Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: How hard is Brandon’s ECHO center working to keep neighbors fed?
Coming up: Rainbow Lights on the Brandon Patch calendar
Morning Brandon! We've got the scoop on the latest happenings in town. Read on to get looped in. ☕️️
In today's newsletter:
- How hard is Brandon’s ECHO center working to keep neighbors fed?
Also on today's calendar: Holiday Brunch With Live Music and New Orleans Cuisine.
Find out what's happening in Brandonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Find out what's happening in Brandonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Saturday: Partly sunny and pleasant, with a high of 79 and low of 56 degrees.
- Sunday: Partly sunny and comfortable, temps: high: 78, low: 56.
- Monday: Mostly sunny and comfortable, with a high of 78 and low of 50 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
• Spirit of giving helps ECHO face growing need in tough times (observernews.net) — Residents in Brandon and nearby communities are turning to ECHO’s Brandon and Riverview resource centers in record numbers as food stamp disruptions and rising costs strain household budgets. The nonprofit reports nearly 19,000 neighbors served in just five months, and is urgently seeking ongoing donations of food, clothing, toiletries, and funds to keep pace with demand. Local support has been strong, but the need keeps growing. 
📸 Around Brandon
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Brandon
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
★ Featured events ★
- Rainbow Lights
Painting with a Twist, 1993 W Lumsden Rd, Brandon
7:00 pm
Saturday December 27
Want to see your event featured? Click here!
Other local events
- Holiday Brunch With Live Music and New Orleans Cuisine
Tibby's New Orleans Kitchen , 1721 W Brandon Blvd , Brandon
11:00 am - Happy Hour at Bricks Smoked Meats
Brandon Exchange , 459 Brandon Town Center Dr , Brandon
9:00 am
Sunday December 28
Monday December 29
📣 Brandon Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
- Swim Lessons - School Age - Intermediate
North Brandon Family YMCA , 3097 S Kingsway Rd , Seffner
11:40 am - Winter in Paris
Painting with a Twist , 1993 W Lumsden Rd , Brandon
12:00 pm - Alvarez & Affiliates Cars & Coffee
2350 FL-60 , Valrico
12:30 pm - Glowing Winter Forest
Painting with a Twist , 1993 W Lumsden Rd , Brandon
3:30 pm - The 2026 Freedom Shift: Escape the Trap & Build Your Legacy
410 N Kingsway Rd , Seffner
3:45 pm - Workshop: Drawing with Apple Pencil on iPad - Apple
Apple Brandon , 459 Brandon Town Center Dr , Brandon
5:00 pm - Cutesy Penguin - Family Friendly 11x14!
Painting with a Twist , 1993 W Lumsden Rd , Brandon
1:00 pm - Family Story Time
78th Street Community Library , 7625 Palm River Rd , Tampa
2:00 pm - Swim Lessons - Preschool - Beginner
North Brandon Family YMCA , 3097 S Kingsway Rd , Seffner
5:30 pm
Saturday December 27
Sunday December 28
Wednesday December 31
Monday January 5
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Brandon PatchAM possible:
- Gifted IQ Testing of Tampa Bay — (813) 610-7905
Gifted Testing DBA - Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible! - Athena’s Painting — (813) 424-6644
$50. Off special on car garage doors painting - Gifted IQ Testing of Tampa Bay — (813) 610-7905
Gifted IQ Tests for Children
Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.
💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- A life lived alone is like a quiet river flowing through every detail of life
Over time I’ve learned to listen to my own heartbeat in solitude and have grown used to the peace that comes with the nightfall But occasionally… (Nextdoor Shadow Bay) - Selling Discoid Roaches of all sizes and superworms!
Better nutrition for your reptiles than crickets! Forget buying the Discoid roaches online and get them locally! (Nextdoor Park Lake at Parsons)
- Panda Restaurant Group posted a job opening for Cook (P1-1383658-1) in Brandon. Apply here.
- The Honey Baked Ham Company, LLC posted a job opening for Store Associate Year-Round in Brandon. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Brandon here.
🗞 Nearby News
Tampa
- Tampa Bay's biggest stories of 2025 (cltampa.com)
- Inside the 12,000-photo quest to document Tampa's last cigar factories (tampabeacon.com)
Ok Brandon! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I have no idea. I didn’t even know sheep could knit.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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