The Champion of Service Award is the only statewide volunteer recognition award; it is presented to volunteers and organizations who go above and beyond in service to their community. 

TALLAHASSEE – Steve Cleveland, director of the Florida Dream Center’s Adopt-a-Block program, received the Champion of Service Award today (April 11) from Gov. Rick Scott during his morning Cabinet meeting.

The Volunteer Florida Champion of Service Award is the state’s official and only statewide volunteer recognition award. It is presented to volunteers and organizations who go above and beyond in service to their community.

“I applaud Steven’s commitment to helping and caring for his fellow Floridians in need,” Scott said. “As director of the Florida Dream Center Adopt-A-Block, he has provided nearly 2,000 hours of service and inspired other members of the Tampa Bay community to get involved and make difference. I’m honored to recognize his impact on the lives and neighborhoods in his community with the Champion of Service Award today.”

Chester W. Spellman, Volunteer Florida’s CEO, said, “Volunteer Florida is honored to recognize Steven for his tireless commitment to Tampa’s underserved families and neighborhoods. We are grateful for the opportunity to recognize Steven for the countless hours he has spent helping his community.”

Cleveland serves as the director of the Florida Dream Center Adopt-a-Block program, which mobilizes volunteers throughout the Lealman, St. Petersburg and Tampa area to distribute food, clothing, and household necessities to low-income families and persons experiencing homelessness. Adopt-a-Block also organizes neighborhood cleanups and gardening service projects to revitalize Lealman, St. Petersburg and Tampa’s low-income areas.

Cleveland has provided more than 1,980 hours of civic engagement and community service in the Tampa Bay area, impacting more than 13,336 community members. Under Cleveland’s leadership, the Adopt-a-Block program mobilized 1,579 volunteers in 2016, who served more than 5,200 hours of community service, distributed more than 18,940 pounds of food, and completed revitalization projects in the local Lealman neighborhood. Cleveland also serves as a member of the Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation executive board of directors.

Volunteer Florida is the governor’s lead agency for volunteerism and national service in Florida, administering more than $32 million in federal, state, and local funding to deliver high-impact national service and volunteer programs in Florida. Volunteer Florida promotes and encourages volunteerism to meet critical needs across the state. Volunteer Florida also serves as Florida’s lead agency for volunteers and donations before, during, and after disasters.

For information about the Adopt-a-Block program, go to floridadreamcenter.org.

Photo courtesy of Volunteer Florida.

Rick Scott | Volunteer Florida | Steve Cleveland | Florida Dream Center | Adopt-a-Block | Lealman | Tampa Bay News | TB Reporter

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