PERC, People Empowering and Restoring Communities, is a nonprofit in Pinellas County, Fla., that works with men and women transitioning from incarceration back into society. PERC provides transitional housing, case management, outpatient substance abuse treatment, group counseling, paid workforce training, pre-employment skills development and employment...
Caroline Karp was classically trained as a painter from a young age, working mostly in oils. When she started her bachelor of fine arts at Florida State University, she says, “I knew the technical skills for being a creator of artwork—mixing paint, etc.—and I felt...
When we last spoke with Brandi, she was a newlywed and busy entrepreneur. Now, she’s a new mom, happy wife and busy entrepreneur—during a global pandemic! Brandi and Mitch welcomed their first child, son Troy, in February, and we couldn’t resist checking in with her for...
Born in Uganda, Youth Coordinator Denise Birungi Evans joined the local nonprofit Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance (HCADA) in 2013 after completing her bachelor’s degree in public health. Denise is focused on training students to raise awareness of the dangers of tobacco use (including vaping) among their...
By Sylvie Griffiths Living in the days when coronavirus is spreading globally isn’t my ideal topic. In part because I like to do positive and humorous writing when I’m down. Writing is my escape; clearing my head when thoughts overwhelm my brain, expressing things I would...
By Elliott and Jake Potter HERStory contributor Elliott Potter shares many connections with his son Jake–a love of athletics, journalism degrees from the same college and a passion for music. Now they’re also bonded by challenges in the development of Jake's 3-year-old son, Landon. ...
By Jackie Sue Griffin As a journalist, I thought I’d mastered all forms of written and oral communication. Then my son, Devon Tyler Konyha, was born September 18, 1990. My son has high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder. Raising Devon has provided me the opportunity to relearn everything I...
March is National Social Worker Month, and we couldn’t let it pass without celebrating the amazing women who dedicate their mental and emotional energy to serving our most vulnerable neighbors every day—our elderly, the ill, those with substance abuse or mental health conditions, the developmentally...
Rose first volunteered at Goodwill’s BookWorks program in 2017--at the tender age of 89. She’d retired from her career as a secretary at the age of 80 and jumped wholeheartedly into a second career of community service and volunteering. Rose gives her time to her neighbors...
By Anna M.A. Stracey I graduated from NYU a semester early back in 2003 and decided to spend a few months traveling outside my normal comfort zone. I didn’t have a clear destination in mind, so when a friend suggested I visit Panama, I purchased a...