“To positively transform forgotten communities into places
in which we’d all want to live”
Advisory Members
 Alice Sterling, OD
 Allie Braswell - Urban League
 Ann Hellmuth - League of Women
Voters
 Atalie Ashley-Gordon - Florida Hospital
 Bill Donegan - Orange County , retired
 Brian Zugelder - UCF
 Charles Baxter - Harvest of Hope
 Dale Budha - Lakeside Behavioral
Health
 Dave Krepcho - Second Harvest
 Dee Danmeyer - Habitat for Humanity
 Dick Batchelor - DB Management Group
 Frankie Elliot - Orlando Realtors Assn.
 Jennifer Englert- Avalon Kiwanis
 Joan Nelson - United Way
 John Crossman - Crossman & Co.
 John Moskos - Bank of America
 Julie Helton - East River High School
 Karen Broussard - Second Harvest
 Kevin Sherin, MD - Orange Co. DOH
 Lavon Williams - Orange Co. Govt.
 Leslie Ahonkhai - Orange Co. DOH
 Pastor Lisette Torres - Iglesia de Dios
 Margaret Brennan - Orange Co. PCAN
 Maureen Kersmarki - Adventist Health
 Mercedes Fonseca - Comm. Pete Clarke
 Patrick Kelly - Cong. John Mica
 Comm. Pete Clarke - Dist. 3, Orange Co.
 Roxie Webster - Neighborhood Ctr. for
Families
 Ross Halle - Avalon Group
 Stephanie Darden - FDG Creative
 Steven Duranceau - UCF Engineering
 Susan Fernandez - Sen. Marco Rubio
 Teena Rajeesh – Doglando Fdtn.
 Tim McKinney - United Global Outreach
 Tracy Durham - Leland Management
 Verbelee Nielsen-Swanson - Florida
Hospital
GOALS
2009
 Listen, Learn & Love doorknocking campaign in Bithlo
 UGO commits to Bithlo
Transformation
 First Baptist Church of Bithlo
transfers ownership of church
property to UGO
 Fall Festival at the soon-to-be
school hosts a cookout
attended by 600 people
2010
 Orange Co. Academy (K-3) opens
with 6 students
 Listen, Learn & Love Community
Listening Tour with hundreds of
residents led to:
 Seven AREAS OF FOCUS:
Environment
Housing
Transportation
Health Care
Education
Basic Needs
Sense of Community
 Additional partnerships with
Avalon Rotary, Kiwanis and
churches
 Information-gathering on seven
areas of focus
 Lynx Town Hall meetings
 Community festivals and suppers
 Central FL Assn. of Optometrists
(staff and students) begins free
annual eye exams and glasses
 New playground added
2011
 Orange Co. Academy (OCA)
enrollment to 32 students (K-8)
 Community Health Centers Inc.
(CHC) commits to the area’s first
permanent primary care clinic for
low-income, un- and
underserved residents in Bithlo,
Christmas and Wedgefield.
 Florida Hospital formally
partners with UGO
 UCF College of Engineering
agrees to evaluate water and
options for service
 Orange Co. Mayor Teresa Jacobs
holds a public meeting in Bithlo
on water quality
 UGO receives Edyth Bush grant
for capacity-building
 Food Bank renovation and
expansion
 Clothing Boutique opens
 Out-of-state churches begin
mission trips to Bithlo
2012
 Partnerships total 65+ business,
faith-based and community
entities
 Florida Hospital receives Blue
Foundation grant for mobile
dental unit for adults and
children
 UGO gathers signatures for
water testing for 300 homes.
Some tests show harmful levels
of benzene.
 Cong. John Mica facilitates
$11m DOT agreement to move
up SR 50 expansion (including
Econlockhatchee River Bridge)
to 2014
 Community Health Center
opens
 Florida Hospital CHiC grant for
dental restoration
 Town Center design completed
 Computer lab donated
 Lakeside Alternatives offers
counseling in Bithlo
 Two areas of focus added:
Economic Opportunity
Advocacy
2013
 UGO acquires adjacent property
for Transformation Village
 Lynx bus restored in Bithlo after
nearly five years without service
 2,000 books donated by
Adventist University for
Transformation Village Library
 Florida Hospital and contractor
Brasfield & Gorrie launch Hire
Local - Bithlo
 Graduate class at UCF College of
Public Administration conducts
Meta-Analytic Review of Previous
Studies – Compiling Social, Health,
Environmental, Infrastructure and
Transportation Data.
 UCF College Democrats and
Republicans collaborate to form
Project Bithlo
 St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic
Church partners with Catholic
Charities/UGO to secure a
permanent mobile medical bus
 Florida Hospital engages vendors
to complete renovations at
Transformation Village
 Four new classrooms OCA bring
enrollment to 74 students (K-9).
“To positively transform forgotten communities into places
in which we’d all want to live”
Guiding Principles
 Listen to community voices to inform and
shape holistic, sustainable transformation
plan.
 Reignite hope and inspire grass root action
to change generational poverty.
 Develop plan that starts with the current
state of community, ends with community
viability and sustainability, and allows exit
strategy.
 Transformation is holistic and can not be
limited to one segment; all segments
require simultaneously action.
 Engage private / public partnerships.
 Serve the community with compassion and
dignity.
 Build relationships and capacity, not
programs or isolated projects.
 Be action-oriented without bureaucracy.
 Focus on the best interests of the
community and not on personal or
organizational goals, agendas or egos.
Fundamentals
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Business-led
Resident inspiration and engagement
Tight geographic focus – place-based
Balanced community-centric plan vs. program-centric
Leverage existing financial resources and community
assets
Advocate for those without a voice
VIP Philosophy – always serve individuals with dignity
Timing is Critical
Replicable Model
Bithlo Transformation Village
Education
Transportation
Housing
UGO
Basic Needs
Building
Community
Health Care
Environment
Economic
Opportunity
UGO
Faith
Community
Partnerships
Advocacy
Next Steps
 Open the Transformation Village Library and Café.
 Finalize plans and open the Community Garden, boutique, hair
salon, pet spa and daycare center.
 Formalize and broaden community and business support for the
Bithlo Transformation Effort.
 Develop a feasible and effective plan for the cleanup of A-Z
Properties.
 Encourage already employed members of Hire Local – Bithlo to
advance in career fields. Encourage other residents to participate.
 Begin Adult Education programs Fall 2013.
 Explore options with Siemens Corporation to transform and utilize
junkyards in more constructive, economically appealing land use.
 Provide eye examinations and follow-up care for Head Start
students ages 2-5.
 Find a location for 6000 sq. ft. donated modular donated by Florid
Hospital. Modular will house a comprehensive medical city and
absorb current mobile services and add space for new services.
 Collaborate with federal, state and local elected officials to
designate funding for public water.