Page 13 - 8-14-15 Friday's Edition Updated

FLORIDA SENTINEL
FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2015
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Ybor City Caribbean Restaurant Reopens
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
In 1967, Cephas Gilbert left his native Jamaica, and came to the United States seeking better opportunities.
A man of many skills, Cephas worked an array of jobs, but it was the restaurant business that would define his future. So in 1981, Cephas Hot Shop opened on the corner of 17th Street and 4th Avenue.
The Hot Shop was experi- encing a loyal customer base until 2007 when a fire forced Cephas to close.
Being a man to not accept failure, Cephas continued to sell food from a small building he constructed adjacent to his restaurant and house.
“I began selling aloe water
CEPHAS HOT SHOP
CEPHAS GILBERT .....in front of his restaurant where he has signs posted say- ing he’s closed and asking for
help to reopen.
his customers to install a fire suppression system.
“If there was one thing I dis- covered when I was closed, it’s that as Black people we need
to unite. We need to stop hurting each other and that way we can all be successful.
“The problem is, it’s getting worse, and that’s what makes it difficult for a new Black business to stay open and be successful.”
Cephas said he has served all nationalities in his restau- rant, and 70% of his cus- tomers are white.
“I take a lot of pride in what Ido,andItrytomakeaplace comfortable for all people to enjoy. It’s a shame that Black people have caused me so much pain in the way I’m treated as a businessman.
“I’m not going anywhere re- gardless of the efforts to shut me down. I’m back open now, and everything will be as it was before the fire.”
to raise money to reopen my restaurant. I needed $15,000, and thanks to some competi- tors, I needed to solve the problems with my licenses.
“I took care of all of that, and in 2014, I began to appeal
to my customer base to help me raise the funds to reopen.” Cephas Hot Shop Restau- rant reopened earlier this year, and he said it was made possible in part by a $7,000 donation he got from one of
Dress For Success Tampa Bay Holds Graduation
Recently, members of a component of Dress For Suc- cess Tampa Bay held their graduation ceremony. For this graduation, the theme was “Going Places Network Graduates.”
This was the second gradu- ation ceremony held this year. The graduation cere- mony took place at Reming- ton College, on July 31st. The
program prepared 14 women with the credentials needed to pursue success in the em- ployment industry.
The organization partnered with the Tampa Chapter of The Links, Inc., National Trends and Services Facet, who sponsored the Gradua- tion Luncheon.
“Going Places Networks,”
a program under the auspices
of Dress For Success, began in 2011. It offers women ages 20 and older who are unem- ployed or underemployed the opportunity to prepare for the job market.
During an 8-week course, the women learn how to write a resume, how to write a cover letter, and customer service. They are provided a mentor and upon completion
of the program, given cloth- ing suitable for the work en- vironment.
On the morning of the graduation, the women par- ticipated in a Mini Job Fair, sponsored by the Wal-Mart Foundation and Dress For Success. The Job Fair pro- vided an opportunity for graduates to interview for possible positions with the
companies who attended the Job Fair.
The next “Going Places Network” training class will begin on August 19th. The focus of this training class is the Retail Industry. Candi- dates with Retail work expe- rience will benefit from the classes.
Katie McGill is the Ex- ecitive Director.
The Dress for Success Tampa Bay’s Going Places Network Program (GPN) Graduates shown on the front row from left to right are: Julia Beckham, Linda Brit- ton, Rebecca Maldonado, Victoria Carter, Lillian Rosado, Gloria Wharton, Linda Tyson, Sharon Mahoney, Tiffany DeVose, Joetta Watson. Jennifer Addae, Villette Powell, and Mistry Ratliff are not shown in the photograph.
Tampa Chapter of The Links National Trends and Serv- ices Facet sponsored the Graduation Luncheon. The Dessert Table was adorned in Links colors.
Link Janice Carter Collier delivered the greetings on behalf of Tampa Chap- ter of The Links, Inc.
Links Verneka Rhodes, Janice, Carter Collier, and Felicia Harvey celebrate with Dress for Success Executive Director Katie McGill.