COVID-19 Update:
2021 HCCC Awards Gala postponed from January 30th to May 1st.
Theme changed from 1920's Glam to Kentucky Derby
2021 HCCC Awards Gala postponed from January 30th to May 1st.
Theme changed from 1920's Glam to Kentucky Derby
Recap of 2021 HCCC Derby Ball
Awards
2020 Mosaic Business of the Year Award
Albritton Insurance Services, LLC
Albritton Insurance Services, LLC
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Albritton Insurance Services has been providing for the insurance needs of Hardee County since 2005, after acquiring the previous Davis and Roberts Insurance Book of business from Wells Insurance. Since then, AIS has served the heartland region of Florida with exceptional service, reliability and experience. Located at 204 N. 6th Ave, directly on Highway 17 in Downtown Wauchula, AIS is a fully functioning, independent insurance agency offering multiple lines of personal and commercial lines of insurance and specialized expertise in health insurance and health risk management consulting.
In an ever-evolving insurance industry, we strive to meet the insurance and risk management needs for all our clients. It is always our utmost goal to have our client’s satisfaction matched with our performance. With a licensed staff of 13, AIS has grown to be a trusted source for service, reliability and expertise in the Large Group Employee Benefits, Individual Health, Individual Life, Personal Auto, Commercial Auto, Homeowners, and Business Insurance markets. We pride ourselves in being Hardee County’s hometown insurance agency, not only supporting the insurance needs of our community but by also giving back. As a community business, we believe it is our duty to provide as many different methods as possible of support for every occasion that we are called upon. We believe in doing our best to take care of the community that takes care of us. We offer the following lines of business: Personal Auto Homeowners Commercial or Business Insurance Large Group Life and Health Small Group Life and Health Individual Life Worksite Products Bonds Joe Albritton – Owner, President, and Chief Executive Officer Derren Bryan- Chief Operating Officer Monica Stagg- Agency Manager, Licensed Agent Lacey Webb- Personal Lines Manager, Licensed Agent Stephanie Tyler- Small Group Life and Health Manager, Commercial Lines Agent Nicole Leal – Director of Contracts, Large Group Life and Health Jamie Steed – Director of Health and Wellness, Large Group Life and Health Mark Cintron- Director of Member Services, Large Group Life and Health, Medicare Agent Courtney Trammell – Customer Service Representative, Large Group Life and Health, Licensed Agent Samantha Gonzales – Customer Service Representative Crystal McMullen – Taylor County Customer Service Representative, Licensed Agent Ashley Martin – Enrollment Specialist, Licensed Agent Kayla Adcock – Bookkeeping Manager, Enrollment Manager, Licensed Agent |
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2020 Mildred E. & Doyle Carlton, Jr. - Volunteer of the Year Award
Wendell G. Smith
Wendell G. Smith
Pastor Wendell G. Smith was born and raised here in Hardee County, born in 1955 to John D. & Velma Smith. The 7th of 9 children that all 9 graduated from Hardee Senior High. Coming from a family that came to Hardee County in 1949 to work in the fields and harvest industry, put a heart into Wendell Smith to reach out to those less fortunate or in need. From a young age Wendell always wanted to help. Even as a young man in his early 20’s volunteered as a Boy Scout Leader here in Hardee and served his Local church and Pastor at Wauchula Church of God.
Pastor Smith holds a Bachelor Degree in Christian Education and Biblical and Pastoral studies from Lee University, Cleveland TN in 1988. He served in two churches as Associate Pastor: Cleveland TN and Avon Park FL. He holds the highest-ranking ministerial ordination as Ordained Bishop with the Church of God, Cleveland TN.
He is married to Tyina Gilliard Smith and they have two daughters, Leigh Delos Santos and Lindsey Bennett along with two grandsons, Tre’ and Trevor Delos Santos.
In 1990 he and his family returned to Hardee County under the direction of the Lord and established Faith Temple Church of God where he serves to this day. Being born and raised here in Wauchula, it’s his love for the people that is a driving force behind his “Passion to Reach the Lost” of this community. Every area of ministry at Faith Temple Ministries has had this same focus. A vision to reach the lost in all cultures, races, and all walks of life - and he established the Cutting Edge Ministries Inc in 2000. After a sabbatical from 2000 to 2003 – he returned to the local church pastorate. After the devastation in 2004 of the major hurricanes that hit Hardee County the vision exploded. Pastor Smith jumped into action to help the community. He began to gather supplies and contact his many networks of ministries and suppliers of food to families in need. FEMA, Operation Compassion, Operation Blessing International, Feed the Children, Feeding America, Convoy of Hope, Feeding Tampa Bay and many more – to bring CEM to where it is today.
In 2005, they purchased their original property with no money in their budget, but because of God’s grace and through several miracles, they were able to obtain the property. Then in 2014, they found themselves in need of a refrigerated box truck to help them transport fresh food for hungry families from all over Central Florida. This need was met through a generous grant from Mosaic and their new truck is still transporting food to this day. Their vision is to one day have a facility with coolers and docks to help them house large supplies of produce to help feed hungry families as they are currently using a local dock to unload the truck and then transport the supplies to their own facility.
Then in 2017, they broke ground on their current property, Joseph’s Storehouse, which is their secured, air-conditioned climate controlled facility for storage of food products until time to deliver it to those in need. This building was obtained through grants from Mosaic, Publix, and many private donors as well.
CEM is a ministry center where about 300+ families come every week to receive meat, dairy, and fresh produce from around Central Florida. These are people from every walk of life, whether they are senior citizens, single moms, low income families, minorities, or upper class. Everyone goes through difficult times and is in need of assistance. That’s why CEM exists to Feed the Hungry and help those in difficult times because even though they might get a box of groceries this week, it will not last them forever. That’s why the ministry continues to exist, because there are still people in their community who are struggling and in need of assistance.
Their current focus is to address the needs of the families that have been impacted by COVID-19. In 2020 they shifted their food bank to a drive through setting, and even went door-to-door in their communities to deliver and distribute 21 lb. boxes of nutritious foods such as milk, meat, dairy, breads, and produce to every home thanks to the Farmers to Families USDA program, provided through Convoy of Hope, Feeding Tampa Bay, and Florida Baptist Children’s Home. They were able to deliver 1352 food boxes to families in Bowling Green, 1152 boxes in Zolfo Springs, and 1368 boxes in Wauchula. During COVID, they were also able to visit Elementary schools and pass out 7960 5lb. boxes to the families of that school. As of October, in 2020 they’ve been able to serve 17,000 families, provide 69,400 meals, and give out 1.487 million pounds of food.
In 2020, over 1.2 million pounds of food equaling 1 million meals was given out through the drive thru distribution and door to door home distribution. Presently in 2021, over 348,000 pounds of food equaling 290,000 meals have been given out serving 13,000 individuals and children.
Pastor Smith’s goals is to continue serving Hardee County and surrounding areas with the love of Jesus Christ by providing food and supplies to families, children & seniors in need.
As CEM grows, we want to provide a place volunteers can come and enjoy helping people as well as provide jobs to those who want to work in a non profit to help individuals. I know the goal in Hardee County is to bring in jobs so people don’t have to come to a food bank, but we must fulfill the Gospel of Jesus Christ by providing a place for them to come until that happens – when you give to the poor you are lending to God and He will pay back.
Proverbs 19:17 NLT If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord – and He will repay you.
Pastor Smith holds a Bachelor Degree in Christian Education and Biblical and Pastoral studies from Lee University, Cleveland TN in 1988. He served in two churches as Associate Pastor: Cleveland TN and Avon Park FL. He holds the highest-ranking ministerial ordination as Ordained Bishop with the Church of God, Cleveland TN.
He is married to Tyina Gilliard Smith and they have two daughters, Leigh Delos Santos and Lindsey Bennett along with two grandsons, Tre’ and Trevor Delos Santos.
In 1990 he and his family returned to Hardee County under the direction of the Lord and established Faith Temple Church of God where he serves to this day. Being born and raised here in Wauchula, it’s his love for the people that is a driving force behind his “Passion to Reach the Lost” of this community. Every area of ministry at Faith Temple Ministries has had this same focus. A vision to reach the lost in all cultures, races, and all walks of life - and he established the Cutting Edge Ministries Inc in 2000. After a sabbatical from 2000 to 2003 – he returned to the local church pastorate. After the devastation in 2004 of the major hurricanes that hit Hardee County the vision exploded. Pastor Smith jumped into action to help the community. He began to gather supplies and contact his many networks of ministries and suppliers of food to families in need. FEMA, Operation Compassion, Operation Blessing International, Feed the Children, Feeding America, Convoy of Hope, Feeding Tampa Bay and many more – to bring CEM to where it is today.
In 2005, they purchased their original property with no money in their budget, but because of God’s grace and through several miracles, they were able to obtain the property. Then in 2014, they found themselves in need of a refrigerated box truck to help them transport fresh food for hungry families from all over Central Florida. This need was met through a generous grant from Mosaic and their new truck is still transporting food to this day. Their vision is to one day have a facility with coolers and docks to help them house large supplies of produce to help feed hungry families as they are currently using a local dock to unload the truck and then transport the supplies to their own facility.
Then in 2017, they broke ground on their current property, Joseph’s Storehouse, which is their secured, air-conditioned climate controlled facility for storage of food products until time to deliver it to those in need. This building was obtained through grants from Mosaic, Publix, and many private donors as well.
CEM is a ministry center where about 300+ families come every week to receive meat, dairy, and fresh produce from around Central Florida. These are people from every walk of life, whether they are senior citizens, single moms, low income families, minorities, or upper class. Everyone goes through difficult times and is in need of assistance. That’s why CEM exists to Feed the Hungry and help those in difficult times because even though they might get a box of groceries this week, it will not last them forever. That’s why the ministry continues to exist, because there are still people in their community who are struggling and in need of assistance.
Their current focus is to address the needs of the families that have been impacted by COVID-19. In 2020 they shifted their food bank to a drive through setting, and even went door-to-door in their communities to deliver and distribute 21 lb. boxes of nutritious foods such as milk, meat, dairy, breads, and produce to every home thanks to the Farmers to Families USDA program, provided through Convoy of Hope, Feeding Tampa Bay, and Florida Baptist Children’s Home. They were able to deliver 1352 food boxes to families in Bowling Green, 1152 boxes in Zolfo Springs, and 1368 boxes in Wauchula. During COVID, they were also able to visit Elementary schools and pass out 7960 5lb. boxes to the families of that school. As of October, in 2020 they’ve been able to serve 17,000 families, provide 69,400 meals, and give out 1.487 million pounds of food.
In 2020, over 1.2 million pounds of food equaling 1 million meals was given out through the drive thru distribution and door to door home distribution. Presently in 2021, over 348,000 pounds of food equaling 290,000 meals have been given out serving 13,000 individuals and children.
Pastor Smith’s goals is to continue serving Hardee County and surrounding areas with the love of Jesus Christ by providing food and supplies to families, children & seniors in need.
As CEM grows, we want to provide a place volunteers can come and enjoy helping people as well as provide jobs to those who want to work in a non profit to help individuals. I know the goal in Hardee County is to bring in jobs so people don’t have to come to a food bank, but we must fulfill the Gospel of Jesus Christ by providing a place for them to come until that happens – when you give to the poor you are lending to God and He will pay back.
Proverbs 19:17 NLT If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord – and He will repay you.
