091720 SWB DIGITAL EDITION

22 x September 17 — 30, 2020 x www.SouthwestOrlandoBulletin.com
n Restrooms open along West
Orange Trail in Oakland
To accommodate a growing number
of West Orange Trail users,
the town of Oakland announced
the opening of outdoor public restrooms
at The Healthy West
Orange Arts and Heritage
Center. The outdoor restrooms, located
at 126 Petris Ave. in Oakland,
operate seven days a week from 8
a.m.-5 p.m. The facilities are managed
and maintained by the town.
The new public restroom facilities
were made possible through a
$182,000 donation from the Orange
County government.
The Healthy West Orange Arts
and Heritage Center at the town of
Oakland, nestled among the oaks on
the West Orange Trail at Oakland
Town Center, will be a dynamic hub
for community activity. The center’s
grand opening has been delayed
due to COVID-19; however, final
touches continue on the building’s
exterior signage and interior gallery.
Hours of operation for the center will
be announced at a later date.
n Ronald McDonald House
Charities reopens houses
Ronald McDonald House of
Charities of Central Florida reopened
its three houses in Orlando
on the campuses of AdventHealth
for Children, Orlando Health
Arnold Palmer Hospital for
Children, and Orlando Health
Winnie Palmer Hospital for
Women & Babies.
Due to the risk of COVID-19 this
past March, RMHCCF had to pause
accepting new families for the health
and safety of guest families and
staff. However, even during a pandemic,
cases of childhood illness
did not cease, and a small number
of families with critically ill children
remained at the Ronald McDonald
Houses with COVID-19 protocols in
place. When the houses closed in
July because of confirmed positive
cases of the coronavirus, the guest
families were relocated to local hotels
at no cost to them. RMHCCF incurred
the costs of their stays.
NEWS & BUSINESS BRIEFS
Now, the houses are welcoming
families back in phases, starting
with a limited number of guests who
were moved to local hotels during
the closure. Although the houses are
reopening, RMHCCF’s volunteer programs
continue to be on hold until
further notice, including the Share-
A-Meal program that provides lunch
and dinner to families at all three
houses with the help of community
volunteers.
RMHCCF is in urgent need of community
support to continue to provide
care for families with a child facing a
serious illness. Supporters may make
a donation online, and gift cards for
local restaurants and grocery stores
are needed.
For more information, visit www.
mhccf.org.
n Second Harvest receives
needed donation
Second Harvest Food Bank of
Central Florida was awarded a
$69,000 grant from The Darden
Foundation to provide hunger relief
to local families. As COVID-19 drives
food insecurity in Central Florida,
the funding allows Second Harvest
to sustain its emergency response.
“We’ve served Central Florida
through many disasters, but nothing
compares to what we’re seeing
from this pandemic,” said Dave
Krepcho, president and CEO of
Second Harvest. “This funding will
mean hope for many hardworking
families who saw their livelihoods
erased essentially overnight. Thanks to
The Darden Foundation, we’ll be able
to purchase more food for distribution
and support our neighbors in a time of
unprecedented need.”
Since mid-March, when businesses
and theme parks shut down to curb
the spread of COVID-19, Second
Harvest has doubled its daily distribution
to keep pace with a rising need
for hunger relief. Now the organization
distributes enough food to provide
300,000 meals a day.
compiled by Lauren Salinero
For more information, visit www.
feedhopenow.com.
n CFHLA Foundation awards
scholarships
submitted by Central Florida Hotel
and Lodging Association
Each year, officials of the Central
Florida Hotel and Lodging
Association awards scholarships
to exceptional high school and college
students pursuing degrees related
to the hospitality industry. This
year, CFHLA was able to present 14
new scholarships totaling $75,000
to Central Florida students attending
Valencia College and the UCF Rosen
College of Hospitality Management.
Scholarships given out this year included
a full-ride scholarship to the
UCF Rosen College of Hospitality
Management presented to Michael
Marcinko of Timber Creek High
School. CFHLA is proud to support
local students and congratulates
all of the 2020 CFHLA Hospitality-
Student Scholarship Recipients.
n After-school openings at
Boys & Girls Clubs
Boys & Girls Clubs of Central
Florida is now registering children
ages 6–18 for its after-school programs
in Orange, Lake, Seminole,
Osceola and Brevard counties.
Spaces are available at most of the
organization’s club locations, and
the fee is $30 for the entire school
year.
Clubs have adopted strict protocols
to protect club members and
staff:
• All children and staff are temperature
checked upon entering
the club and must wear face masks
while inside the club.
• The child-to-staff ratio has been
reduced to 9:1, to allow for 6 feet of
social distancing at all times.
• Hand-washing and disinfecting
of common areas follow a strict
schedule.
• Deep cleaning takes place daily.
Also, programming has been
adapted to allow for social distancing
and falls under the categories
of Academic Excellence,
Good Character & Citizenship, and
Healthy Lifestyles. Most clubs remain
open from after school until 7
p.m., but closing times may vary by
location.
A list of club locations and contact
information can be found at www.
bgccf.org/locations. Parents interested
in registering their child(ren)
should contact the relevant club location
directly or call 407-841-6855.
n CARES Act provides funds
to prevent eviction
In an effort to help curb the onslaught
of possible evictions due
to the COVID-19 pandemic, the
Orange County Board of County
Commissioners unanimously approved
the Orange County COVID-19
Eviction Diversion Program. The $20
million program launched last month
is funded by the Federal CARES
Act monies that are allotted locally.
Of the $20 million allocated, $5.7
million is from the Florida Housing
CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Funds.
The income-based program is designed
to help the most vulnerable
tenants who are in imminent danger
of eviction due to COVID-19 and
provides the property owner with an
alternative to eviction. The Orange
County COVID-19 Eviction Diversion
Program will provide up to $4,000
in past due rent.
An application is available online
at www.ocfl.net/evictiondiversion.
Visit the website to also view tenant
eligibility criteria. The tenant or
landlord can initiate the application
process; however, both must agree
to participate.
BUSINESS BRIEFS
West Orange Chamber of
Commerce representatives held a
ribbon-cutting for the grand opening
of Matthew’s Hope Chest
Creations in Winter Garden.