On 06/13/16, the Planning & Zoning Commission heard a petition from Tammy Willis of Born to Win Community Development Corporation (BTWCDC) for a Special Use Exception of a parcel on Josephine Street for use as a Community Center. BTWCDC has provided mentoring, counseling, and tutoring for many years, but wanted to expand their services in a new location.
P & Z approved the petition for a zoning change for BTWCDC’s property on Josephine Street, which was sent to the BOCC for final approval on 06/28/16. Behind the property is a drainage ditch approximately 150 feet from the back of the house, though the ditch is not on the property. The county plans to work on the ditch within the next two years, which will improve the safety of the area.
Chairman Jim Adkins, while he supported the zoning change, was concerned for the safety of children. Tragedy can occur in moments, and Commissioner Nick Nicholson stated, “There is no more grief than losing your child.” In the petition, BTWCDC requested a year’s extension to erect a fence around the property.
Nicholson disagreed, saying a fence could be erected at the back of the property to prevent access to the ditch, not necessarily the entire property, but should be up the day the community center would open. The BOCC voted to bring the matter back in August.
The second public hearing for the zoning change was held 08/09/16, with Adkins reporting he had seen the fence on the property. Willis, accompanied by nearly two dozen volunteers, thanked the BOCC for their encouragement and support in South Brooksville.
Reading from a prepared statement, Willis explained the journey from 2003 to the present. She began her employment with the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) working in several residential programs as a counselor. At the same time, Willis advocated for her daughter’s educational needs.
Willis’ experiences working with youth in DJJ facilities from lower risk to maximum security led her to look for solutions to the problems these youths face. She recalled her youth and the positive impact the adults had on her. Her mind was opened to the many possible professions available to her because of what was modeled in her neighborhood – teacher, college professor, mail carrier, telephone operator, etc.
“In my neighborhood I saw great strides and people doing great things, which let me know that if I just kept the path that they were walking, that I could do something great one day, too. Great is not always going to college. It’s not. Some of our kids, they never make it to college. But if we can get them to graduate, become role model citizens, work as hard as they can at whatever level and station in life that they have, I think that’s success.”
Willis showed a picture of the improvements to the property. She commended the parents and children who worked on the rundown and overgrown parcel to get it ready, saying, “They thought it not robbery to pick up a rake, to pick up a paintbrush, to find themselves sweeping, [or] removing shrubbery. And all we had was faith, cupcakes, and candy apples, but through the efforts of this small group, we were able to do it.”
BTWDC has also helped with the “Chill Smart, Don’t Start” campaign, working behind the scenes. “I learned that the bucket that’s making a lot of noise is not necessarily the bucket that carries a lot. But the bucket that quietly moves, it…has the value. So I have learned to quietly move, not to make a name for myself, not even to put Born to Win on the map. It’s just to touch one life at a time.”
With tears in her eyes, Willis thanked the BOCC and the advisors who worked with her to complete the goal of making Born to Win a reality. Several youths have begun to reach their own goals: one student earned a $220,000 US Naval National Scholarship, three have earned scholarships to Pasco Hernando State College, and two have already graduated college.
The BOCC voted unanimously to approve the special exemption permit, commenting on the great work that Willis and Born to Win has done, one life at a time.