History

*************************************Summer 2014

Robin Cook becomes a TLC board member.

*************************************May 2014

 Christy Plants planned and carried out a combined Volunteer Appreciation and Mother’s Day party on May 10th.

Liz Lemoine was honored as Volunteer of the Month for her creative painting at the Learning Center

Belk’s supports TLC through their Charity Sale. They say, “Shop, Save, and Support Education, Woman’s Health and Community.”

Suntrust Bank picked TLC for a day of volunteering. They came and repaired a soft spot in our ramp and did some much needed painting.

*************************************April 2014

Chicks in the Wind is a woman’s riding group that rides to support our community and charities. They arrived at our residence on their motorcycles on Easter weekend.

*************************************March 2014

Happy Birthday TLC. One year old this month.

The past year 3 babies were born while their moms were living  at TLC.

In 2013 we had 88 moms who requested help.

In 2013 TLC provided 84 weeks of shelter to seven families for a value of approximately $8,400.

In 2013 we had over 40 volunteers helping make TLC a success.

In 2013 in-kind donations were valued at over $23,000.

In 2013 We had $2,881 in cash donations.

In 2013 we had one monthly pledge of $10.

Lots of folks have been helping:

The Hernando Chamber of Commerce included TLC in the diaper drive.

The Dawn Center donated 2 car seats and a printer.

People Helping People donated a washer and Dryer

************************************* Feb. 2014

TLC now has a Twitter account thanks to our lead resident.

TLC is currently upgrading the policy and procedure manual.

Board members took training to become ACCESS partners to be able to assist residents applying for benefits.

Barbara Lemoine spoke at General Federation of Women Club and was blessed with paper goods, diapers and cash donations. Currently 3 adults and 4 children are in residence.

************** Jan. 2014

Our motto for 2014 is “Excellence before Expansion.”

The year began with terrible news. Friend and landlord Ed Finertie has passed away.

Angela Welsh spoke at the Brooksville Ridge Kiwanis  meeting.

TLC received our first grant. Am Scot provided $250 for learning center upgrades.

*************** Dec. 2013

Christmas party sponsored by Chicks in the Wind. Lots of gifts for TLC kids.

TLC amended our mission statement to include a wider base of services.

Lots of folks have contributed to the success of TLC

Killingsworth Insurance provided Christmas food, trees and gifts for our residents

Flammer Ford provided gift and 2 new bikes for our children in residence.

Su Zahar created family portraits for our residents to treasure

Staywell continues to print our colorful newsletters

Turning Point Church took up a Christmas offering in support of TLC’s ministry.

Keeley Toro of Spring Hill Now continues to manage our face book page

Jericho Road Ministries provided a replacement refrigerator when ours died.

Teresa Watson from Hernando antidrug Coalition provided test kits and safe medication storage containers

Baby Love provided diapers, wipes and hygiene items.

Many, many others who taught Life Skill classes, wrote articles for publication, volunteered for the board, knitted baby blankets and painted.

**************** Nov. 2013

Pam Pollock became a new board member and TLC treasurer.

11/12/13 Chamber of Commerce sponsored ribbon cutting for the new learning center. 11/5/13

**************** Oct. 2013

Michelle Hilton became the liaison between Turning Point Church.

Christy Plans organized a baby shower for all 3 residents. Lots of gifts and a diaper cake.

***************** September 2013

Kit Raymond became a board member and off-site house mother. 9/21

Chicks in the Wind did a benefit fund raiser for TLC. 9/23

The residents participated in producing a video on their experiences at TLC.

****************** August 2013

Robin Gatton in her new role as Donations Director was chosen as volunteer of the month following a successful

Happy Happy Hippos sale.

TLC was selected by Lowes  to be their community project for the year. They will install a new chain link fence around the learning center playground.

******************* June 2013

TLC’s name has been appearing in the newspapers lately.

TLC has joined an HYI  Grant Collaboration Group.

******************* May 2013

Ed Finertie began his generous support on the second building.

The power point and slide deck have been updated for use at speaking engagements.

Robin Gatton joined the team through Career Central.

Kelsey Rickard joined TLC through Walmart Distribution Center employee/volunteer program.

******************* April 2013

Internet service was added to Little House. Printed newsletters are distributed throughout Hernando county.

TLC was recipient of Monster Transmission Cruise-In charity event.

******************** March 2013

TLC gets a new logo and more professional looking brochures.

Angela Welsh became a TLC board member and holds the office of secretary.

TLC now has a face-book page thanks to Keeley Toro from Spring Hill Now.

TLC participated in Belk’s fund raising charity event.

TLC began reporting to Mid-Florida Homeless Coalition .

TLC’s first resident and her children move into the Little House. Resident questioned, “ Where else could I have gone if TLC was not here?” We are glad we are here.

******************* Feb. 2013

TLC now has our occupancy permit for the Little House

********************** Dec. 2012

At noon on 12/20/12 we held our official Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting ceremony. It was extremely well attended and very successful. 

Tim Lane continues work on the Little House. Beth Grey from Tampabay writes a news article.

************************************ October 2012

TLC announced it will hold its ribbon cutting/open house ceremony on 12/20/12. Don’t miss the entry for Oct. 2002. Exactly 10 years ago we were told God would build us a house! It took us a long time to let Him. We finally got out of His way.

TLC once again participated in the Summit for Youth and Families at the Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Brooksville. Angela Welch presented a power point for TLC and Phil Scarpelli hosted a breakout session. TLC wanted to engage our community in a dialog about positively impacting the lives of young mothers by harnessing the time, talent and resources of Hernando County. Some history on the origin of the Little House was presented and the participants were asked to help plan its future. The goal is to prevent vulnerable women from the cycle of dependency on the social welfare system.

************************************ June 2012

The Little House at Turning Point will be our new home. We have volunteers, in-kind donations and some cash for materials. We got lots of help from Gary Griffith, Scotto Plumbing, Senica Air and Habitat for Humanity. This project is called the most important new work in Hernando County.

************************************March 8, 2012

The Life Center held a fundraiser for The Little House at Turning Point Church to raise money to renovate the home for young mothers. The event included an elegant 4-course gourmet dinner at Brian’s Place Restaurant in Hernando Beach, a fashion show by ENVY Models and a silent auction. Musical entertainment was provided by Marty and the Nice Guys and Eileen Graber with her violin

*************************************** Nov. 11, 2011

We have a facility!! The Life Center and Turning Point Church signed a Cooperation Agreement to outline the basic start-up housing program for young mothers with possible daycare options. Turning Point will be responsible for providing space for a dedicated home and use of other church property as it is needed/available. The Life Center will be responsible for the programming as a whole. The Life Center will have financial responsibilities for the program. Turning Point will be involved in the program, especially in the area of spiritual discipleship. This agreement is expected to be for a minimum of 3 years to begin with.

Pastor Joey Heidler is add to the board.

*************************************** October 2011

TLC participated in the Fourth Annual Summit for Youth and Families. It was a day of presentations and exchanges designed to tackle problems affecting young people including teen pregnancy.

*************************************** June 2011

A steering committee was self- formed and Angela Welch, Phil Scarpelli and several others joined the team. They were instrumental in moving the project forward.

Lynn Van Meter was welcomed to the board.

***************************************April 2011

TLC published its second newsletter. The first one appears to have been lost. Do  you have one?

*************************************** Jan. 18, 2011

 Through the efforts of Tracy Echols and Hernando Youth Initiative, TLC was able to give a short presentation to the Hernando County Legislative Delegation.

************************************** December, 2010

Joy to the world! The Lord is come: let earth receive her King! The sounds of music were in the air. Or as one man put it, “You have brought music into my home.” The occasion was The Life Center’s annual Christmas caroling event. Started as a means of sharing Christmas cheer with house bound individuals, it has grown each year. This year there were approximately 18 carolers ranging from preschool age to retirement age. We car pooled from home to home bringing cheer to those folks who needed a little special seasonal joy. We brought music, cookies, and handmade cards. The cards were made especially for the event by a local first grade class. At one home, all the neighbors came over and joined in the fun. The group of carolers was made up of participants of both our cooking class and our divorce care for kids class. There were also board members, single moms with their children, friends, family and neighbors. After the caroling, this very diverse group traveled to our party location where we all filled up on Christmas treats and got better aquatinted. Mary Kay schenk expressed an interest in helping TLC and was told she would be considered for the volunteer position of future housemother.

***************************************** November 2010

What could be more traditional than pumpkin pie in November? On Nov. 23, 2010 The Life Center sponsored a pie making workshop. It was an evening of instruction and tasty treats. The teacher for the evening, Mary Kay Schenk, got everyone involved in rolling out the homemade pie crusts. Flour and rolling pins were flying as participants practiced the fine art of turning a lump of dough into a circular shape that fit the pie pan. Next three different fillings were prepared and added: mince meat, pumpkin and blue berries. Most of the participants had never tried mince meat before and were pleasantly surprised that it actually tasted good. One three year old guest said he liked “purple” food, but declined to taste the blue berry pie. The pumpkin was not from a can, but had been prepared ahead of time from a “real pumpkin” by our teacher. The cooking workshop continues to be very popular with the young ladies, their small children, and the older mentors.

***************************************** Oct. 2010

Financial workshop: The Life Center kicked off its Financial Planning series on Oct. 14, 2010 at the Palmwood Builders model center in Spring Hill. Several young women attended and brought their moms to participate in the life skills workshop. Suncoast Federal Credit Union provided workbooks to guide the session, covering a range of relevant topics including goal-setting, credit, budgeting, and investing. Participants practiced identifying wants and needs while crafting “S.M.A.R.T” financial goals. Facilitator Phil Marina encourages interested young adults to decide what they want to gain from the series so that they may benefit to the maximum from each lesson. Christina, a single mom who attended with her mother, shared enthusiastically that the workshop and the high-quality home in which it was hosted inspired her with renewed motivation to succeed at her career goals for nursing. Many participants left armed with a better plan of how to reach their financial objectives to make a wise and solid path for themselves. Board member Teresa Glover remarked that even though she knew a good deal about basic financial principles, “I still gained some new insights and clarity for achieving success in my finances.” Further workshops will continue the discussion of life skills for independence and financial responsibility. Our thanks to board member Teresa Glover for arranging for TLC to use these beautiful facilities.

***************************************** October, 2010

Life Center board members and volunteers gathered with young women from the community to enjoy a night of Latin cooking and strategize. Board member Silvia Vadell taught the group how to cook authentic Venezuelan “arepas”- corn meal patties stuffed with meat and vegetables. Savory aroma filled the kitchen as participants practiced basic cooking techniques and learned budget-savvy ways to prepare wholesome meals. Mandy, a local young single mom, worked side by side both learning and teaching other women to prepare “arroz con gandules,” Spanish rice with pigeon peas. Participants built cross-generational relationships while laughing and savoring the fun of new skills and tastes. The cooking workshop created an atmosphere that fostered supportive mentoring relationships. When the corn patties were golden and the cooks were satisfied with their creations, everyone surrounded the dining table and shared mutual delight in the results of their culinary experience.

****************************************** October 2010

Board members Barbara Lemoine and Chantelle Kelly visited the Alpha House in Tampa. Their goal was to learn more about the Alpha House and take a tour of that residential facility for pregnant women. They know pregnant homeless women from Hernando County are often referred there since Hernando County does not have a residential facility of its own for these moms and infants.

New TLC flyers have now been printed.

****************************************** Aug. 2010

The final version of the logo was approved. It was agreed to order business cards.

Decided to redo website using YOLA.

Decided to begin life skill classes.

****************************************** July 2010

A Vehicle Donation program check for $2,882 brought our bank balance up to $4,087.

Website is  in dire need of update.

TLC has begun to attend Hernando Youth Initiative meetings. TLC is now attending HYI subcommittee for teen pregnancy. TLC now understands the importance of obtaining a track record before applying for grants.

TLC continuing search for suitable building and the funds to afford it.

****************************************** April 2010

Barbara Lemoine made a visit to New Beginnings Youth Shelter in Brooksville.

It was reported tot he TLC Board that all required annual TLC filings were done in a timely manner.

****************************************** Feb. 2010

Linda Sacca resigned as treasurer and turned over the financial records to Barbara Lemoine.

****************************************** Oct. 2009

Carolyn Timmons resigned from the board. Silvia Vadell was welcomed to the TLC Board.

Miguel Vadell presented a logo design for consideration.

Teresa Glover suggested a heightened emphasis on prayer for TLC.

****************************************** March 2009

 TLC worked with the students of Springfield College on a power point presentation/fund raiser for TLC.

Colors for the logo were considered.

****************************************** July 18, 2009

Long before The Life Center and Turning Point Church of The Nazarene knew about each other, there was an article in Hernando Today By Tony Holt. Excerpts follow. “Here, we have a core group of people who are passionate about helping people,” Heidler said Saturday over the loud sounds of a hammer pounding against plywood. “We are able to plan it from the beginning.” Technically, the volunteers are not starting from scratch. A house was built five years ago next to Turning Point Nazarene on Ingram Street in Brooksville. The builders never finished. The drywall was exposed. The plumbing and electrical wiring were installed, but not running. The wood rotted and the center of the house appeared as if it would collapse at any moment. The only stable section was the roof. “We’ve still got a ways to go on it,” Heidler said. The house, once finished, will be used as a transitional residence for those homeless or semi-homeless families in the community, church members said. It will have three bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen. A washer and dryer will be located in the front porch. Heidler took a deep breath before he mentioned the deadline. “We’re running a little slow, but we’re hoping for October.” Joe Musser, who is in his early 30s, has been at the church since he was barely able to walk. He has one of the longest memberships at the church, but ironically he remains one of the youngest at Turning Point. He has done a lot of the renovations alongside Heidler. “October of 2009?” he asked the pastor with a deliberate, puzzled look. “Yes, this October,” answered Heidler. There are less than 60 members at Turning Point and most of them are seniors. Heidler is actively recruiting more for his congregation and he is hoping to lure more families and young adults. “We have some ladies at this church and if they were 20 years younger, they would be here swinging a hammer,” the pastor said. To help with the renovations, congregation members at other local Protestant churches have offered assistance. Heidler refuses to let religious feuds fester among those Christians who volunteer. If he sees them during the week and not on days of worship, he doesn’t mind. “If someone wants to help us and then go back to their churches on Sundays, that’s fine with me,” he said. There is more to Turning Point than a small church and a future transitional home. On the premises is a new computer lab. Those who are out of work and who need to search for jobs can use one of the dozen or so computers with Internet access, Heidler said. Turning Point Nazarene, which is not its original name, was started more than 50 years ago by the late Asa Groves, who held services under his carport. It never grew substantially, but it did enough so that an actual church could be built less than 100 yards from U.S. 41. Dave Herbertson is a member at Turning Point. He has attended several Nazarene churches throughout his life – some large, some small. He said he was particularly inspired with the one in Brooksville. He was one of the volunteers working on the house Saturday morning. “We don’t have much money,” Herbertson said. “We’re not all that big, but I know good things are going to happen for us. Something’s definitely happening.” ************************** Nov. 2008 Several activities discussed, but not carried out including a celebrity dinner and short film. Logo is still under consideration. ****************************************** August 2008 New vision and mission statements accepted by the TLC board.

****************************************** July 2008

Teresa Glover was installed as a board member. Kids Central advised TLC it did not need a new residential group home.

****************************************** May 2008

Bank balance is now $1,466. All board members read and signed the required Conflict of Interest policy.   Barbara Lemoine met with Pastor Frank Prestigiacomo of Grace World Outreach Church to made an effort to connect TLC with a man who had land to donate. He gave TLC his approval to discuss TLC with church attendees.

****************************************** Jan. 2008 The board is still considering working with DCF to provide homes for foster children.

****************************************** November 2007

Bank balance is now $884. TLC now has a CH # which must appear on all written material for fund raising. TLC has its first vehicle donation. We are still looking into ways to obtain real-estate. Volunteers Chet Steele and Chantelle Kelly will begin working on a logo.

****************************************** August 2007 TLC participated in the Macy’s fund raiser and made $55.

****************************************** April 2007

Linda Sacca and Barbara Lemoine met and successfully completed all the necessary filings including an IRS 990EZ.

****************************************** March 2007 All financial records were inadvertently thrown out. Linda Sacca will attempt to recreate records. Carolyn Timmons organized a second successful fund raising pageant for TLC. Gloria West-Lawson with Fostering Hope Florida has offered to help TLC when possible.

****************************************** Oct. 2006

501(c)3 Arrived. TLC is effectively a recognized nonprofit retroactive to 2/14/2002. Still chasing shadows and running down blind allies in an attempt to find a home base/receive grant money. The Life Center Vehicle Donations program started.

******************************************July 2006

Pastor Sheldon Wood’s whereabouts remain unknown. It was decided to drop him from the board.

******************************************Feb. 2006

It is decided that Board members should have the option of being involved in the daily operations with accessibility to every aspect of the facility.

****************************************** August 2005

Volunteer Linda Sacca is now a member of the board and holds the position of treasurer. Linda states, ” I will do my duty with sincere obligations, to see that The Life Center of Hernando will indeed become a reality. It is a much needed facility and with God’s help we will succeed.”

***************************************** July 2005

TLC has a document locator number for their 501(c)3.

****************************************** June 2005 The final entries to the 501(c)3 were made. There are currently 140 people on the e-mailing list. ****************************************** May 2005

  Barbara Lemoine and Chantelle Kelly begin the process of reapplying for the 501(c)3.

****************************************** March 2005

No record of our original 501(c)3 filing can be found. That together with other incidences, led the board to believe we should distance ourselves from a former board member. We supplied the IRS with a letter of explanation and were cleared of all wrong doings. We have now identified and eliminated the problem.

******************************* April 2004

Dr. Ballard resigned from the Board. Ken Lendt resigned as treasurer. Chantelle Kelly and Barbara Lemoine began working on policies and procedures. TLC now has $404 in the checking account.

****************************************** Sept. 2003

Ned Mitenius of Periscope Consulting   graciously donated a large amount of his time to create a new website for TLC.

***************************************** July 2003

Members of the TLC board met with representatives from Volunteers of America. They were interested in lending a helping hand to TLC in terms of doing research to locate other similar agencies. There are now 107 people on our email newsletter list. 45 of those are committed prayer partners. Five local professionals contacted TLC to volunteer their services. Now we just need a facility!

****************************************** May 2003

We welcomed Pam Hargraves and Debby Fries as our first official prayer partners. Dr. Ballard was invited to speak to the leadership of the local Ministerial Association on May 27th. on behalf of TLC. Two new board members were added: Chantelle Kelly and Dr. Preston Wood. The entire board is determined to do God’s will. TLC became an affiliate with The United Christian Fellowship of Social Services Church. TLC board visited Joshua House a residential facility for youth in Lutz, FL. The search for land and funding continues to take us down many slippery slopes all of which ended in disappointment.

***************************************** April 2003

Still rushing to open each new door that presents itself. But behind each door is a false lead. The desire to “do something” is still very strong.

****************************************** March 2003

Carolyn Timmons arranged a fashion show in Brooksville  as a fund raiser.

 

 

 

****************************************** Feb. 2003

We are exploring many new avenues in an effort to “do something”. In the end, each of these ideas will be discarded and we will return to the original vision of helping young single moms.

******************************************

Dec. 2002 Dr. Ballard began offering Biblical counseling services along with a lay counseling course. Some of the money from that course will be donated to The Life Center.

***************************************** October 2002

We are walking by faith. Nothing we can see yet. 11Samuel 7:27 says, “I will build thee a house.” This is the promise we are holding onto. We are determined to be fiscally accountable with Ken Lendt’s help. We are fine tuning the Mission and Vision statements. We set up our first website with a donation button.

****************************************** September 2002

We finally have our 501(c)3 papers ready to file and the money to pay filing fees. We had over 15 new responses from a program called Volunteermatch. That is a program that matches people from all over to volunteer opportunities. TLC had requested help raising funds. Each volunteer was given the opportunity to help, but none did. Carolyn Timmons did a TV profile in Crystal River for a local Christian network. In it she asked for funds for The Life Center.

***************************************** May 2002 Dr. Kevin Ballard applied for and was awarded a $250 start-up grant from the O’Brien Enrichment Foundation on behalf of The Life Center. There were now 32 interested people on our email newsletter list. Ken Lendh and Barbara Lemoine met with a member of SCORE to develop a business plan. Barbara’s explanation that the financial plan was based almost entirely on faith was not well received. *

***************************************** April 2002 Ken Lendh from Northcliffe Baptist Church donated a computer. He then volunteered to help set up TL’s accounting system. We began looking for a location where we could fulfill the vision God had given us. We printed our first flyer.

****************************************** March 2002 The Life Center held its first fund raiser at Golden Corral in Brooksville. The funds raised ($136) were enough to cover the cost of applying for our non-profit 501(c)3 status. Carolyn Timmons was the speaker that evening and she spoke with deep conviction about how we must help today’s youth. Pastor David Garcia spoke on the youth of today. TLC now has EIN number and Incorporation papers. There was an article in Scene Magazine about The Life Center.

******************************************* Feb. 2002 Second board meeting of TLC. Roberta Cummings resigned for personal reasons. TLC opened its first bank account.

******************************************* Jan . 2002

Dr. Kevin Ballard, Carolyn Timmons, Roberta Cummings and Barbara Lemoine agreed to start a non-profit faith based agency in Hernando County with the stated purpose being to minister to the community in need, especially youth. The first officers were elected. The first order of business was to visit Green Isle a residential facility in Clermont, FL.

******************************************* October 2001

Carolyn Timmons and Barbara Lemoine  visited the teen parenting class at Hernando High to determine the special needs, wants and desires of young moms. The students cited have a telephone and a homey atmosphere as being very important to them. They stressed the importance of having the sense of a family and stated they would be willing to share a bedroom with another mom, but not a bathroom. They asked questions about the policies regarding boyfriends and going out.

******************************************* Fall of 2001

The first person to hear about this new vision was Carolyn Timmons who responded with great enthusiasm. In this way The Life Center was born, altho it didn’t yet have a name.

 

 

 

 

******************************************* Summer and Fall of 2001

Roberta Cummings and Barbara Lemoine were volunteering at Baby Love in Spring Hill, FL. Baby Love was a pregnancy crisis center. Moms who had received help durning their pregnancy years before were returning with their grown daughters who were then pregnant. This was a disturbing pattern. They prayerfully considered the best approach to ending this sort of cycle. Their conclusion was to reach out to a mom at the time her baby was born and provide a comprehensive program for both her and her child that would be life changing. Thus began the TLC story. *******************************************