kindness: Join us in a Love Week Scavenger Hunt! You can find the scoring card online at the City of Fruitland Park Facebook page, or pick one up at the Community Center. We are encouraging everyone to find ways to show kindness and love! This can happen in so many different ways: providing a meal to someone in need, handing out cold bottles of water in car line, or even leaving a kind note in a library book. Once you have completed as many tasks as possible, we encourage to you stop by the Community Center at 205 W. Berckman St. in Fruitland Park to pick up a fun treat bag. Showing Love: Trinity assembly of God of Fruitland Park will be providing lunch on Monday, February 13th, for Fruitland Park Police and Pubic Works Department. For more information, contact Rev. Chuck Padgett at (352) 661-0274 or chuck@trinityaogfp.org. |
Learn About Bless Fruitland Park
“Operation Bless Fruitland Park” is an ongoing effort of individuals, churches, businesses, and local civic and social groups in the Fruitland Park area that are committed to working together to make a difference and create an atmosphere of partnership and generosity within our Fruitland Park community. Serving together doesn’t take away from our individuality but it promotes partnership, teamwork, and community. Some have asked, "Why is Bless Fruitland Park so important?" The response is "Why not?" Our initial projects not only allow us to address some immediate needs but it also gives us a chance to work together as a community, maximize resources, as well as create new relationships along the journey. Bless Fruitland Park will focus on our local school, however, its efforts will impact all of us who live in the Fruitland Park area.
For more information, check out the Bless Fruitland Park Facebook page.
For more information, check out the Bless Fruitland Park Facebook page.