Page 12 - Florida Sentinel 3-30-18

Local
Activist Chosen As Lightning Community Hero
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Monday night, the Tampa Bay Lightning Founda- tion honored a local community activist for her contributions. Mrs. Chloe Coney was chosen as the 39th Lightning Commu- nity Hero for this season.
Of the honor Mrs. Coney said, “It was an honor and so special that I was selected as the Tampa Bay Lightning Commu- nity Hero for the work in East Tampa through the CDC of Tampa, Inc. To God be the glory.”
In 1992, Mrs. Coney founded the CDC of Tampa, Inc., as a grassroots community- based organization. Its mission was to breathe new life in the East Tampa community through education, economic develop- ment, job training, and afford- able housing. She led the organization for 15 years.
Recently, the CDC of Tampa, Inc., celebrated its 25th Anniversary. Since its inception, the organization has provided assistance to more than 3,500 families with housing counseling services. The program has cre- ated 1,042 new homeowners.
The organization has also fa-
Mrs. Chloe Coney is the 39th Lightning Community Hero se- lected for this season.
cilitated the building of more than 80 single-family homes, 210 rental units, 52,000 square feet of commercial space and has helped more than 11,000 youths and adults acquire employability skills and job training.
In making the presentation, the foundation said, “Mrs. Coney's work goes beyond founding the CDC of Tampa. She is also a mentor, taking time to develop young leaders through community building and philan- thropy.”
Mrs. Coney is the 310th person chosen as a Lightning Community Hero since Jeff and Penny Vinik introduced the
Lightning Community Hero pro- gram in 2011-12 with a $10 mil- lion, five-season commitment to the Tampa Bay community.
Through Monday evening's game, in total, the Lightning Foundation has granted $15.6 million to more than 400 differ- ent nonprofits in the Greater Tampa Bay area. During the summer of 2016, the Viniks an- nounced that the Community Hero Program will give away an- other $10-million over the next five seasons.
Mrs. Coney received a $50,000 donation from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes Program. She selected four or- ganizations as recipients of the donations.
She presented $40,000 to the Corporation to Develop Communities, of Tampa, Inc., an organization in which she founded in 1992. The check was accepted by her son, Ernest Coney, Jr., who is the current President and CEO of the organ- ization.
Mrs. Coney presented a check in the amount of $5,000 to Legacy Preparatory Charter School, a $3,000 check to the University of South Florida Black Scholarship Fund, and a check for $2,000 to Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc.
SPOTLIGHT
TERICA
This week’s Spotlight shines directly on the lovely Ter- ica. The 19-year-old Pisces stands 5’8” tall, and says her favorite star is 21 Savage. Her hobbies are cooking, writ- ing poetry and taking photos. In the future, Terica plans to own her own catering business. Terica’s philosophy of life is: “Only the strong will truly survive.” The man in Terica’s life must be handsome, has a sense of humor, be respectful, and who knows her worth. Congratulations to Terica as this week’s Spotlight feature.
PAGE 12-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2018