Page 10 - Florida Sentinel 5-20-16 Online Edition

Local
Tampa Chapter Of Silhouettes To Honor Gwen Miller With Book Donation To Center That Bares Her Name
BY KENYA WOODARD Sentinel Feature Writer
During her longtime career as an educator, student suc- cess was paramount to Gwen- dolyn Miller.
She carried over that same concern for youth during her tenure on the Tampa City Council, where she worked to secure financing for renova- tions at Belmont Heights Little League and the Woodlawn Terrace Community Center, which was renamed in her honor in 2011.
Friends say it’s clear that giving back to her community is the hallmark of Mrs. Miller’s legacy.
“This is what she’s about,” said Barbara Ragin, a fellow member along with Mrs. Miller of the Tampa Chapter of the Silhouettes of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. “She has lived her life in service to others.”
Today, Ragin and other members of the Tampa Sil- houettes will be in service to
Former City Councilwoman Gwen Miller
Mrs. Miller when they gather at the community cen- ter that bears her name to do- nate hundreds of books to its library.
Tampa Silhouettes Presi- dent, Joyce Daniels said the group wanted to do something in honor of Mrs. Miller, who was unaware of the donation until today.
“We are really excited,” she said.
Founded in 1947, the Sil-
Gwen Miller Community Center, 6410 N. 32nd St.
houettes are an auxiliary or- ganization whose members consist of the wives and wid- ows of fraternity members of Kappa Alpha Psi. Mrs. Miller is married to Hillsborough County Commissioner Les Miller, who is a member of the fraternity.
Her experience with both local and national civic and sorority organizations is ex- tensive. She is the immediate past national president of the Silhouettes, a former national president of the Charmettes, a
women’s community service organization, and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Soror- ity, Inc.
Nearly 300 books will be donated to the center, where they will be made available to students who participate in the afterschool program.
“We’re starting small,” Ms. Daniels said. “We just wanted to fill some shelves at the center.”
The group plans to donate more books in the future, Ms. Ragin said.
“We want to enhance what they have there,” she said. “This is going to be an ongoing project.”
The books are suitable for students in pre-K through grade 12 and include Black History novels, chapter books for older students, coloring books, puzzle and game books, and encyclopedias.
Donations came from all over, including textbook pub- lishers in Orlando and from Fort Washington, Md., Ms. Daniels said.
The library is just for stu- dents and anyone who visits the center will be encouraged to take advantage of using the books, Ms. Ragin said.
If You Go
The Tampa Chapter of the National Silhouettes of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. today at 4:30 p. m. will donate books to the library of the Gwendolyn Miller Community Center, 6410 N. 32nd St., in Tampa.
FYI
Sisters Network Tampa Bay Meeting
Sisters Network Tamp Bay is an organization dedi- cated to educating and sup- porting African-American breast cancer survivors. The next monthly meeting is Saturday, May 28th, from 12- 2pm, at the Bob Gilbertson YMCA, 110 E. Palm Ave, Tampa 33602.
For more information, please call (813) 491-3745 or email TampaBay@sister- snetworkinc.org. Visit on- line at www.sistersnetworktampa.o rg.
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