TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

A Visionary's Plan Is To Help More Kids

ADVERTISEMENT

By DEREK MAUL Tribune correspondent

Published: August 6, 2008

THONOTOSASSA - Everyday Blessings sits on 72 acres off of U.S. 301 in Thonotosassa, taking care of children and finding places for those hurt by abuse and neglect. The heart and soul of the operation is Sister Claire LeBoeuf.

She's a visionary and a leader. Her next big idea, The Village at Everyday Blessings, will bring state-of-the-art care to this end of the county. She may just pull it off.

Q. How long has Everyday Blessings been in operation?

A. We were founded in 1997.

Q. Is this part of the Catholic Church?

A. We're a nondenominational cooperative adoption agency, run by the St. Francis Foundation board of directors. We receive some grants from the state, but we rely on donations. We're a local service provider, one of three left of the seven that started out in Hillsborough.

Q. How many children are involved?

A. At present we have 23 children in residence and 80 licensed foster and foster-to-adopt homes with about 150 children.

Q. What's the big challenge?

A. Finding homes for children over age 8 and large sibling groups.

Then the "community-based care" concept has created a new level of bureaucracy.

Q. What's the answer?

A. I believe in the people of this county. When the truth is presented, they come up to bat. They respond to what is needed. And what is needed is to pick up where the system leaves off. Do we want to be known as the community that gives up on children when they reach age 8?

Q. Share your vision?

A. I'm executive director of The Village at Everyday Blessings. It will be an intergenerational supportive village, with homes, families, a retirement community and support services. It doesn't exist yet, but we have the site plans, the costs, the know-how, the worksheets and the timetables.

Q. What do you need?

A. Two hundred thousand dollars will get the ball rolling; $14 million to $15 million will build the village; and $50 million will secure the future.

Q. Where were you raised?

A. Hudson, N.H. I was born in 1942.

Q. When did God call you to the ministry?

A. I was always attracted to the lifestyle of the sisters who taught me.

I took vows with the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1962. I've been involved in education ever since.

Q. Outline your education?

A. I earned my education degree from Notre Dame College in Manchester, N.H., my master's from Rivier College in Nashua, N.H., then certification from the Southeastern Center for Transactional Analysis in Tampa.

Q. When did you come to Florida?

A. 1976. I visited friends in Largo, dug my car out of a snow bank two days later, then asked to continue my education in Florida.

Q. Nuns get free choice?

A. The life of a nun has changed radically. It was easier just to wear the habit and be told what to do, with no questions about what was coming next. Now we are encouraged to make decisions and work in the world.

Q. How do you see the future?

A. Nuns never retire. But I'm optimistic. I believe. I believe God will bring us through this; just getting that text amendment opens the door - maybe for someone with more resources - to do this.

Q. Explain the "text amendment?"

A. It's a change in the county comprehensive land use plan, and it will help any organization that wants to create an adoption community on agricultural land. I'm told the text amendment may be applied statewide - as a model for the children of Florida.

Q. What do you do for fun?

A. I like to read, I like to go to the beach, I like to camp. But I don't do much of it.

Q. Do you have a mentor or a hero?

A. I'm reading a life of Mother Teresa. She went up a few notches in my regard when I found out she lived much of her life in darkness. I thought, "I can be like that."

This is an occasional series spotlighting faith leaders. Sister Claire LeBoeuf is the founder of Everyday Blessings, 13129 St. Francis Lane, Thonotosassa. The organization's telephone number is (813) 982-9226 and its Web site is at www.sffinc.org. Derek M

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT