Kindness Matters: no act of kindness is too small

MOUNT DORA FIREFIGHTER LOSES APARTMENT TO FIRE

6/10/2020

In a strange twist of fate, a young Mount Dora firefighter had to sit on the sidelines as flames tore through his apartment building last month. On May 29, Kristian Williams wasn’t home when he received a video showing his Oviedo apartment building fully engulfed in flames.

The 24-year-old Homestead native rushed to the scene and stood helpless, watching as local firefighters battled the blaze at the three-story, 50-unit Park Place apartment building.

Williams joined Mount Dora Fire Department in December, 2018, and immediately felt a deep connection to the community and the department. He’s best known to residents as the caring firefighter/paramedic that was photographed in April rescuing a tiny duckling from a storm drain in a Publix parking lot.

Lightning is suspected to be the cause of the apartment building fire that started around 10:30 p.m. The raging flames, which crews battled for hours, left an estimated fifty percent of the building destroyed and caused structural damage so severe that the building will be demolished. As a result, over 40 residents were reportedly displaced and Williams was among them. Despite the size of the blaze, no injuries were reported.

Williams considers himself fortunate that he was able to retrieve a few undamaged items, but many families were left with nothing. The kind-hearted public servant described the family across the hall from him that lost everything, so he set up a GoFundMe account to raise funds for them, himself and the other residents affected by the tragedy to help cover the costs of replacing essentials and relocation. Anyone wishing to help can go to the GoFundMe here.

Williams recently moved into temporary housing in Mount Dora where he plans to take time to get on his feet before planting new roots in the city where he serves.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here.

ABOVE: Williams' burned apartment building. (photo by Kristian Williams)

ABOVE: Williams with the rescued duckling in the storm drain.

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ADVENTHEALTH TEAMS TAKE A KNEE FOR "WHITE COATS FOR BLACK LIVES" CAMPAIGN

6/5/2020

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It was a unifying sight across Central Florida hospitals today. AdventHealth physicians, nurses and other team members across Central Florida, including Lake County, took a knee together for almost nine minutes. The minutes of silent reflection was in solidarity with other healthcare professionals across the nation as part of the White Coats for Black Lives campaign.
The nationwide movement is centered on combatting:

higher rates of disease among Black communities,
higher barriers of entry to the health care industry for Black individuals,
lower rates of Black medical students, and
the fear among Black individuals to seek medical care.

All AdventHealth team members were welcome to join in kneeling for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in remembrance of George Floyd and countless others. Those who participated maintained social distance, wore masks and were encouraged to share photos as an expression of support online with #WhiteCoatsForBlackLives.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here.

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MOUNT DORA HOSTS "PEACE, LOVE & UNITY" WALK ON JUNE 6

6/3/2020

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Mount Dorans will come together this Saturday for a “Peace, Love and Unity Walk.” The public is invited to attend this peaceful grassroots event organized by a diverse group of local residents. City Councilmember Crissy Stile, downtown business owner Henry Ollendick, and Pastor Bobby Rowe of Saving Faith Baptist Church in Mount Dora collaborated on the effort.

“Instead of a protest demonstration, we chose to have a peaceful unity walk in support of equality for all,” said Stile.

Mount Dora Police Chief Robert Bell and other officers will be joining in the walk to show their support of equality.

“The goal of this walk is to start the healing process of us coming together in love, peace and unity,” said Rowe, who is active in the city's Northeast Community and attended Mount Dora Middle School and Mount Dora High School.

The walk will begin at 10 a.m. on June 6 at the intersection of Donnelly Street and Jackson Avenue across from the Pine Woods Cemetery. The short route will feature a brief stop for prayer and comments before the walk finishes back at its starting point. Participants can park in the Church of Christ parking lot at 1801 N. Donnelly Street or along the side streets.

Stile said she hopes that other City officials and downtown business owners will join residents in the walk. She advises participants to maintain appropriate social distancing due to COVID-19 concerns. For additional information, please contact Crissy Stile at [email protected] or 352-735-1950.

For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, click here.

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