HONORING AMY SHIMBERG FOR HER SELFLESS DEVOTION TO HELP THE PEOPLE OF THE TAMPA BAY COMMUNITY; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 136
(Extensions of Remarks - August 16, 2019)
Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1053-E1054]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING AMY SHIMBERG FOR HER SELFLESS DEVOTION TO HELP THE PEOPLE OF
THE TAMPA BAY COMMUNITY
______
HON. KATHY CASTOR
of florida
in the house of representatives
Friday, August 16, 2019
Ms. CASTOR of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today in admiration and
respect to honor the life and unselfish works of Amy Shimberg. Amy's
remarkable contributions to our hometown of Tampa had a tremendous
impact on our neighbors and is worthy of recognition. She is survived
by her five children and their spouses, 15 grandchildren, brother and
numerous nieces and nephews who she loved very much.
Amy was born, raised and educated in New York City. She obtained her
bachelor's degree from New York University and her master's in
education from Columbia University. After teaching in New York, she
followed her parents to Florida where she continued teaching. Amy met
the love of her life and life partner in doing good, Jim, on a blind
date. Jim and Amy started their 50-year marriage and settled in Tampa
in 1958.
Amy was a tireless community volunteer with a very strong interest in
public education. She served as PTA president of every school her
children attended and continued her involvement with the PTA after her
youngest graduated from high school. Many organizations in the Tampa
Bay Area benefited from her tireless advocacy and passion. She served
on the Citizens Advisory Board to the Hillsborough County School Board
and the board of the Hillsborough Education Foundation. She also
volunteered for Meals on Wheels in the 1970s and continued serving for
more than 25 years, twice as president. She loved helping her neighbors
in such a direct and personal way. In a window into Amy's heart, she
believed that she gained more from neighbors she visited and delivered
meals to than they did. In addition to her direct work delivering
meals, she was instrumental in raising funds for Meals on Wheels and
was the honorary chairperson of the capital campaign to build a new
facility. Her dedication to this cause that brightens the days of so
many is unmatched and one of the main reasons Meals on Wheels is such a
success and Amy is so revered in Tampa Bay.
Amy was instrumental in helping not just our senior neighbors, but
children as well. She co-chaired a fundraising campaign for Nature's
Classroom to benefit future generations of sixth graders. She was
recognized for her wonderful work, including receiving the Community
Hero Award from the Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation in 2014. The
philanthropic contributions of Amy and Jim improved the lives of many
people in the Tampa Bay area and the James and Amy Shimberg Charitable
Trust and the James and Amy Shimberg Foundation, will keep the good
deeds going for more generations.
[[Page E1054]]
Madam Speaker, on behalf of the citizens of Florida and my neighbors
across Tampa Bay, I am proud to honor Amy Shimberg for her formidable
efforts and selfless devotion to the people in our community. The time
and energy she put into making Tampa Bay a better place to live are
unmatched. Volunteering thousands of hours to those in need must be
celebrated. Amy Shimberg taught us the true meaning of the word mitzvah
and her legacy as a tireless advocate will live on and inspire others
in the community.
____________________