03 May

Housing in Southwest Florida: Can this nonprofit build apartments costing $600 a month?

Posted by in Affordable Housing, LIFE

May 3, 2019. Naples Daily News.

Rain tapped lightly on the tin trailer as Amalia Mejia and her sister-in-law Bernabela Gonzalez forked tortillas from the skillet to the children’s plates for dinner. 

“When I lived in company housing, we were four people to a room, unrelated adults,” Mejia said in Spanish. “In that kind of housing the crew leaders have keys and can come whenever they want.”

Mejia’s crew leader came often, harassing her with sexually aggressive behavior until she and her husband then found a rental – a tiny house behind the owner’s residence for $1,300 a month.

Read More “Housing in Southwest Florida: Can this nonprofit build apartments costing $600 a month?”
19 Apr

Still hope in Lee County for money to help provide children’s programs

Posted by in LIFE, Minority Rights

April 19, 2018. New-Press.com

Leaders of a movement to bring a Children’s Services Council to Lee County took a hit Tuesday when a motion by Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann to create language for a referendum to bring the issue to voters died for a lack of a second commissioner vote.

The movement, by a group called Pennies For Community Progress, has picked up considerable momentum and support the last two years from business, community and religious groups. They saw the need to fund critical early child hood learning, after school and health care programs that are underfunded. 

Read More “Still hope in Lee County for money to help provide children’s programs”

20 Mar

Lee County group holding action meeting in hopes to keep kids out of jail

Posted by in Criminal Justice Reform, LIFE

March 20, 2018. ABC 7.

Up to 1,000 people are expected to pack the pews at St. Columbkille Catholic Church Tuesday night for the Seventh Annual Nehemiah Action meeting.

The goal of the meeting is for citizens to confront the county commission and police chiefs from Cape Coral and Fort Myers about keeping children who make minor mistakes out of the criminal justice system.

One local man will share his son’s story. The boy could have been arrested for bringing a toy gun to school, but instead had the opportunity to take part in a diversionary program. Because of that, he was able to go on to play football and graduate.

Read More “Lee County group holding action meeting in hopes to keep kids out of jail”
16 Oct

Church group pushes for change in Fort Myers

Posted by in LIFE

October 16, 2017. Fox4.

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Hundreds of people gathered at Mount Hermon Ministries Church in Fort Myers on Monday evening to help make their neighborhoods a better place.

“The beautiful thing about our organization is as you look around, you are going to see different races, creeds,” said Dr. William Glover, the reverend at Mt. Hermon Ministries. “The thing that unites us is the core justice of fairness and everyone benefits from that,” he added.

The Lee Interfaith for Empowerment (L.I.F.E.) works together with 38 congregations, then vote on a cause in order to make Fort Myers a better place to live.

Read More “Church group pushes for change in Fort Myers”