Page 3 - Florida Sentinel 10-18-19

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CDC Of Tampa Bay Hosts Successful Luncheon That Gave Glimpse Of Milestones
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
For 27 years, the Corporation to Develop Communities (CDC) of Tampa, Inc., has offered program- ming to help East Tampa residents to acquire homes, train for jobs, and go to college.
But in the coming year, the non- profit will expand its mission, presi- dent and CEO Ernest Coney, Jr., told a full house Tuesday at the orga- nization’s annual luncheon at Arma- ture Works.
“The goal of the Corporation to Development Communities of Tampa is to build a city of champions,” he said. “Our goal is to create places of opportunity in East Tampa and the greater Tampa Bay area.”
The luncheon offers a chance for community leaders and stakeholders to get a glimpse of the corporation’s services, including homeownership and workforce development pro-
Devonta Mack, Workforce Development client, Jameis’ fiancee’, Brieon Allen, Jameis Winston, Ernest Coney, Jr., CEO, Noelia Betances (CDC of Tampa - Homeown- ership Counselor, holding Dayla Gonzalez), Keyless Concepcion de Gonzalez and David Gonzalez, Home Ownership clients.
three areas of focus for the organiza- tion in the coming year: collective im- pact models, attainable housing, and commercial corridor development.
This means expanding participa- tion in Safe and Sound Hillsborough, a community violence prevention program, increasing access to home- ownership via residential develop- ment in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, and working with partners to bring in more commercial businesses like grocery stores and of- fice spaces.
But the work doesn’t stop there.
Coney said his vision for Tampa includes uplifting downtrodden neighborhoods and making them places where “you can drive through and not feel the poverty.”
If you want the details on that ini- tiative, you’ll have to wait, Coney said.
However, it does have a name.
“This time next year, Tampa True,” he said.
grams.
This year’s event also included a
presentation of the Nehemiah Awards to three recipients: Chris Jimenez of Painters on Demand, Randy
Prescott
of KCI Technologies, and Jameis Winston, quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
In his remarks, Coney outlined
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