My name is Maggie Fitzsimmons and I am a senior at H.B. Plant High School.I’m a native of Tampa and have always attended PCPC for church, but became much more involved through the youth program when I entered sixth grade. I have gone on summer mission trips, currently attend high school youth group and bible study as often as I can, and participate as a high school leader for the middle school youth group each Wednesday night. My involvement with Meals On Wheels began last year on the High School Leadership Board (HSLB) where I was able to work with a group of amazing high school students from five different schools around Tampa. Together, we developed the Water On Wheels program, which provides water bottles to all of Meals On Wheels of Tampa’s elderly and homebound recipients each week day. I am so grateful to have been awarded the Lightning Community Hero of Tomorrow Award, which will fund our Water On Wheels program for its first full year. Receiving this award has been such an honor as it allows the other high school Meals On Wheels board members and I to serve the community in an impactful way. Additionally, the award provided me with a scholarship that will help me in attending college next year. I am currently undecided about which school I will attend next year, but am very happy with all of the options I am looking at.

By Maggie Fitzsimmons

Below is the article announcing the Water on Wheels program, published by Meals on Wheels on December 15, 2016:

Meals On Wheels of Tampa is excited to introduce a new program, Water On Wheels (WOW)! Starting Tuesday, January 3rd, Volunteers will be delivering small water bottles, along with hot meal deliveries, to all of our Recipients.

The WOW program was developed by Meals On Wheels of Tampa’s High School Leadership Board (HSLB) this past year to encourage healthy hydration. The student led group, which is comprised of Junior and Senior students from 5 local high schools, raised funds to provide reusable water tumblers and educational materials to all 700+ seniors and homebound served by MOW Tampa each day.

In order to continue impacting the health impact of WOW on our Recipients, HSLB President, Maggie Fitzsimmons (see video below), took this project a step further, by applying and receiving the first ever Lightning Community Heroes of Tomorrow award! Thanks to the generosity from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes program, all active Recipients on the Meals On Wheels of Tampa program will receive free water bottles, along with their hot meal delivery, Monday through Friday, throughout 2017.