Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 10-6-17

Features
CDC Of Tampa To Celebrate 25th Anniversary
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On Friday, October 27th, the Corporation to Develop Communities of Tampa, Inc., will celebrate its 25th An- niversary with a Gala. The event will take place from 6 p.m., until 10 p.m., at TPepin Hospitality Centre, 4121 N. 50th Street.
The theme this year is
“Building on Our Legacy: Creating Eco- nomic Opportunities Everyday --- #365 WINS.” Entertainment at the gala will be provided by Avery Sunshine.
During the event, the program will highlight the history of the CDC and pres- ent the Silver Nehemiah Business Award to John and Susan Sykes. Commu- nity leaders Evangeline Best and Denese Meteye James will be recognized as well.
Mrs. Chloe Coney,
founder of the organization said, “As the founder of CDC of Tampa, Inc., I am asking the community to come out and support our organiza- tion.”
The Corporation to De- velop Communities of Tampa, Inc., known as the CDC of Tampa, Inc., opened its doors in May 1992.
Her goal, as she led mem-
ERNEST CONEY, JR. President and CEO of CDC of Tampa, Inc.
bers of the community on drug marches, was to allevi- ate poverty and physical de- terioration in the East Tampa community.
Through persistence and the comprehensive develop- ment with programs that ranged from education to employment, the area changed over time.
Today, the CDC of Tampa has served as a catalyst for other organizations to im- prove other communities throughout the county.
Since its inception, the organization has helped 100% of its youth graduate high school, and supported more than 600 of those graduates continue their ed- ucation at a facility of higher learning.
It has provided employa-
bility skills and vocational training to more than 11,000 residents which has resulted in a 35% increase in wages earned.
Additionally, it has pro- vided counseling to more than 3,500 families and more than 1,000 new home- owners. It has served created a business incubator to help entrepreneurs, and helped saved nearly 2,000 homes from foreclosure.
Since its inception, the CDC of Tampa program services have generated more than $445.25 million in economic impact to the Tampa region.
Mrs. Coney retired sev- eral years ago. However, she continues to assist her son, Ernest Coney, Jr., in his role as CEO and President.
MRS. CHLOE CONEY Founder of
CDC of Tampa, Inc.
Dress For Success Tampa Bay To Celebrate 19 Years In Community
KATIE MCGILL ...Dress For Success Executive Director
Dress for Success Tampa Bay will present its 19th An- niversary Luncheon and Fash- ion Show on Thursday, Oct. 19 from 11:30 a. m. to 1:30 p. m. at the Bryan Glazer Family JCC, 522 North Howard Avenue, Tampa.
Honorary Chairs, Renee Vaughn and Penny Vinik, will join Dress for Success Tampa Bay to celebrate its 19th Anniversary of serving Tampa Bay.
WFLA News Anchor Stacie Schaible will present the keynote address. Guests will also be treated to a fashion show of the latest fall trends from HSN, a silent auction, en- tertainment and more.
“We are delighted to pres- ent our fall fashion show and celebrate our 19th year in the community,” said Katie McGill, Executive Director of Dress for Success Tampa Bay.
“We’re honored to have dis- tinguished chairs as well as so many in the community who continue to support our mis- sion of helping local women.”
STACIE SCHAIBLE ...WFLA News Anchor Guest Speaker
VIP Tickets include an invi- tation to the VIP Reception with Stacie Schaible to be held the evening of Oct. 18 at the Centre Club, along with VIP seating at the luncheon. VIP and regular tickets may be pur- chased at EventBrite.
Proceeds raised from this fundraiser will help provide the economic independence for women by providing profes- sional attire, career develop- ment tools and a network of support to help them thrive in both work and in life.
In its 19th year, Dress for Success Tampa Bay has stood for empowering women and giving the tools to be successful when entering or re-entering the workforce.
The mission of Dress for Success is to empower women to achieve economic independ- ence by providing a network of support, professional attire and development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.
For more information about the event and/or table sponsorships, please email admin@dfstampabay.org or call (813) 259-1876.
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