Kristi Strzyzewski

Kristi Strzyzewski and her husband Mike moved to the Tampa Bay area in 2021, but she took her time finding a new church home.

"We wanted to be certain we'd be staying here," she says. She's attended All Saints, off and on, since 2023, but decided to move her membership here recently from her former church: Emmanuel Church in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Columbus, Ohio, native and her family had lived in Switzerland for 18 years, until both she and her husband retired from their jobs and decided to move back to the United States. They moved back to Winston-Salem in 2015, "but (Mike) got tired of shoveling snow," Kristi says, smiling. They came to Florida for the weather and to the Tampa area because of the airport. Her mother was still living in Columbus, Ohio, and they found out that there were direct flights from Tampa to Columbus, making it easier for her to spend time with her mother in her later years. They settled in Heritage Springs.

Kristi went to the Original Miami University of Ohio. It was founded in 1809 and was named after the Miami Indians, Kristi explains about the emphasis on "Original Miami." She got her degree in education and teaching certificate in health education for kindergarten-12th

grades. She and Mike married in 1978. They lived in Columbus before moving to Winston-Salem. They have a son and a daughter. Mike worked for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, which was how the family moved to Switzerland in 1997. Their children, who were in high school at the time, attended international school in Geneva. Their son and his fiance live in New Orleans, Their daughter now lives with her husband and her son in the Washington, D.C., area.

Kristi worked at Emmanuel Church from 1999-2014 as children's ministry coordinator. She also was very active in the church, seving on the Altar Guild and the Hospitality Committee. She was United Thank Offering coordinator for Emmanuel Church and served as UTO coordinator of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe (like a diocese) from 2004-2014. She is interested in working with All Saints on becoming more involved with the United Thank Offering here.

Kristi, who attends the 10 a.m. service, says she really enjoys attending All Saints. "It reminds me of the church we left in Geneva," she says. The buildings are similar in architecture, and the services are similar. "I also really like the people."

Ava Sadowska

Ava Sadowska found All Saints Church through her work as a volunteer in the community. And now she says she's found a very special community here.

She met Claudia Sodaro while volunteering at the Salvation Army's Angel Tree project. Claudia introduced her to All Saints. Since she started coming here, she has been active with Pack A Snack and joined volunteers from All Saints to help at the Rotary project, Rise Against Hunger, recently.

"When I came to All Saints, that's what attracted me, the outreach here," she says. "There is so much happening, so much volunteering here, such warm people.

"There is so much community here. The people are so open." Ava adds. "It's what I was looking for at this stage of my life."

Ava was born and raised in Krakow, Poland, and came to Chicago in 1989 as a young adult. She graduated from National Louis University in Chicago with a masters in business. She worked at the University of Illinois as an auditor before moving to Florida with family. She lives with her two daughters in Palm Harbor. One daughter just started college and one is graduating from college this summer.

Ava works at AmiKids, a nonprofit, where she does internal auditing. She enjoys not only her job but also the volunteer work she can do with the children through AmiKids. "AmiKids helps empower disadvantaged kids, to learn their potential. it's a beautiful mission they have," she says. She recalls the chance she had last year to go with a group of young people and volunteers from AmiKids for a week of wilderness challenge in Hot Springs, N.C.

"There were 75 kids at the camp grounds and we got up at 5 a.m. to cook breakfast for them" she says, laughing at the memory. "I learned how long it takes to cook scrambled egs for 75 kids, it took an hour and 5 minute! That was a lot of scrambled eggs , but they were hungry and they were grateful for them. "

Sadly the whole camp and the town of Hot Springs, located on the French Broad River, were destroyed last fall in the devastating storm and flooding. But both town and camp are rebuilding and she says they hope to return there this year.

Asked what she likes about All Saints, she says, "Of course I love the coffee and pastries, and the chance to meet and get to know the people at the gazebo after church."

She adds, "It's smaller, more intimate here. This is a beautiful place."