By Libby Hopkins
Albert Einstein once said, “Only a life lived for others is a life worth while.” Octavia Stoppa, owner of All About Beauty/Spicy Treasures in Brandon, lives her life helping others.
In addition to being a salon owner, she has been a resident of Brandon for over 15 years. She is a fitness instructor, a member of a Gasparilla krewe and she gives back to the Brandon community faithfully.
“I like to do charities because as a kid I was not as fortunate as others, so I like to give back to the community,” Stoppa said.
When Stoppa was a child, she was given the opportunity to go to camp through the Salvation Army. She never forgot how good she felt from having the opportunity, so she decided that she would help others feel good about themselves.
This past August, she collected school supplies and clothing to give to needy children in the area. For Thanksgiving, she held a canned food drive and donated the food she collected to Portamento of Hope, which is an outreach center in Brandon. She gave a free facial waxing to anyone who donated food to her canned food drive.
For Christmas, she is doing a clothing drive and again, she will offer a free facial waxing to anyone who donates new clothes. In May she is planning a tea party/customer appreciation event for Mother’s Day. She wants to give the women in the community a chance to get dressed up and come to her salon and have a tea and treats for free; all they have to do is call and make a reservation.
She hopes other people will see what she is doing and they will be inspired to help others in need. “I hope that everyone pays it forward, that is my hope in everything I do,” Stoppa said, “I’m not looking to get anything in return, I just want to make people feel good.”
Stoppa will collect new clothes at her salon until Christmas Eve and then donate them to charities in Brandon. If you would like to make a donation to Stoppa’s clothing drive for Christmas, you can bring the items to her salon, which is located at 102 Mason St. or call 661-7144.
