Page 5 - Florida Sentinel 11-25-22

Residents Share What They Are Thankful For In 2022
By MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Feature Writer
Our communities restore us and nourish us. A few local residents shared what they are thankful for this year.
“I'm thankful, foremost, for God, who has gra- ciously never left my side. It reminds me that I must be doing some- thing right in this world. I'm thankful for my family, who have been my rock this year. My mother is a strong woman and has been holding the family together after the passing of my father. I'm thankful for the friends who have never wavered in their love and support for me. I'm thankful for my con- stituents who hold me ac- countable every single day, but also hold me up when I need the support. I'm thankful for the people in the community who work tirelessly to make their respective neighbor- hoods a better place. I see your efforts and applaud you. Lastly, I'm thankful that we are finally making strides to- wards the housing crisis we have in this city. We have a long way to go, but I won't stop fighting until we can provide answers to the people. And I pray that we can help solve our growing homeless concerns. I love the City of Tampa and won't ever stop fighting for it. Happy Thanksgiving Tampa!”
“I am grateful and thankful for the op-
portunity to
pour into
others what
I acquire
and learn on
a daily! It’s
simply
thanks
enough
when I see my students and any one else I come in contact with whom I’ve had the oppor- tunity to speak with or share information with apply the knowledge that I’ve modeled or shared with them!”
“I'm very grateful for life, great health,
my life part-
ner and
wife, Jay.
I'm also
thankful to
be able to
make posi-
tive impact
in our com-
munity through my involve- ment with our community Mosque and other community service efforts.”
“I am thankful for the oppor- tunity to cre- ate new narratives as an Artist and as a commu- nity advocate for fellow cit- izens. I am also grateful for new vi- sions that would allow me to help form a new alliance called Beyond Boundaries: A Collec- tive of Artists of Color from Tampa to Sarasota to repre- sent the multitude of talents
possessed and the importance of supporting each other in the creative arts.”
“As my husband and I re- flect on the
past year,
we are so
thankful
that our
union has
turned into
a commu-
nity mission
of giving.
We were able to provide fund- ing through our organization, The Artist Paj’on Scholarship. We were able to be key con- tributors at the Washington D.C, CureFest Awareness for Childhood Cancer.
“We are also thankful that Cornell has been a local busi- ness owner for over 22 years as a barber and has loyal clients and continued commu- nity support. Like most fami- lies we have had a unique journey, with uncertainties, discomforts and sacrifices, but we are thankful that God who curated our destiny.”
“To me, Thanksgiving is a time of ‘Re-
membrance
and Reflec-
tion’, to be
shared with
our family,
faith and
friends! To
remember
all that God
has done in our lives and the provision that He has made for us up until now. To reflect on life’s journey, the good, the bad and the losses endured, to remind us of just how “Thank- ful”, we should be that we sur- vived it all and how important
it is not to take one another for granted, but to embrace each other with love, forgiveness and from a heart of thanksgiv- ing that TOGETHER we stand but divided we fall. Thanksgiv- ing is more than the food, which is good too but it’s a time to express “thankfulness” to God and others in your lives.”
“Readjusting to life after my son
Joshua’s
death has
been a long
journey. De-
spite my
tragedy,
God’s love,
grace, and
mercy have
given me the strength to move forward, and the courage to turn my tragedy into a bless- ing for others through my non- profit organization Joshua Way of Hope. This Thanksgiv- ing, I am grateful to God for all the blessings I have received,
my son Jeremiah, my family, friends, and the community supporters who believe in the mission of Joshua Way of Hope and helped make our first year of service successful. I look forward to seeing what God has in store for us next year!”
“I am thankful today be- cause this has been a tough year navigating a new normal post COVID-19, career, and keeping my mental health stable and healthy. I am thankful for family as we’ve experienced a great deal of loss of loved ones, job, mo- tivation, and togetherness. To be alive, in my right mind, yet inspiring and encouraging others for that I am grateful. Giving thanks always to God
who is our source!”
CANDIS PERDUE
CORNELL AND TRE’ ESA BATTLES
ORLANDO GUDES
TONJA JOHNSON
KAYETRENIA NICHOLS
JARVIS EL-AMIN
DR. LAYTECIA MCKINNEY
JEANETTE BRADLEY
Feature
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