People making city better place
Maxwell: List celebrates what’s good in our own backyard.
After another week of divisive politics in Washington, I thought it’d be a perfect time to celebrate what’s good in our own back yard. So today, we have the 2019 edition of “10 People Who Make Orlando a Better Place to Live.” Readers suggested nearly 200 names this year — business owners, faith leaders, nonprofit execs, cultural gurus, health pioneers and more. (And this year, we actually snuck a few more folks, since three of the “10” are actually duos who tag-teamed their way onto the list.) Some of these people do their noble work as a profession. Some do it as volunteers. All do it as a calling.
Eric Gray, United Against Poverty executive director
Many agencies help the downtrodden. Few have grown as quickly as United Against Poverty (UP) in downtown Orlando. UP’s target demographic is the working poor — those who have jobs but aren’t earning enough to make ends meet. For them, UP provides job training and food assistance, and coordinates with other local agencies. But beyond that, Gray is also at the forefront of pushing local leaders to address the big economic picture and develop an economy that isn’t so reliant on low-wage jobs. Why? Because Gray knows the ideal scenario isn’t more charities like his, but more self-sustaining jobs for everyone.
Megan Nickels and Norm Jeune, Peds Academy founders
Chronically ill children face so many challenges that falling behind in classwork might seem like an afterthought. Not to Nickels, an assistant professor of math at UCF, and Jeune, a director of care at Nemours Children’s Hospital. These two founded the Peds Academy, which relies on technology and the help of more than 50 UCF students and faculty members who visit the hospital each week to help pediatric patients keep learning from their hospital beds. There, the tutors use robotics, virtual realty and other tools tailored to their special needs. This pioneering program, which they hope to see replicated in other parts of the country, is a way for sick kids to keep on learning — and living.
Rosene Johnson, PACE Center for Girls, executive director
Some educators are wary of students with troubled backgrounds. The PACE center and school in Orlando welcomes them. Specializing in girls who’ve been arrested, are struggling in school or with substance abuse or other problems, PACE works to get them back on track. Johnson and her team know there’s good in all kids. And they help the kids find that good in themselves, earning praise from juvenile-justice advocates along the way. The work Johnson and her team do isn’t always easy, but it can make a lasting difference.
Nancy Alvarez, WFTV anchor and host of WUCF’s “NewsNight”
Alvarez has been in this market for years and handles her TV time like a pro. But it’s what she does with that time that makes her stand out. Forget car crashes and routine crime reports. Alvarez gets fired up about community issues and public policy — so much that, in addition to her Channel 9 platform, she also hosts “NewsNight” on public television, WUCF, where local reporters hold in-depth discussions about the complicated issues facing our community. That’s the kind of journalism that can make a difference.
Benoit Glazer and Elaine Corriveau, Timucua Arts Foundation founders
There are few places in America like this couple’s home just south of downtown Orlando. Inside is a 100-seat concert hall where the couple hosts musical events every week — more than 850 so far, featuring everything from jazz trios to classical violin. Many of the artists are world-renowned, and anyone in Central Florida is welcome to attend the performances. Why? Because a Timucua motto is: “Art and music belong to everyone.” The family is going through a rough health patch right now with their daughter, who is getting treatment abroad. So hopefully this community can return some of the love and support this family has generously given Orlando.
Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic forward
Many professional athletes help others. But the Magic’s fierce forward takes things further. He doesn’t just lend a hand to programs that help kids; he runs one — namely his summer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) camp for underprivileged kids in Orlando. But it doesn’t end there. Gordon is also involved with after-school programs and events that honor military personnel. Plus, he runs free hoops clinics for kids. Asked why he does it all, Gordon once said: “The Magic and the city of Orlando invested in me, and with that, it’s my duty and responsibility to give back to the community on and off the court.”
Heather Wilkie, Zebra Coalition executive director
Central Florida is a pretty loving place. But not all parents accept their LGBT kids. And way too many of these kids end up living on the streets or contemplating suicide. That’s where the Zebra Coalition comes in, offering housing, mental health treatment and general support for LGBT teens and young adults. Wilkie has also beefed up the Mills Avenue agency’s school-partnership efforts in recent years, working with local schools on bullying prevention and outreach to troubled teens to make sure they know thy have a place in the world.
Rev. Mary Downey, Community Hope Center executive director
Six years ago, Downey wanted to channel her faith into action by helping the homeless and disenfranchised in Osceola County. So she established the Community Hope Center, which provides shelter, life-skills training and more to a community full of families living in cheap motels. One person who nominated Downey noted that she not only runs one of “the most effective and well-run day centers for the poor and homeless in our region,” but also advocates for affordable housing and still manages to serve as a pastor in her “spare time.”
Jon and Betsy Hughes, Track Shack founders
Some may know Track Shack only as a shoe store on Mills Avenue, north of downtown Orlando. But to many in Central Florida, it’s the epicenter of a community. “Jon and Betsy have created, grown and nurtured a running community that is hard to find in other cities,” said one of several people who nominated them. Interestingly, many of the Hughes’ biggest fans aren’t hard-core runners. They’re people who never really exercised until they found a group that made them want to do so. The couple runs clubs, training programs and road races, in addition to a foundation that has raised more than $2 million for local charities. All while running their own shop for the last 36 years, making them pretty successful smallbusiness owners to boot.
Joshua Vickery, director of Central Florida Community Arts
In 2010, Vickery and some friends set a meager goal of giving Central Floridians more opportunities to sing, dance and play music. Boy, did they. Nine years later, they have choirs for more than 500 people, a 150-member symphony, a thriving youth program, a theatrical-production program, summer camps and more. CFC Arts’ motto is “Connect. Serve. Perform.” And they “serve” by providing local nonprofits with entertainment at charity events, as well as performing for health-care organizations who have patients — perhaps with Alzheimer’s, dementia or special needs — who can be helped by music.