Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 4-26-16 Edition

Features
Body Found In Bay Identified As Missing Sailor
On Friday afternoon, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office positively identified a body found in Tampa Bay. The body has been identified as Chief Petty Officer Kenneth Reginald Gates.
Law enforcement launched a search for Offi- cer Gates, 32, last Tuesday. Police said Officer Gates and a friend had gone fishing in a boat in Little Harbor, near Ruskin.
When it was discovered that the anchor was stuck and would not come up, Of- ficer Gates jumped into the water. When he did not come back up his friend called 9-1- 1.
Police searched the wa- ters of Tampa Bay for two days before ending the search on Thursday. Shortly before 6 p.m., Thursday, boaters found the body and contacted
CHIEF PETTY OFFICER KENNETH REGINALD GATES
the U. S. Coast Guard.
A native of Lawrenceville,
Georgia, Officer Gates was a 10-year veteran of the United States Navy. He worked in Human Resources Office in the U. S. Special Op- erations Command at MacDill Air Force Base. He was divorced and the father of a 7-year-old son.
Woman Presented FBI’s ‘Director’s Community Leadership Award’
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
She attended the National Award Ceremony with the FBI in
Washington, D. C.
Congratulations were heaped upon Ms. Linda Walker locally on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 when she was presented the Director’s Com- munity Leadership Award from the Federal Bureau of In- vestigation (FBI), Tampa Divi- sion.
Last Friday (April 15th), she traveled to Washington, D. C., accompanied by family mem- bers, to receive the national recognition. The event was the 8th Annual Director’s Commu- nity Leadership Awards Cere- mony.
The Program Manager for the Hillsborough House of Hope, Inc., a faith-based tran- sitional program for women coming out of incarceration, Ms. Walker was recognized for her community services.
As the Program Manager, she interviews the ladies while they are incarcerated, and the day they are released she picks up the ones that have been se- lected to participate in the Hillsborough House of Hope program for 6 months.
“The ladies have to attend outside 12-step meetings weekly, get a job by the 2nd month at HHH and attend out- patient treatment because they do have to go through random drug screens or breathalyzers,” she explained. “They cook and prepare their meals and learn
Honoree Linda Walker, with FBI Director James Comey, Kelviyana Walker, her daughter; Louise Chatters, her mom, and Brenda Greenway, a friend.
to be self-sufficient. Staying sober and clean is our goal for them... just helping them get back on track and become the
women God has created them to be.”
Ms. Walker says she made some bad choices in her life, but after getting connected to Ms. Margaret Palmer (now 89 years old), founder of Hillsborough House of Hope, over 18 years ago, “here I stand today with a phenomenal suc- cess story.” She has received several awards: National Coali- tion of 100 Black Women Un- sung Hero Award, Molina Health Care Community Champion, a local radio station made her a success story through Dress For Success; and she and others stood with Ms. Palmer when the Tampa Bay Lightning awarded them $50,000 as its community hero.
“More awards will be com- ing because I plan to continue in my journey of assisting and helping other people who have made some bad choices re- group and become productive citizens in our community.”
Ms. Walker says Hills- borough House of Hope has a 70% success rate. She attrib- utes the success to the volun- teers and “faithful soldiers” who devote time to the pro- gram in different areas.
Ms. Walker, center, with Hillsborough House of Hope Board member, Paul Phaneuf and Brenda Geenway, a volunteer.
PAGE 2 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016