Suncoast Hospice teen volunteers (l to r) Ryan Regan, Julia Mitchem, Sarah Devine and Aglaia Margaris join the photography reception.
Pinellas County shines with its treasured waterways, wildlife and communities. A group of 12 Suncoast Hospice teen volunteers recently helped bring in the beauty of northern Pinellas through their photography displayed at our Palm Harbor community service center.
The teens took hundreds of photographs of many sights they were drawn to and explored. Using everything from high-tech Cannon and other cameras to cell phones, they captured a spectacular beach sunset, a majestic tree and much more. The collection is produced on canvases and makes a tremendous gift to our community.
“Our regional program director wanted to add some artwork on our walls. We thought of something like the beautiful photography at our Care Center North Pinellas, but that work is expensive. We asked our teens to get involved and now we have their beautiful works here at a fraction of the cost,” explained DeeDee Murray, Suncoast Hospice programs assistant who assisted with the photo selections. She joined the teens at a recent reception in their honor.
Murray shared with them, “It was hard to decide. We’ve received lots of compliments and wanted to say, thank you.”
Several teens from the group came to celebrate and view each other’s work. They expressed their enjoyment of the project and the meaning of their volunteer service.
“I didn’t know how cool or how much work photography was until I took a class. The project took several days for me. If I stopped in an area and thought, oh this is pretty, I’d photograph it. It was a fun project. I think it was a success,” said participant Aglaia Margaris. She was particularly pleased with the turnout of her red-blooming plant piece.
Margaris finds her care center service rewarding. “I spend most of my time volunteering there on Saturday nights. It’s very fulfilling doing patient care. I get to interact with the families,” she said.
Serving on a cheer team, party pals team and a leadership board is participant Julia Mitchem. She shared, “I really enjoy it. The organization has been different in the best way possible.”
Want to help change lives in our community?
Be a volunteer. To learn more, come to a volunteer orientation or the south county teen volunteer open house on Oct. 5 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at our St. Petersburg community service center. For more open house information, call Marissa Terrana at (727) 564-5920.