Graduates rising to new heights of renewal

Business
Section D - SUNDAY, MAY 10, 2015
Smart Money:
Bruce Williams offers
advice on Page D4
Citrus County Chronicle
Graduates rising to new heights of renewal
A
fter they’d blessed
Watts, whose zone includes
the pair of side-bythe Northeast Crystal River
side Habitat for Huneighborhood where the
manity homes built during
Phoenix Rising project took
the past four months, and beplace, grew up in the ecofore tucking into steaming
nomically challenged enplates of fried chicken and
clave of Chatmire, just north
mac ’n cheese over at the
of Dunnellon.
First Presbyterian Church of
“I was a small, bad kid runCrystal River, graduates of
ning around with no shoes
Laura Byrnes
the inaugural Phoenix Rising
on, with no direction ... told
of Citrus County learned
‘you aren’t going to do nothCAREER
firsthand about stick-to-itiveing’ with your life.”
SOURCE
ness. That lesson came from
He was told that even by
an unexpected source, and their new
some members of his own family.
BFF: Citrus County Sheriff ’s Deputy
Well, challenge accepted. By dint of
Roscoe Watts.
sheer determination, Watts graduated
from high school and attended college
in Iowa on football and track scholarships. He earned a degree in criminology, served in the military then returned
to the community he said he takes such
pride in.
In 2009, in a tragic accident, he lost
his 2-year-old son, Ace, who Watts said
“died in my arms.”
So when Watts talks about hardship
and heartache, you know he has made
that long, uphill climb.
“I’ve been in situations when I just
want to lie down and not get up again.”
Fittingly, his message to the Phoenix
Rising graduates was about doing just
that, and so much more. Because with
the Phoenix Rising program, it’s not just
about getting up from the ashes of despair but, as with its namesake mythological bird, it’s about rising to new
heights of renewal.
Renewal for the youth who might otherwise have been tossed by the wayside.
Renewal for deserving families who
might otherwise not know the security
of owning a home. And renewal for communities that might otherwise be lost to
disrepair and crime.
“Never, never accept defeat,” Watts
told the graduates. “Against all odds,
look at me, you can make it. You’ve got
See BYRNES/Page D2
MATTHEW BECK/Chronicle
Flip Flop Yogurt Shoppe owner Lindsey Hodgkins serves a bowl of soft-serve yogurt in her shop in Crystal River. She recently entered and took top honors
in an international promotion that rewarded the most unique flavor. Her entry was cannoli-flavored yogurt
Flip Flop Yogurt Shoppe owner earns international accolades with special recipe
A
Shemir Wiles
For the Chronicle
little over a year ago, Lindsey
Hodgkins and her husband, John,
opened the doors to Flip Flop
Yogurt Shoppe on Citrus Avenue
with no idea what to expect.
However, the young couple is ecstatic to report
that business has been good for their fro-yo venture, and now they can add international recognition to their accolades after recently winning a
contest through the International Frozen Yogurt
Association (IFYA).
The contest, called “If Your Flavor Dreams
Came True,” was a joint promotion by the Hodgkins’ wholesaler Nanci’s Frozen Yogurt — a leading
manufacturer and international wholesaler of softserve mixes — and the IFYA. Frozen yogurt shops
were invited to submit their dream frozen yogurt
flavors for a chance to win three cases of Nanci’s
Frozen Yogurt Mix, plus have their name circulated in press releases all over the world.
Lindsey’s winning dream flavor was cannoli; it’s
a nod to her Italian heritage and immense sweet
tooth.
“I wanted to come up with something that was
unique but recognizable,” she said. “As a child, I
was given cannolis as a treat. Plus, I’m also pregnant with our third child. So, when I saw some
cannolis in Publix one day, I thought to myself:
That would be a good flavor, especially if you serve
it in one of our fresh-baked waffle cones and top it
with chocolate chips.”
John’s flavor, brownie batter, didn’t quite make
the cut, but he most certainly is proud that his
wife’s flavor did. It’s validation that their idea to
open a frozen yogurt shop in downtown Crystal
River wasn’t a dud.
“We prayed about this shop a lot and we just see
Lindsey Hodgkins and her husband, John, have found success at their Flip Flop Yogurt Shoppe.
it as Him giving us our sign that this is what we’re
supposed to be doing,” said Lindsey.
John said the name of the shop came to him in a
dream and that strengthened their drive to make
Flip Flop Yogurt Shoppe a reality. Located on NE
Fifth Street, the shop has done well, and John
credited a lot of that to the location and the business-friendly attitude of the city of Crystal River.
See SUCCESS/Page D2
D2 Sunday, May 10, 2015
Citrus County (FL) Chronicle
Business
Welcome
to
Inverness
City of Inverness City
Council members and
administration welcome
F&S Music to Inverness.
F&S Music is at
1221 U.S. 41 North,
Unit A.
Phone 352-795-5009.
Special to the Chronicle
BYRNES
incarcerated parent.
In addition to classroom and
interactive training, particiContinued from Page D1 pants earn industry-recognized
certifications as well as high
the tools and the people here
school diplomas or GEDs, if
for you, but it is up to you. It’s
needed. Kevin received his the
not going to be easy. Stay motiday before graduating from
vated, stay on the course you’re Phoenix Rising.
on, and I have no doubt you will
Kevin’s mother, Joyce Campbe productive citizens.”
bell, said she stopped by the CaKevin Campbell had his
reerSource office in Lecanto as
doubts. He left home at 16 and
often as she could to find out
things went downhill from
when the Citrus County prothere.
gram would begin. “Maybe they
“I went my own way when I
got tired of me,” she said with a
was younger. I thought I was
chuckle. “I just never gave up.”
going to be a big musician and
Kristian Young never gave up,
famous, I dropped out of school either, though few would blame
and got into trouble,” Kevin,
him after struggling with the
now 19, admits. “The program
death of his grandfather. Inreally opened up my future.”
stead of dropping out of the proPhoenix Rising, spearheaded gram, he found inspiration and
in 2010 in Ocala, is a 20-week
hope.
program providing hands-on
“It just proves that with the
and classroom training degrace of God and with the great
signed to develop workforce
support of those around you,
skills that lead to employment.
anything you put your mind to,
Participants are at-risk older
you can do.”
youth and young adults, ages 18The Citrus County Phoenix
24, who are aging out of foster
Rising kicked off in grand style
care, struggling with a disability, with all 13 participants complethigh school drop outs, and/or
ing the program. In addition to
basic skills deficient. They may Kevin and Kristian, alumni now
also be an offender or have an
include Miranda Blackstock,
SUCCESS
to be an English teacher
at Crystal River High
School. She also pulls in
Continued from Page D1 a lot of regulars who love
her daily specials, like
“Business was dying on her Fun after 50s Thursday special that brings in
this street, but it has really come back,” he said. the older crowd.
Additionally, it always
“The city has been really
encouraging and the com- makes her feel good to
tell people that their fromunity has been super
supportive, which helps.” zen yogurt is a healthy
treat. It’s gluten-free, all
A strong tourism seanatural and contains no
son also kept the busihigh fructose corn syrup,
ness on solid footing.
Lindsey said it wasn’t un- table salt or artificial
common for out-of-town- flavors.
She’s even been able to
ers to stop in the shop to
win over some hardcore
grab a cone and ask her
what else they should ex- ice cream lovers.
“I remember one man
perience while in Crystal
came in here looking for
River.
“I met people from Germany, Austria, even
China. They come here to
swim with the manatees,
2015
but after that, they don’t
know what else to do.
Since I’ve lived here my
whole life, it’s nice that I
can lay it out for them
and tell them what shops
to visit or what restaurants to eat at. It’s definitely a plus,” Lindsey
said.
However, visitors to the
county aren’t their only
customers.
Lindsey said they receive a lot of business
from the young residents
of the county, which isn’t
surprising since she used 000KE10
Wyatt Collier, Casey Garrett,
Jeremy Gillespie, Kenneth Glascock, Isa Hockenbury, Zackary
Leonard, Andrew Lopez, Elliott
Nunez, Carlos Sanabria and
John Sneed. Collectively, they
earned 34 industry credentials,
six have already obtained jobs
and three received high school
diplomas. In Marion County, 69
of 73 youths graduated from the
program with more than 170
credentials, 10 GEDs and 55 entering employment or enrolling
in postsecondary programs.
A major component of the
Phoenix Rising program involves construction of homes in
partnership with Habitat for
Humanity of Citrus County. In
addition to CareerSource, Henkels & McCoy and Habitat,
other partners here include
United Way of Citrus County,
the City of Crystal River, Citrus
County Schools, Citrus County
Sheriff ’s Office, Florida Sheriff ’s Youth Ranch and First
Presbyterian Church of Crystal
River.
That kind of collaboration is
earning the Phoenix Rising program national attention as a
model of what communities can
build when public/private part-
ice cream and he flat out
refused to try my frozen
yogurt. He was adamant,”
she said. “But eventually
he broke down and gave
it a try. He was shocked.
He said it tasted just like
ice cream.”
Looking ahead to the
future of Flip Flop Yogurt
Shoppe, the Hodgkins
agree the sky’s the limit.
Plans include expanding
their product to include
more flavors, adding
more outdoor seating and
possibly selling flip flops
inside the shop.
Flip Flop Yogurt
Shoppe is at 4 NE Fifth
St., Crystal River. The
number is 352-564-7900.
ners work together. The Phoenix Rising program has been
honored by the Florida League
of Cities and National League
of Cities, Harvard’s School of
Business, and last year the program received Habitat for Humanity International’s highest
honor, the Clarence E. Jordan
Award for creativity and innovation in building homes and communities.
“This is the first Phoenix Rising endeavor of what we hope
will be many,” said George
Rusaw, Habitat’s president and
CEO. “It’s hard to believe that
when we first gathered here in
December (for the wall raising),
these houses were little more
than dirt.”
Little more than dirt in a
neighborhood in need of some
serious TLC, something Diane
Houston plans to give as a new
homeowner. Houston was
known as “mom” at the
worksite, in part because she
brought snacks and drinks to
the crew, taking care of them
like a mother, but also because
like some mothers she “tried to
tell them how to do it.”
Houston said it’s just as well
they politely ignored her be-
cause “they did a fantastic job,
everything is done so well and
with such care.”
Before unlocking the front
door and entering her
three-bedroom, two-bath home,
Houston shook each graduate’s
hand, looked them in the eye
and thanked them by name.
“I’m really proud of you,” she
told them. “You worked in the
rain, you worked in the cold,
you worked through death in
the family … You showed up on
time, learned discipline and job
skills. I am so blessed to be in
this home because of you. I will
be thinking of (you) on a daily
basis and praying for you.”
We all will.
If you can give them an answer to their prayers — a job —
please contact us at
352-249-3278.
Laura Byrnes, APR, CPRC,
communications manager at CareerSource Citrus Levy Marion,
is accredited in public relations, a
certified public relations counselor and a Florida Certified
Workforce Professional. Please
contact her at 352-291-9559, 800434-5627, ext. 1234, or lbyrnes@
careersourceclm.com.
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