TAMPA, Fla — For thousands around the Tampa Bay area, back to school is just as stressful as it is exciting.
Quedirah Cromartie is one of the many people in the area who have been worried about where their school supplies would come from.
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"With school getting ready to start and it's getting closer and closer and we don't have it set up just yet, so it was a big privilege to get it for free, honestly," Cromartie says.
She and her three children came to Feeding Tampa Bay's second annual back-to-school event on Thursday in order to get some relief, including healthcare and vision screenings.
We're getting the eye exams done, and they're doing it not only for the kids. My mom is getting one done too, so that's big, like everybody, we're helping the whole family," says Cromartie.
Feeding Tampa Bay's goal for this year was to make this event bigger than it's been in previous years.
"Last year, we had 100 to 150 families come in. This year, we're getting a little more robust. We have all these partners that are coming into you, and we're expecting 300 to 400," says Shannon Hannon Oliverio, a spokesperson for Feeding Tampa Bay.
Dozens of partners came together this year, including the Early Learning Coalition for Hillsborough County, BayCare Kids, Preserve Vision Florida, and more, to provide free healthcare screenings, vision screenings, and school supplies among other items.
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
