Community Bulletin

Rollins student to help underserved Winter Park residents

Lucas Hernandez, class of 2013 at Rollins College, was selected as one of six among hundreds of applicants for Lend for America (www.lendforamerica.org), a competitive internship program hosted in partnership with the Aspen Institute. Lucas will spend the summer learning from a domestic microfinance organization. He will then return to campus to start his own microfinance organization at Rollins that will offer financial services to underserved individuals in Winter Park.

Winter Park resident receives honors

Meredith Head of Winter Park was commissioned by the John Jay Institute in Philadelphia, Penn., on May 11. Head participated in an intensive academic study focusing on the Western political tradition and America’s founding ideals. Head graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2011 with a B.A. in political science and a minor in marketing. She plans to attend law school. Following her semester of academic residency in Philadelphia, she will complete her fellowship on assignment with the Georgia Family Council in Atlanta, Ga. She will be working under the direction of the vice president of public policy. The Council is a non-profit research and education organization working to foster conditions in which individuals, families and communities can thrive.

WPPD offers S.A.F.E. classes for women

The Winter Park Police Department and the Victim Service Center of Central Florida frequently host free women’s safety awareness classes for any women that have a tie to the city of Winter Park. They will be a hosting self-defense and familiarization exchange classes at the Winter Park Police Department, 500 N. Virginia Ave., 
on Thursday, July 12, from 6-8 p.m. Women ages 14 and older are welcome and is limited to the first 25 to sign up. Contact Officer Kaitlin Gonzalez at 321-303-5884 or [email protected]



Goodwill hosts food drive for Second Harvest

During the month of June, all Goodwill retail stores and donation centers in Central Florida will participate in the “Fill the Need” food drive with Second Harvest Food Bank. Donations will support Second Harvest’s “Fighting Hunger, Feeding Hope” campaign, which helps feed children while school is out during the summer months. Residents are encouraged to drop off non-perishable food items along with their Goodwill donations. The drive runs from June 1-30. To find the nearest retail center, please visit goodwillcfl.org

JFS 2012 Cantina raised $70,000

Jewish Family Services of Greater Orlando (JFS) ended its Cantina on a touching note. The event was held in May and 160 supporters crowded Cocina 214. As a community, JFS was able to raise about $70,000, which will allow them to continue to feed Central Florida families. This year they honored the Pearlman family: Craig and wife Rhonda, Lynn Pearlman Minkow, Donna Pearlman Bolton and husband Bill, and their families with the Chesed Award for their commitment to JFS and the community. Pictured from left are Daniel Minkow, Lynn Pearlman Minkow, Ross Pearlman, Donna Pearlman Bolton and Craig Pearlman. (The three names in italics are the ones in the old photo, sitting in the same position.) Visit jfsorlando.org

Update your voter signature

Voters are encouraged to update the signature on file with the Supervisor of Elections prior to the Primary Election on Aug. 14. Florida law changed recently regarding verification of absentee ballots — only signatures found on a voter’s official application form may be used for signature comparisons. In some cases it has been years since a voter last completed an application form and signatures frequently change over time due to age, illness or injury. Application forms can be found online at orangecountyvotes.com or at any public library or post office.

Scholarships for active duty service members

University of Phoenix and AMVETS, a vocal advocate for veterans’ education, are awarding $350,000 through 50 $7,000 scholarships to active duty service members, veterans and eligible family members to pursue a degree from University of Phoenix. Applications for the 2012 University of Phoenix AMVETS Scholarship are being accepted through Aug. 21. Campuses include the Central Florida campus in Maitland and Learning Centers in Daytona, east Orlando and south Orlando. Visit Phoenix.edu to search tuition and financial options.

State’s top baby names

The Social Security Administration announced the most popular baby names in Florida for 2011. Isabella and Jayden topped the list.

The top five boys and girls names for 2011 in Florida were:

Boys:

1) Jayden

2) Jacob

3) Daniel

4) Noah

5) Michael

Girls:

1) Isabella

2) Sophia

3) Emma

4) Olivia

5) Emily

Sophia and Jacob were the most popular baby names in the U.S. How does Florida compare to the rest of the country? Check out Social Security’s website — socialsecurity.gov/OACT/babynames — to see the top baby names for 2011.

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