Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 8-29-17

Features
Community Input Meetings To Begin In October For West Tampa
Outreach Case Manager Establishes Ryan’s Pantry To Help Homeless
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
It is one thing for a per- son to sympathize with an- other, but when someone empathizes with another, it means they really under- stand what that person is ex- periencing.
Ms. Patricia Wingo
has made it her life’s work to help the homeless and that is because she was once home- less herself.
For two years during the 1980s, Ms. Wingo slept in a homeless camp, using earplugs to keep bugs from crawling into her ears. An ad- diction to crack not only left her homeless. But, one day a relative found her and ex- tended a helping hand.
She kicked the habit, picked up the pieces of her life, and decided that she would reach out to help oth- ers, just as someone had once helped her.
She began using her own time and money to provide
MS. PATRICIA WINGO Outreach Case Manager, Tampa Housing Authority
those she encountered with personal hygiene supplies and other necessities. She has continued this for the past decade. She stored the items she purchased in her car.
But, things changed as she continued to improve in her life. She was hired by the Tampa Housing Authority as an Outreach Coordinator. In
the beginning, she collected vital information from those she met. Now, she serves as the Outreach Case Manager.
In December, Jerome Ryan, President and CEO of the Tampa Housing Author- ity gave Ms. Wingo a place for her to keep the items she gives to the homeless. She was so moved by the act of kindness that she named it “Ryan’s Pantry,” in his honor.
In addition to using her own money, Ms. Wingo re- ceives donated items from various organizations throughout the community such as food, and personal hygiene items.
Ms. Wingo not only helps with the immediate needs of the homeless, she also helps with their future. She helps them find a place to live and then remains in contact with them.
And, after she has placed someone in a home or apart- ment, she remains in contact with that person to make sure they are doing okay. Ms. Wingo reassures them that she is there for them and is only a telephone call away.
Recently, Ms. Wingo was featured on Bay News 9 because of the unselfish- ness she shows towards oth- ers.
She is also active in the Annual 8K Race to End Homelessness. The event raises money to help home- less families. This year, ap- proximately $4,000 were raised.
Two families with chil- dren facing eviction were helped and others benefited with assistance in obtaining vital documents, food, and assistance with rent.
The Tampa Housing Au- thority has placed more than 200 families in homes during the last year. Some of the families helped have been homeless for as long as 12 years. Their ages range from 23 to 89 years.
The agency’s Homeless Outreach Initiative was launched 3 years ago as part of a 25-city effort.
Anyone wishing to con- tact Ms. Wingo can reach her at (813) 253-0551, exten- sion 1480.
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
A consultant team hired to help develop the strategic ac- tion plan for the West Tampa Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) will soon seek the community’s input.
Representatives from urban planning firm, Kimley Horn will host a series of meetings beginning this fall where residents can express what changes they’d like to see in the historical neighbor- hood with the TIF dollars col- lected through a special tax fund.
The first meeting will take place in October, followed by another in November. A third meeting will occur in Febru- ary.
Local historian Fred Hearns will work as a con- sultant to the firm contacting various civic and business or- ganizations and other stake- holder groups.
After years of dragging, movement on the CRA’s strategic action plan is a long- awaited sign of progress, Hearns said in a telephone interview last Tuesday.
“This is very important,” he said. “Finally, I think we’re seeing some action.”
Created in 2015, the West Tampa CRA pools money from a dedicated area for the improvement of that neigh- borhood which is marked by Columbus Drive to the north, the Hillsborough River to the east, Kennedy Boulevard to the south, and Armenia Av- enue to the west.
At a meeting Tuesday of the West Tampa CRA’s advi- sory committee, some board members made it clear they want to see tangible results from the series of meetings and the outreach campaign.
“While West Tampa’s in- frastructure has been long neglected, money from the
JOSEPH W. J. ROBINSON ...Committee President
community redevelopment area should not be spent on landscaping and the repair of sidewalks,” said committee president Joseph Robin- son.
“Those are expenses that the city already should cover”, he said.
“I expect to see an outline of how they are going to de- velop a strategic plan,” he said. “We want to see a strate- gic plan that will leverage this money in the CRA.”
Kimley-Horn’s goal should be to find ways to in- tegrate the community rede- velopment area’s strategic action plan with those of the school district and other pub- lic entities, Robinson said.
“We need to have the eco- nomic business. We need to pull people off the interstate.”
Committee member Ed Turanchik concurred.
“I’m interested in hearing more about how to assess what people are interested in what we spend the money on,” he said.
Resident Joyce Watson said she’s anxious to give her input and thinks it’s a sense of duty to attend the meet- ings.
“It’s our responsibility to make sure we’re comfort- able,” she said. “If you don’t get that work in, you’ll just get lost in the sauce.”
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