Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 2-10-17

Features
‘United For Peace’ Walk Set To Address Teen Violence
REV. ERIC W. GALLMAN, SR., Pastor, Agape Christian Church
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Rev. Eric Gallman, Sr., pastor of Agape Christian Church, and its congrega- tion is extending an invitation to members of the community to join them on Sunday, Feb- ruary 12th. The church will host their first “United for Change Peace Walk.”
The walk will begin at 2 p.m., at the Cyrus Greene Park, 2101 E. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd, and conclude at 4 p.m. The walk is being sponsored by the Agape Christian Church Outreach and Community Center.
During the walk, the church is asking youth advocates, violence prevention organ- izations, businesses, governmental officials, those working in the Juvenile Justice Pro- gram, other churches, and all concerned par- ents to join them.
Ms. Helen Neal-Ali is the CEO and Di- rector of Outreach for Agape Christian Church said, “I have been an advocate for youth and those going through domestic vi- olence for the past 22 years. I have personally known three teenage boys who were shot and killed by another youth in the past year and a half. One of those teenagers was my grand-
MRS. HELEN NEAL-ALI CEO, Agape Christian Church Outreach and Community Learning Center
son’s best friend.”
Mrs. Neal-Ali said that with a heavy
heart, she went to her pastor, Rev. Eric Gallman, Sr., and they decided to do some- thing about it.
That interaction sparked the opening of the Agape Christian Church Outreach and Community Learning Center. It is located at 4007 N. 22nd Street, Suite H.
The center is designed to provide counsel- ing, tutoring, support groups for youth and adults, parenting classes and Christian disci- pleship.
The center hopes to teach the youth to love each other, no matter where they live and no matter what.
Those attending the walk will have an op- portunity to listen to speakers who will share how their lives have changed.
Mrs. Neal-Ali said, “We especially would like to see parents who have lost chil- dren to street violence attend the “United for Change Peace Walk.”
Those in attendance will receive the “Way to Happiness” booklets and re- freshments will be served.
For additional information contact Mrs. Neal-Ali at (813) 270-2436.
Fourth Annual Suit Up & Show Up Event Planned
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Friday, February 24th, the CDC of Tampa, Inc., will host their Fourth Annual “Suit Up & Show Up” Ini- tiative. The event will be held at the Hillsborough Commu- nity College Campus, 2001 N. 14th Street, in the Student Services Building. It will begin at 8:30 a.m., and con- clude at 2 p.m.
Each young man who at- tends the event will receive a business suit. The theme for the event is “Be Inspired To Reach Greatness.”
The Youth Leadership Retreat is designed to help young men between the ages of 16 and 24 learn to prepare to enter the work force.
“We are excited to hold our 4th Annual Suit Up & Show Up. We have helped over 250 young males to transform into young men through this event. They come in tentative and unsure of options in life and they leave with a framework to create successes in their
life.
“Parents have told us of
the change in attitude and the focus on academic suc- cess. These young men are responding because they re- alize we as a community are not giving them handouts or talking at them, they realize that the suits represent an investment in them... their goals, dreams, and aspira- tions,” Ernest Coney, Jr., President and CEO of the CDC of Tampa, Inc., said.
ERNEST CONEY, JR. President and CEO of CDC of Tampa, Inc.
PAGE 2-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2017