Building a better community one shared memory at a time.
News
NEWS
08
Feb
LIGHTNING COMMUNITY HERO OF TOMORROW
TAMPA BAY - The Tampa Bay Lightning honored Jordan Jasper as the 27th Lightning Community Hero this season during the first period of tonight's game against the New York Islanders. Jasper, who received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes program, will donate half of the funds to the Tampa Bay History Center, while the other half will go towards a scholarship for his education
As the child of a military family, Jasper grew up watching his parents serve others and volunteer in the community. Jasper began volunteering at the age of 11 and joined the Teen Court program of the Thirteenth Judicial Court of Hillsborough County when his family moved to Tampa. Jasper trained as a teen attorney in criminal cases involving juvenile offenders, and his experience led him to apply to the Tampa Mayor's Youth Corps. Jasper currently serves on the Tampa Mayor's Youth Corps Leadership Council, where he engages in year-round initiatives to help alleviate poverty, homelessness and hunger in the community.
In addition to Jasper's involvement with the Tampa Mayor's Youth Corps, Jasper also serves as a teen volunteer at the Tampa Bay History Center. While volunteering at the Tampa Bay History Center, Jasper identified that senior citizens in the community are often unable to enjoy the History Center due to physical limitations and lack of transportation. Jasper plans on launching a free museum outreach program, titled Memories for Life, which will bring authentic historical objects from the Tampa Bay History Center to seniors in assisted living facilities. Jasper's new initiative will include a team of teen volunteers and will provide seniors with intellectual, psychosocial and physical enrichment.
Jasper becomes the 392nd Lightning Community Hero since Jeff and Penny Vinik introduced the Lightning Community Hero program in 2011-12 with a $10 million, five-season commitment to the Tampa Bay community. Through this evening's game, in total, the Lightning Foundation has granted $19.75 million to more than 750 different nonprofits in the Greater Tampa Bay area. During the summer of 2016, the Vinik's announced that the community hero program will give away another $10 million over the next five seasons.
10
June
#SOMETHING GOOD MEMORY KIT CARE PACKAGES
Tampa teen creates care packages for senior citizens isolated during pandemic
Meredyth Censullo June 10, 2020
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — As a rising senior in high school, Jordan Jasper has already accomplished a lot. In February, Jordan was named the Lightning Foundation’s Community Hero of Tomorrow. He received $50,000 for his volunteer work at the Tampa Bay History Center. Jordan created the “Memories For Life” program, which trains teenage volunteers to bring artifacts from the museum to assisted-living facilities, give presentations to residents and engage older generations in conversations.
Of course, the volunteers, including Jordan, haven’t been able to go to assisted-living facilities in several months because of the pandemic. But Jordan says he wanted to honor the spirit of his Community Hero of Tomorrow award.
So he decided to create “Memory Kit Care Packages” for isolated senior citizens.
Because many of the conversations he’d previously had with seniors involved the toys they played with as children, Jordan’s care packages come with a toys-and-games theme. He includes Tinker Toys, marbles and other items. Jordan says he originally planned to include Slinkys but found out they’re costly, so he decided to make paper versions. The care packages also include historical information about the toys, activities for seniors to enjoy and a
personalized message.
Jordan created 100 of the “Memory Kit Care Packages,” and has delivered 95 so far.
Jordan paid for the package materials, too. That’s because he’s donated $25,000 of his Community Hero of Tomorrow award back to the Tampa Bay History Center. The other $25,000 is earmarked for his college education.
28
Aug
Plant High School student brings history into assisted living facilities
By Robert Boyd, August 28, 2020
TAMPA, Fla. — There is a Plant High School senior who loves history class so much that he created a program where he literally packs up his favorite subject and shares it with the community, specifically seniors.
Jordan Jasper’s drive and compassion began at the Tampa Bay History Center when he began bringing artifacts that were 70, 80, 90 years old into assisted living facilities as a way to bridge the gap between generations.
“I wanted to bring history to a demographic that was unable to reach it,” said Jasper.
At the beginning of the year, Jasper was a regular at assisted living facilities, often bringing toys from the past to the seniors of the present.
“And I would have a dialogue with them, conversations, and the idea is that I would bring back some memories, and give them a good time,” said Jasper.
He called the program Memories For Life.
“Many of them at that age suffer from memory loss and I was hoping to combat it,” said Jasper.
Then the pandemic hit and Jasper had to change his tactics. Instead of visiting in person, he not only made care packages, but he made toys too, including 100 paper slinkies.
“And that took a long time, it probably took about 25 hours to make in total, to fold and glue,” said Jasper. “I put in historical info on each one to engage the conversation, to provide entertainment during a time they need it the most.”
So far Jasper has delivered more than 200 care packages. He has even been recognized by the Bank of America Student Leaders Program.
“Students who are already showing leadership, thoughtfulness, looking at the bigger community around us, and I think from what we just heard from Jordan, it’s all of that,” said Ann Shaler with Bank of America.
Jasper has plans of pursuing a degree in political science.
© 2020 Created by Jordan Jasper
ABC ACTION NEWS - MEMORY KIT CARE PACKAGES
10
Sept
FOX 13 TAMPA BAY
Tampa teen selected for Bank of America Student Leaders program for his work with senior citizens
By Kelly Ring, September 7 2020
TAMPA, Fla. - Before the pandemic hit Jordan Jasper spend a lot of his time visiting seniors who felt socially isolated.
"I was working with the Tampa Bay History Center to present artifacts to seniors living in assisted living facilities."
He called his senior community outreach program "Memories for Life." "Seniors feel isolated. They are unable to see their families and this felt like something that I wanted to do for them," Jasper explained.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jasper wasn't allowed to visit, so he started making care packages to give to seniors.
"I put toys and games in there," Jasper said. "I also put in a historical sheet and really I just tried to entertain the seniors."
For all of his hard work, Jasper was selected to participate in the Bank of America Student Leader program.
Ann Shaler leads the program. "Jordan is a phenomenal example of the spirit of innovation, that spirit of giving back," Shaler said.
The goal of the 16-year-old program is to help mold future leaders by giving them hands-on work experience in their community working for a nonprofit. The initiative is virtual this year.
"The program has been phenomenal. I really loved it. It stills feels like a full program and it feels like I haven't missed out on anything," explained Jasper.
They usually go to Washington D.C. for a week but used social media this year to accomplish their goals. "They worked together on a project for six weeks," said Shaler. "They've interacted with kids from three other markets across the country in an effort to continue to grow that peer group and to develop influencers for the future."
Shaping young minds to spur positive change well into the future.