Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 4-7-17

Local
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
A life-changing experience 6 years ago led a Tampa woman to obeying the Word of God and following instructions to form a girls group.
On January 4, 2009, Ms. Teresa Nix says she was coming from Westshore Mall traveling along I-275 with her youngest son when the tire on her truck blew. The truck flipped 6 times across both sides of the Interstate and dropped 50 feet below.
Ms. Nix was pronounced dead at the scene, but was alive when she reached the hospital and given a 1% chance of survival. Ms. Nix said she was in a coma for 2 weeks. She says it was the power of prayer that brought her through. Her family and church family at First Baptist Church of College Hill were in the hospital waiting room continually praying.
The accident caused Ms. Nix to lose a portion of her left arm and hand.
Once she came through the coma, Ms. Nix said the Lord had given her an assignment – to start a girls group. As she went through the con- tinual healing process, she put off starting the group. But then, “a clear voice said to me, ‘I told you to start that girls group’.”
Ms. Nix, the mother of 3 children (ages, 29, 19 and 11 years old), did start the group. It’s But- terfly by Faith, which she operates through her church and has classes for girls in the church on the 1st and 3rd Sundays.
She held the first group meeting on April 23, 2016 with 26 girls.
Ms. Nix is working towards a Bachelor’s de-
City To Host Stay & Play At Parks For Third Year
Overnight Girls Lock-In Planned
Life-Changing Experience Led Woman To Mentoring Girls
Beginning on May 26th, select recreation centers around the City of Tampa will hold ex- tended hours.
This summer marks the third consecutive year the City of Tampa has offered the Stay & Play Program. Since its inception, more than 100,000 teens have visited various centers and pools.
The goal of the program is to provide teenagers with a place to be active, safe, and healthy. Food will be provided for free as well as transportation home when available from the Parks and Recreation Department.
These extended hours will provide teens with free RecCards, which allows access to these recreation centers, different programs to par- ticipate in, and a variety of educational events.
During his “State of the City” address, Mayor Bob Buckhorn said, “Since we started the program there have been over 100,000 visits, don’t tell me that doesn’t make a difference. There are children in East Tampa who are alive today, children who are not sta- tistics today, teenagers who are not in the crim- inal justice system today because of Stay & Play.”
Programs provided range from fitness classes, swimming classes, athletic training/leagues, Girls Fun Friday, music pro- duction classes, computer classes, anger man- agement classes, and many more. Our valued community partners Friends of Tampa Recre- ation, Most Valuable Protégés, Safe and Sound of Hillsborough County, Computer Mentors, Derrick Brooks Charities, East Tampa Initia-
tive, Springfield College Mentors, Alpha Phi Alpha Men of Tomorrow, and The Skills Center will assist with the programming offered this summer.
The locations participating in Stay & Play this summer that will remain open until midnight, 7 days a week are:
Copeland Community Center (Pool re- mains open until 8 p.m., on select days); Cyrus Greene Community Center (Pool remains open until 8 p.m., on select days); Desoto Commu- nity Center (Spicola pool will remain open until 10 p.m.,); Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Com- munity Center (Pool remains open until 8 p.m., on select days); Williams Park-Activity Center (Pool remains open until 10 p.m.,); Grant Park Activity Center; Gwendolyn Miller Community Center; Jackson Heights Commu- nity Center; and Springhill Community Center.
Other events that will be held during Stay & Play include: Skating Field Trip, Teen Court, Anti-Bullying Lectures, and Stranger/Danger Program by TPD programs.
There will also be invited speakers that in- clude former and current athletes, TPD, local businesses, Fire Department, and Parks and Recreational Staff.
The program also offers Future Lead- ers Training which includes resume prepara- tion, interviewing skills, and educational opportunities
Anyone interested in volunteering is en- couraged to contact the Parks and Recreational Department or visit one of the participating Stay & Play sites for further information.
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American Sign Director of Butterfly By Faith Language. She is is shown with her children. very fluent in
sign language as her oldest daughter is hearing im- paired.
In observance of the first year, Ms. Nix and several of those who are working with her will host an “All-Star Diva Lock-In” April 21-22, 2017 at the church. The deadline to register is April 15th. The girls, aged 10-17 and hearing impaired, will arrive on Friday evening at 6, sleep over and are to be picked up by 1 p. m. on Saturday. Ms. Nix asks that parents purchase a journal for the girls.
The All-Star Celebration will take the girls through a journey of challenges that will inspire and stretch them. Ms. Nix says, “A big part of the sleepover is for the girls to enjoy being together and have fun as they discover God’s love for them.”
Speakers for the event will include a principal, finance person an evangelist. Assisting with the lock-in will be Davina Laster, co-founder of the organization, Theresa A. Kite, Yvonne An- derson, Yvonne Johnson and Cherie Bush, who is hearing-impaired.
The registration form and other information can be found at www.butterflybyfaithgirltalk.com., or call (813) 393-9073.
Ms. Teresa Nix, Executive
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