LAND O’ LAKES, Fla. — Melissa Bolcar was searching for her purpose. She was the primary caregiver for her mother for the past eight years.
That all changed when her mother died of breast cancer on Christmas Day.
Melissa wasn’t sure what she wanted to do next, except...
“I wanted to help children," said Bolcar.
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She then wrote a simple and sweet Facebook post about her need and desire to help feed and clothe kids and families in need.
“I figured I’d find a few people who needed help,” Bolcar says.
Instead, her community outreach group Pasco/Hernando Helping Children in Need was an immediate, if bittersweet, success.
In just two months, dozens of volunteers agreed to help her and more than a thousand people asked for help.
“I was overwhelmed at first,” Bolcar says.
In just a short time, Melissa and scores of volunteers set up five area hubs for donations and distribution, plus various boxes around the Tampa Bay area for people to drop off food.
She just started a back-to-school supply drive on Amazon. You can click here to purchase items.
Melissa finally found her purpose.
“I just want to transform people’s hearts so they can help the next person,” Bolcar says.
You can learn more about Pasco/Hernando Helping Children on its Facebook page and Instagram page.