Hi Friend,
The decision to run for office is a decision Amanda Makki didn’t take lightly. If you've been with us along the campaign trail, then you know how serious she is about her commitment to Pinellas County and our country.
If you want to meet her, if you need her help, even if you don’t ask, Amanda Makki will be there.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, Amanda Makki picked up the phone and called the local Ukrainian church and organizations. Father Bohdan Barytskyy at the Epiphany of Our Lord Ukrainian Catholic Church in St. Petersburg, FL answered in a tired voice. His heart hurt for his country and his fellow Ukrainians, but little did he know he would be the epicenter of relief efforts in Pinellas County. Amanda introduced herself and asked him how she could help. It was a welcome call and they got to work on a plan.
Amanda reached out to many of you. You might have seen the email about the Candlelight Vigil. Amanda quickly organized this for the Tampa Bay community to stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people. Nearly every media outlet in the Tampa Bay area helped shine the spotlight on the urgent need to help. Amanda worked with church volunteers to come up with a plan on what to collect and where to put the donations.
The thing is... it's never enough for Amanda.
She always wants to do more.
She reached out to the owner of Dairy Kurl, an ice cream shop in Clearwater, and together they created an event to collect donations. The folks at Dairy Kurl even threw in free ice cream to sweeten the deal. So many of you showed up to help. It was amazing!
Amanda didn't stop there.
She showed up at Parish Hall where volunteers were coming out of the woodwork to help organize and sort the incredible amount of donations. The volunteers, many who just walked in and asked if they could help, know Amanda by name because she was there, working with them, to get the job done from the beginning.
When the price to ship the donations to Poland was beyond what the Church had expected, or could afford, Amanda was in the meetings to help find a solution. Early this week, 25 pallets of donated items left the Church for Poland. Amanda Makki shows up. Perhaps a local conservative blogger said it best, "She's been
out-hustling all other candidates in terms of community participation and visibility," he wrote in his latest article.
It's no coincidence.
Amanda isn't about the photo op. This is who she is and it's why we need her to represent us in Congress.
Watch the short video above for an inside look at Amanda's efforts to help the Ukrainian people.
Amanda is the real deal and we're proud to be on her team. Let her know you are too!
Team Makki
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