The four candidates for Lakeland City Commission introduced themselves and answered questions about local issues in one of the few forums before the April 6 special election. Review it here.
Category: Activism
Posted inActivism, History
City Commission Urged to Pass a Juneteenth Resolution
The founder and organizer of Lakeland’s 29-year-old Juneteenth celebration asked the City Commission today to pass a resolution recognizing Juneteenth — June 19 — as a day to recall the end of slavery in the U.S.
Posted inActivism, Public Safety
PEACE Shares Updates on Housing, Criminal Justice Reform
Adults should have the same opportunities as kids when it comes to criminal justice. That’s according to the Rev. Melissa Stump, who spoke Tuesday night at the 21st annual rally of PEACE, a coalition of Polk churches who unite around social action.
Posted inActivism, Housing
Gospel Inc. Providing Homes for Transients Recovering from COVID-19
Nearly 40 mobile homes and cottages at Lake Parker Avenue and Lemon Street are being repaired by volunteers and turned into housing for formerly homeless people recovering from COVID-19, Fox 13 News reports. Gospel Inc. purchased the property with the help of a federal CARES Act grant. The few people already living there will be […]
Posted inActivism, Events
MLK Day Event Emphasizes Critical Conversations
A Martin Luther King Jr. Day event at The Joinery on Monday brought together faith-based organizations and focused on “critical conversation” questions, News Channel 8 reports.RELATED: City of Lakeland debuts MLK Day video Source: News Channel 8
Posted inActivism, Business, Social Services
Citizens Bank Grants $100,000 to Local Nonprofits
The season of giving has given reason for hope to directors of more than two dozen local nonprofit organizations that received grants from Citizens Bank & Trust. The Polk-based bank’s philanthropic distribution was named 100 Days of Giving to help celebrate its 100th birthday this year.
Posted inActivism, Business
PETA Protests Publix Purchases at Downtown Office
Members of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals dressed in monkey suits dumped wheelbarrows full of coconuts outside the Publix IT center on Kentucky Avenue today. They said they were protesting Publix’ business dealings with a Thai company that uses monkeys to harvest coconuts, News Channel 8 reports. Publix responded to reporters that a […]
Posted inActivism, Neighborhoods
Carolers Will Honor Edie Yates and Raise Funds for a Charity She Helped
A childhood friend of the late City Commissioner Edie Yates Henderson is organizing Christmas caroling in the South Lake Morton neighborhood in memory of Henderson and her husband, David, who were murdered in their home last month, News Channel 8 reports. The carolers will sing at 5 p.m. Dec. 18 on the 800 block of […]
Posted inActivism, Social Services
Talbot House, KidsPACK Help Feed Neighbors in Need
Talbot House Ministries serves three hot meals a day to the community’s homeless, and KidsPACK sends packets of food home each Friday with underserved Polk students, Bay News 9 reports. Source: Bay News 9
Posted inActivism, Social Services
VISTE Delivers 1,800 Thanksgiving Meals
Lakeland-based Volunteers in Service to the Elderly re-tooled their food prep and delivery methods this year to align with pandemic protocols, and its volunteers drove 1,800 Thanksgiving meals to western Polk’s elderly, News Channel 8 reports. Source: News Channel 8