Day 18: November 18, 2009

We left Tallahassee at six a.m. bound for Daytona, home of NASCAR and made famous by its beaches. I must say, our first stop of the day, The Chiles Academy, was one of the most inspiring visits we’ve had during our walk across Florida.

The Chiles Academy, a charter school for teenage mothers, provides an atmosphere that feels like a loving home; where order, peace, love, and instruction abound, and where teenage mothers can come to make sense of the confusion and complexity their new lives demand—caring for their babies and in some cases their other young ones as well.

Ann Ferguson, a tremendous leader, and her splendid staff have done such a terrific job of teaching, counseling, feeding, inspiring, and caring for these young mothers and kids. I know my dad would be so proud to have his name connected to such a dedicated group of people that have created a place where young women, desperately in need of help and not wanting to drop out of school, have been taken in and helped in such a deep and compassionate way.

Upon our departure, we left with a great sense of hope that the next generation, those babies and toddlers being cared for at the academy, could avoid many of the mistakes their young moms have made because of their experience at The Chiles Academy. I'm so glad that the newspaper reporter and photographer with us were there to document the great work being done at this school.

Our second stop was Daytona State College where we collected over 300 pledges for the Worst to First Campaign. After canvassing the college, we left and stopped in at the Star Family Shelter, a homeless shelter that provides food, clothing and shelter to homeless families and individuals. The shelter is staffed by Halifax Urban Ministries and volunteers are provided by them and other local area churches.

The Star represents literally survival for many families that have fallen into homelessness and extreme poverty by either the downturn in the economy, a mental health illness, or a series of other issues and demonstrates a remarkable partnership with Halifax Hospital. The hospital has established a full time medical clinic on site to serve the homeless and minister to them.

We also met Dixie Morgese, Executive Director for Healthy Start Coalition in Flagler and Volusia Counties, and several other advocate leaders making a difference there. All in all, the day was an inspiring one because of the dedicated people we encountered that are meeting needs; ones that are real and require real solutions.