FYRE provides shoebox gifts to needy children worldwide annually which allows the Gospel to be shared through Operation Christmas Child. We focus our tangible support through the Redeemer Church’s physical collection site in Riverview, FL. You can get involved too. Bring your shoebox sized gift and drop it off at Redeemer Church during business hours Monday-Friday 9am-3pm or Sunday 8am-12pm before November 21st. For your convenience, you can also create a shoebox gift online by clicking on this link.
On Saturday, October 15, 2022, the FYRE Foundation and the Brandon Amateur Radio Society (BARS) hosted the 2022 Jamboree Over the Air and Internet (JOTA/JOTI) at the Redeemer Church in Riverview, FL. It was offered to all Scouting units in Timucua District. JOTA/JOTI is the world’s largest digital and radio Scout event promoting friendship and global citizenship. JOTA-JOTI takes place online and over the air promoting citizenship. The educational event brings together more than 2 million Scouts every year in October for a weekend of Scouting and friendship. Young people can learn about communications technology and connect with fellow Scouts from over 172 countries.
At FYRE/BARS’ JOTA/JOTI, there were classes and competitions for youth of all ages and adults. BARS provided classes on shortwave radio – amateur (HAM) setup and operations, radio theory, antennas, communications customs and protocols, Morse code, satellite communications procedures and technology, BSA Radio Merit Badge introduction, and learned radio direction finding (DF) with a transmitter hidden in the woods and they moved as teams with DF equipment to find it.
FYRE believes that part of fortifying the family entails helping people become better prepared and resilient for natural disasters such as Hurricane Ian. HAM radio operators are a key resource in times of emergency. FYRE and BARS hope to spark interest in youth to learn more about how they can serve the community or nation with skills learned at JOTA/JOTI.
On Saturday, September 17, 2022, volunteers from the FYRE Foundation supported the Redeemer Church by laboring along side them to beautify the church campus grounds in support of their founding anniversary. Over 45 service hours were given cheerfully by adults and youth. Members trimmed trees, hedges, worked on flowerbeds, did maintenance on various machinery, and made preparations for future roof maintenance.
On Saturday, September 30, 2022, following Hurricane Ian, nearly 40 volunteers from FYRE, Redeemer Church, and U.S. Special Operations Command service members provided 130 hours of service cleaning up the Redeemer Church campus. Volunteers drug fallen trees to the back, cut wood, and stacked brush. This enabled Redeemer Church to continue providing its back campus area for community activities.
The service hours helped the youth earn credit towards Bright Futures scholarships as well as rank requirements for Boy Scouts of America.
Aligned with FYRE’s core mission to fortify families, the FYRE Foundation supported the 2022 Florida Department of Children and Families Summit in Orlando from August 31st to September 1st.
FYRE is excited to partner with the Riverview Chamber of Commerce and fellow businesses, nonprofits, and community organizations to better the lives of local families and solve local problems.
Over a 24 hour period, youth learned how to form highly effective teams, to plan, resource, and execute activities, how to assess individual strengths and weaknesses, to communicate effectively, and how to delegate with SMART objectives. Then boys and girls in middle and high school planned near-term activities for the next six months and medium range activities over the next year. Additionally, they learned cost estimation skills. With those skills they factored-in purchases of new high adventure equipment, the cost of maintaining existing equipment, and how much was required to pay for an ambitious and fun program year.
The training followed BSA’s Introduction to Leadership Skills for Troops (ILST) curriculum. The modules were taught by senior Scouts who had graduated from National Youth Leadership Training and were guided and enabled by adults who were graduates from BSA’s Wood Badge Course.
If you are interested in your youth learning these skills to get ahead in life, check out FYRE Foundation’s Scouting programs. There are opportunities for the entire family to participate.
Comic Book legend, Bob Layton, and film screenwriter Hawk Ostby, were honored at a nonprofit event at the Tampa Theater on Thursday, August 4th. FYRE provides opportunities and resources to enrich Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM). FYRE transported families in Southern Hillsborough County to the event where Mr. Layton and Mr. Ostby autographed posters, showed the movie “Iron Man”, and gave a question and answer session to the audience about art, print and film media, the business, and their beginnings. Youth were inspired to explore their own creative talents which could help them or others prosper in the future.
Bob Layton is an American comics writer, artist, designer, and editor with over 6,400 comic books credited to his name – a creative yardstick rivaled only by the late Stan Lee. He is most noted for his work on Marvel Comics titles such as Iron Man and Ant-Man, and for co-founding Valiant Comics.
Hawk Ostby is a Norwegian – American screenwriter and television producer , by films like Children of Men , Iron Man or Cowboys & Aliens became internationally known. With his colleague Mark Fergus , he developed the series The Expanse for television in 2015 .
Instructor Sara Curtis (13) and TJ Hewett (13) taught classes to five Scouts ages 12-16 on Saturday, July 23, 2022, leading to the five Scouts being awarded the BSA Snorkeling Award and BSA Standup Paddleboard Award. Both Sara and TJ recently returned from a week-long summer camp at BSA Camp La–No-Che in Central Florida in June 2022 where they earned those awards themselves. Within weeks they were both giving classes to others in their respective troops. Everyone had a blast.
One of the great things about the Scouting program is the opportunity for youth to learn how to lead. First, they follow the youth Scouts elected over them using the “Patrol Method.” Then they receive a wide variety of skills and leadership training. Next they have opportunities to train other Scouts using the “EDGE Method”. EDGE stands for Explain, Demonstrate, Guide, and Enable. Teaching the youth how to plan and prepare to give classes, communicate, and effectively teach others no matter their age is a valuable life skill.
Parents were involved spending quality time with their kids and making memories while providing trained and qualified supervision. If this is something you, your family, or a youth might be interested in please contact FYRE for more information about FYRE’s Scouting program for the entire family.
Come support FYRE in its community mission to fortify families by purchasing a delicious BBQ meal for $15. Pre-purchase your meal ticket for $15 online through the QR code below. You get a choice of pulled pork or chicken leg quarter, potato salad, green beans, desert and a drink. Pickup times are between 11am and 4pm at the Redeemer Church at 12404 Boyette Rd, Riverview, FL 33569 on Saturday, August 20th.
