Dear Commons Community,

The Tangelo Park Program defines a new kind of philanthropy. Funding is not allocated in the conventional sense of “funding;” rather it  provides services when the community identifies its needs.

The Tangelo Park Program began as a result of a grass roots program that attracted attention from local government, civic groups, and Mr. Harris Rosen, a generous local hotelier. In 1993, after a successful effort to reclaim their neighborhood from urban blight and drug dealers, Tangelo Park community leaders met with Mr. Rosen and the Orange County School Board Superintendent to discuss the possibility of a college scholarship program for Tangelo residents; together they established the Tangelo Park Pilot Program.

Multiple programs that greatly enrich the Tangelo Park community have since developed from the original Pilot  Program. These programs include the 2-3-4-Year-Old Program, Rosen Foundation Scholarship, Family Service Center, Parent Leadership Training Program and Cornell University Alternative Spring Break. These programs provide Tangelo Park students with valuable education services and assist families in matters such as health care, counseling and parenting skills.

To find out more about this incredible program, you can listen to 30-minute podcast interview featuring Mr. Rosen and my colleague, Chuck  Dziuban from the University of Central Florida.  The interview was conducted by John Kane and  Rebecca Mushtare from SUNY Oswego as part of their Tea for Teaching Series.

Well worth a listen.  We need more Harris Rosens in our communities.

Tony

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