ÿWPC Ã"¨EW;öŒ"†&s>†!è»äʈ£E@Ÿ îž§²I€¸¤ÙëÀ¤ªðÙ€ 3½f¨æ˜æ2Í»$Üç—õósÆ1ÜÓ¶S5¡GÉao:ë߬«¬Yƒ,?ª³÷Ç:zî‹!ƒ~ï§E3¦ºÓ†ë>æÏ¦ÁèÀÂ^>>š .tî9-Ù#i†%¢·ÔjñŸÛîóIû1â-…@Jƒ¥Öõ§/£}Ðív¡BWLσ)ã2ºëÑ„y~ƒÁp¾o19´Ú¼šðò €¼¶"~4d–ø˜‹f+9ê6ïÄ«˜DÄ–²EÜah`¹HPMñ~rÊêÇ(ÏïÄæÆ§’âcس\Åà©NQ÷טzó\)5yÐôÁV¡Ô}@yAÇ L]æT*¯!ûaYÊmÀ@"Å=qL6ýײù—+[®ŒºÃ5âI¡Ü4(Nã¾Ýr@uJ÷M´_К$Ë:’—KÏÞøICMk üÁ}Hh Àú·$¯r7ãg`Ðáú¦ ,[ZÞ^~ŒÎTë›DËÜÓ¦]Ÿè; 5,o÷`|cn¦k7_²rñŠ×Ÿ÷acu° óý†/Áô%-¤­‰Î~F§h[‰sGòèͳ¦ËyËÉIH/tÌwÅ•œŸ…”£^#!ÒUNó %A 0(G^ ow@{4»ÏÞ màà 0N÷E4[˜ScanSoft PDF Create!0(ÖÃ9 Z‹6Times New Roman RegularX($¡¡3¢ô>c E{EE§µë>ilˆ3|xÿU‹ÿÀÀÀ(ÍO$——ÔÿÔòòóóÔÿÔ Ñ   Ñmailto:williemaez@aol.comÝ ƒ!ÝÝ  ÝÔ_ÔÑá°ÑÑ€ ÏLÑññFOR€IMMEDIATE€RELEASE€„€ÌÌJuly€19,€2011ÌÌFROM:€Ô_ÔWilliemaeÔ_Ô€Ô_ÔStanberryÔ_ÔÌà  à(850)€455„2153Ìà  àÔ4‚Ý ÔÝ‚ ÍOÝÔÿÔòòÝ  ÝÔ5  Ôwilliemaez@aol.comÔ6ôÔÝ‚ ÍOƒÝóóÔÿÔÝ  ÝÔ7Ý ¬ 6ԀРiˆ ÐÌÌRE:€Letter€to€EditorññññÐ á ÐÌññÌÌà  àà ` àññà ¸ àññà ¸ àññÔ‡¼-l»XXÔññWe€must€stand€in€the€Gap€with€our€EducatorsññÔ#†X”X»¼-lB#ÔññÐ ‘° ÐÌÓÓThe€necessity€for€having€highly€qualified,€caring€educators€and€support€personnel€who€are€notÏeasily€intimidated€is€crucial€in€todayððs€society.€For€many€years€African€„Americans€have€madeÏgreat€contributions€to€the€education€system€in€Ô_ÔEscambiaÔ_Ô€County€and€there€for€a€while€the€numberÏof€African„American€educators€began€to€diminish.€The€number€of€African„American€childrenÏwho€failed€to€excel€or€simply€dropped€out€of€school€began€to€escalate€and€it€then€became€evidentÏthat€children€do€better€when€they€have€people€with€whom€they€can€relate€in€places€of€authority.ÏStill,€diversity€is€very€important€to€our€society,€it€teaches€tolerance€and€it€teaches€that€there€is€aÏwealth€of€experience€to€be€gained€when€we€step€outside€of€our€comfort€zone€to€learn€about€and€toÏsocialize€with€other€cultures,€religions€and€nationalities€.€ÌÌThe€efforts€to€satisfy€state€and€national€requirements€(Ô_ÔFCATÔ_Ô)€has€greatly€affected€the€way€inÏwhich€children€learn€and€what€they€learn.€It€has€placed€a€huge€burden€on€those€who€serve€ourÏchildren€in€the€schools,€and€while€every€teacher€and€support€staff€person€is€important;€it€wasÏbrought€to€our€attention€that€a€tremendous€burden€has€been€placed€on€African„AmericanÏeducators,€especially€those€who€teach€or€have€taught€in€predominately€African„AmericanÏcommunities,€also€known€as€poverty€stricken€neighborhoods.€We€witnessed€this€within€the€pastÏfew€years€when€transitions€took€place€and€incentives€were€given€to€improve€the€Ô_ÔFCATÔ_Ô€scores€atÏWarrington€Middle€School€and,€more€recently€when€Wedgewood€Middle€School€and€SpencerÏÔ_ÔBibbsÔ_Ô€Elementary€among€others€were€closed.€€ÌÌMost€educators€€are€gifted€with€special€skills€and€an€earnest€desire€to€prepare€our€youth€for€aÏsuccessful€future€and€when€so€many€of€our€(African„American)€youth€fail€to€reach€their€potentialÐ G-f,0 ÐÑ ÏLÑâ  âÑ °Ñâ  âÑ  Ñit€is€taken€personally€and€hence€discourages€everyone€including€the€younger€children€who€look€toÏthem€for€direction.€€ÌÌIt€is€felt€that€something€needs€to€be€done€to€pay€tribute€to€such€trailblazers€as€Mae€Sue€Nix,€Ô_ÔLillieÔ_ÔÏJames„€Frazier,€William€Marshall,€Jacquelyn€Harris€and€Sherman€Robinson€,€to€many€who€haveÏserved€diligently€for€many€years€and€to€motivate€those€educators€who€are€boldly€setting€the€bar€aÏlittle€higher€and€are€standing€in€the€gap€for€this€and€€future€generations.€A€reception€is€beingÏplanned€for€August€7€at€3:00€p.m.€to€show€our€appreciation.€This€event€is€open€to€the€entireÏcommunity€.€This€reception€is€being€hosted€by€A€Will€&€Way,€Inc.,€a€non„profit€organizationÏwhich€has€sponsored€a€Ô_ÔmentoringÔ_Ô€program€at€a€local€high€school€for€the€past€4€years.€TheÏReception€will€be€held€at€Ô_ÔKAMELOTÔ_Ô,€located€at€3300€N€Pace€Blvd.,€next€to€Restored€by€GraceÏ&€A€Will€&€Way,€Inc.€€There€is€a€nominal€fee€of€$10pp€for€guests.€ññCall€458„3774€for€ticketÏinformatiññññññiññññññon.ñññññ ñTickets€may€be€purchased€atÏñ ñññA€Will€&€Way,€Inc.€ññññññññTuesññññññññ€ññññññññoññññññññOññññr€ññññfrom€ñññña€ññññmember€ññññof€ññññÌÌThe€quote,€€ð ðIt€takes€a€village€to€raise€a€childðð€is€more€true€today€than€ever€before.€WeððreÏcommitted€to€stand€in€the€gap€for€all€educators€and€school€support€staffs€of€every€race€andÏnationality.€Weððre€committed€to€the€belief€that€we,€as€a€people€and€community€must€stand€withÏour€educators€and€administrators€so€that€we€collectively€may€achieve€€more€skilled€andÏacademically€prepared€young€people.Ìà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h à######Ìà  àà ` àà ¸ àà  àà h àà À àÌÌÌÌÌÓÔÓÓ  ÓÔ€¼-l»XX”ÔÔ‡„Ù„»¼-lÔññA€Will€&€Way,€Inc.ññÔ#†¼-l»„„Ùx#ÔññÐ ù..2 Ðò òHISTORYó óÐ Y0x/3 ЇÓ  ÓA€Will€&€Way,€Inc.€is€a€501€(c)(3)€non„profit€organization€that€was€founded€inÏ2002€for€the€purpose€of€providing€assistance€to€women€who€were€affected€byÏDomestic€Violence,€substance€abuse€and€incarceration€which,€in€most€cases€areÏinter„related.€The€program€ð ðWoman€to€Womanðð€was€developed€and€introduced€toÏthe€Ô_ÔEscambiaÔ_Ô€County€Jail€providing€life€skills€training€to€female€inmates€andÏpreparing€them€with€the€ability€to€make€sound€and€positive€choices€whileÏincarcerated€and€upon€their€reentry€into€the€community.ÌÌThe€Grace€Program€was€later€developed€as€an€extension€of€the€Woman€to€WomanÏprogram€for€ladies€who€were€homeless€upon€their€release€from€jail€and/or€prison.ÏThis€program€included€a€transition€home€with€provisions€for€up€to€six€months€toÏinclude€food,€clothing,€shelter,€GED€assistance,€technical€training,€employmentÏand€permanent€housing€assistance.ÌÌAs€the€need€for€services€continued€to€grow€and€while€witnessing€the€decline€in€theÏrecidivism€(€number€of€persons€returning€to€jail)€rate€as€a€result€of€these€programsÏit€became€evident€that€expansion€was€necessary.€Restored€by€Grace,€a€center€forÏrestoration€was€opened€in€late€2007.€The€Center€makes€it€possible€to€provide€all€ofÏthe€services€offered€in€the€Grace€Program€to€more€women€with€referrals€forÏhousing€,€medical€and€employment€assistance.€Christian€counseling€is€availableÏand€the€children€of€these€women€can€now€receive€assistance€while€the€parent€isÏincarcerated€such€as€food,€clothing,€hygiene€kits,€school€supplies€and€life€skillsÏtraining€and€assistance€during€major€holidays.€This€has€aided€in€restoring€and/orÏincreasing€the€bonds€between€these€mothers€and€their€children.€The€women€areÏthen€empowered€to€think€better€of€themselves€and€make€better€choices.ÌÌRealizing€that€many€of€the€children€we€serve€have€both€a€mom€and€dad€who€areÏincarcerated,€we€developed€in€2009€the€program€ð ð€Men€Talkðð€and€recruited€men€ofÏintegrity€to€facilitate€it€in€the€mens€dorms€at€the€jail.€The€men€who€participate€inÏthis€program€come€into€the€Center€at€Restored€by€Grace,€upon€their€release€andÏthank€us€for€giving€them€new€life.€While€incarcerated€they€are€offered€a€safe€placeÏto€acknowledge€their€Ô_ÔbrokennessÔ_Ô€and€then€are€given€the€tools€for€healing€by€menÏwho€are€not€ashamed€to€be€transparent€before€them.€€€ÌÌA€Will€&€Way,€Inc.€is€a€100%€volunteer€staffed€organization,€all€funds€receivedÏare€used€to€fund€the€aforementioned€programs.€Funding€comes€from€individual€,Ïcorporate,€other€non„profits€and€fund„raising€projects€.ññ