Sign Up For Our News Alerts

Breaking News

Representative Anitere Flores Joins Pre-K Children to Picture the Future Advocates Say To New Chief - Adopt Our 5-Point Plan No Relief for Florida’s Children Representatives Bill Heller and Ed Hooper Join Pre-K Children to Picture the Future The Forgotten Few? ... You Could Have Heard A Pin Drop Representative Shelley Vana Joins Pre-K Children to Picture the Future Senator Mike Fasano Joins Pre-K Children to Picture the Future Senator Nan Rich Joins Pre-K Children to Picture the Future Former Governors Invite Legislators to Picture the Future Girls on the Edge - Florida Trend Blueprint Commission Appointed Florida Takes Two more Steps to Improve Juvenile Justice Governor Crist Supports Degreed Pre-K Teachers Floridians may again provide funds to other states Promise Kept - New DJJ Mission Triplet Wins Scholarship Bay County Leaders Lunch, Listen and Learn Castor and Barreiro Educated Miami Dade Candidates and Community 300 Attend Pinellas Pancakes, Children and Candidates! Picture The Future Media Event Years of Prosperity Leave Children Where They Started 5 Promises to Parents Campaign Launches Betty Castor and Bill Sublette to Lead Five Promises Campaign Honoring an Advocate, MLK Picture the Future, New Advocacy Event

Untitled Document

300+ Attend Pinellas Pancakes, Children and Candidates!

When moderators Bill Bentley and Roy Miller eased into the parking lot of the Mount Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church in South St. Petersburg on Saturday, they knew immediately the event would be a success despite the heavy rain. It was 7:00 a.m. The breakfast wouldn’t begin for another hour. The parking lot was already full.

By morning’s end, 300+ citizens and 33 candidates had come together to be inspired by speakers, a choir, dancers, children served successfully by programs embraced by the 5 Promises, and by parents who seek help to keep their children on the right path in life.

Reverend Louis Murphy, event chairman, called the gathering to order promptly at 9:30 a.m. In his welcoming remarks, Murphy exclaimed, “Children being a priority is NOT an option! It is a MUST!

Former Pinellas County Commissioner Sallie Parks, who served office as a Republican, and former House Appropriations subcommittee chair Lars Hafner, who served as a Democrat, set a refreshing bi-partisan tone for the day. Both urged the candidates - who filled two pews at the front of the sanctuary - that our future elected officials make it their legacy to provide for the children of Pinellas County and Florida. Both said it was service to children for which they will be remembered most.

A surprise visit by Barbara Sheen Todd, the first volunteer chair of the Children’s Campaign and a former Pinellas elected official herself, added more insight into the importance of making children a priority. She said to the candidate hopefuls, “All of your decisions should be based on the question: Is it good for our children?”

Highlights of the program included:

Linda Lee's determination and accomplishments in the face of adversity of being a foster child placed in three different homes. Even as an elected class leader at school, she has to worry about what will happen during her senior year when she “ages out” of foster care. “Where will I live, what will I eat?” She pleaded.
The success and drive of Alvin Brown whose mother worked six days a week to provide a home and food and the other basics. Alvin made it because of the caring and love extended by after-school programs. He remembers the names of the caregivers even to this day.
Melissa Butler was able to turn her life around due to the intervention by gender specific juvenile justice programs. She is studying to be a nurse and doing well at St. Petersburg College.

Other speakers addressed infant mortality and early learning and Leon Russell, chairman of the Minority Issues Advisory Council, had people standing and cheering his rousing and bold speech about "No Child Left Behind" being not just a slogan but a reality!

Special thanks go to the Mt. Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church. Words are hard to find to express the extent of the appreciation they deserve. We also thank Stephanie Brown who was project leader for Pancakes, Children and Candidates, Naomi Maingot, Campaign Coordinator, for her support and leadership and the rest of the Children's Campaign staff in Tallahassee.

Sponsors for the day included: The South St. Petersburg Advocacy Project, Minority Issues Advisory Council, Generations United, Mt. Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, Operation PAR, R'Club, Coordinated Child Care of Pinellas, Florida Network of Youth and Family Services, YMCA of the Suncoast, Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas, Family Resources, Healthy Start Coalition of Pinellas, and The Tampa Bay Healthcare Collaborative.

Thank you to Deacon David McEachern and The Kitchen Ministry, the Total Praise Worshippers, and the youth choir of Mt. Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church. Special thanks to Generations United Seniors 4 Kids and the AKA Akademy Youth Advisory Council Volunteers.

Speakers for the day included: Rev. Louis Murphy Sr., Sallie Parks, Lars Hafner, Bill Bentley and Roy Miller. The 5 Promises were represented by Dr. Judi Vitucci, Jenna Finateri, Diane Zambito, Linda Lee, Janet Chapman, Art O'Hara, Alvin K. Brown, Leon Russell, Dee Richter, and Melissa Butler.

For more information about Candidate Connection events in other parts of the state, please visit www.iamforkids.org