Programs Past & Present
HelpIng HandS
HELPING HANDS for the last 20 years has provided assistance to over 4,000 youth, adults, families, seniors and disabled Veterans who are at-risk. We along with our partners, help in providing clients who have basic needs like food, shelter, social services and transportation with resources and help. The target population is people in crisis or in poverty who want to obtain economic independence and live within a five-mile radius of the 33311 zip code, the community we serve.
The picture above is of The A.I.R. Project (The After IRMA Recovery Project) which provided cleanup and hurricane awareness to the community with emphasis on the elderly, and provided 10 jobs for those in the community for 8 months with hourly pay at $18 to $36. And after the end of funding from CareerSource Broward, everyone found permanent employment with our assistance before and after the project ended.
This area is 95% African-American, 64% of the youth are unemployed, 64% of families are living in poverty, and 75% of the students in elementary, middle and high schools have reduced or free lunch.
Who We are
The Ghana Project
Uplifting Our Youth
The Community Center took advantage of the invitation made by President Addo to “come home” and learn about Ghana, and our Black heritage. In 2019, the Fort Lauderdale Community Center took students and staff members to Ghana for “The Year of Return.” We organized a group of adults and former high school students to go to Ghana — and have returned every year! We see it as a way of connecting and uplifting Black Youth in both countries.
In Ghana, the ten days of the program’s activities are organized around an understanding of Ghanaian history and culture, both through on-the-ground visits and through presentations and classes. A typical first week includes visits to a variety of key Ghanaian historical and cultural sites. The second week provides attendees with a teaching opportunity and the chance to share expertise to Ghanaian students.
Classes are held Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm, with students spending seven hours a day engaging Ghanaian participants in their area of expertise, followed up with a workshop and an assignment to be completed in the next three months, including Zoom calls to Ghana with their counterpart participants. Last day of the visit has both Americans and Ghanaians gathering, discussing, and sharing what they learned.
What We do
Services
We connect clients with resources to help with utilities and rent as well as volunteer opportunities.
The Preston Andre Flowers Foundation
Shawn Pool 2020 Awardee of $500 From
The Preston Andre Flowers Foundation
The Preston Andre Flowers Foundation (TPAFF) was created after losing the founders nephew to gun violence on December 26, 2014. This funding is donated by the family to the organization for scholarships to those in need.
He was born to Patrice Flowers and Wesley Godwin on February 2, 1974, in South Bend, Indiana. He grew up with his Aunts and Uncles who were more like brothers and sisters. Preston, named after his Great Uncle, Preston Glover, was fun-loving, had a laugh that was just contagious, very charismatic, quick-witted, and very smart. Making Valedictorian in the 6th grade and on the honor roll list each year he was in school.
Like many young Black men he saw no place in mainstream society. He always felt he was too dark and didn’t have the “good hair,” so he made his own way and worked for himself as he pursued a music career and produced some young men he saw potential in making it big. With his clothes, he stayed sharp, had a tennis shoe collection with well over 300 pairs! He loved his family and his family loved him.
He was “That Dude” if you needed a loan to make it to the next payday, You could go to him and he would help you, he took care of his brother and sister as well as his Mother, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother, whenever they needed to call on him. He adored his children, nieces, nephews and cousins. He will never be replaced or forgotten! In 2015 the foundation was created.
In 2015 our founders lost another nephew to gun violence, Markest Flowers, who after leaving a restaurant was shoot to death in the face by a white man who was upset Markest was setting in the seat he sat in when coming to the restaurant on a daily bases.
Markest was 24 years old, he left behind a son.
The foundation provides scholarships of $500 to those in need. Since 2016 to present $3,500.00 has been given away in Preston’s name.
Many of the awards have been given out at the Annual Black Empowerment Summit, but due to Covid-19 the Summit had been canceled.
The Awardee of 2020 of $500 is Shawn Pool going to Purdue University on Full Scholarship! Congratulations Shawn!
*Shawn is also one of our summer program students from 2008!
If you would like to support this great foundation that brings awareness to gun violence in Black Communities, helps youth at-risk and those less fortunate in the community, then click the “Donate Button!”
And many more....
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