News, Man pumps $10 million into poor neighborhood, offering hope (Orlando: credit, daycare)

[JD59]

Can one person make a difference? Hotel owner Harris Rosen seems to have done so in one Florida community. The Orlando, Fla., multimillionaire, who grew up in a rough NYC neighborhood, has pumped $10 million over 20 years into impoverished Tangelo Park, Fla., funding free daycare, a scholarship program that pays college tuition, and a community center where families can take classes and get counseling.

Harris Rosen offers 10 million dollars to Tangelo Park, Florida

[StreetSmarts]

That's quite generous!

[lovfl]

WOW, that's remarkable. What a guy.

[DavieJ89]

Harris Rosen is a regular customer at my Publix. I see him all the time, very nice and down to earth guy. Doesn't flash his money either. He drives a 2007 Nissan Maxima

[bmw335xi]

That's great, but I have a feeling the center will be trashed within a year. It's the sad reality of helping poverty stricken areas from the outside.

[annerk]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

That's great, but I have a feeling the center will be trashed within a year. It's the sad reality of helping poverty stricken areas from the outside.

Not if he can get buy in from both official and unofficial community leaders. Hopefully they will do things like start an after-school program staffed by local teens (with an adult overseer) to create jobs and give latch key kids a safe and nurturing environment where they can do homework and have recreational activities.

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by annerk

Not if he can get buy in from both official and unofficial community leaders. Hopefully they will do things like start an after-school program staffed by local teens (with an adult overseer) to create jobs and give latch key kids a safe and nurturing environment where they can do homework and have recreational activities.

I hope it doesn't, but I have my doubts. Almost always when they build a beautiful park in a bad area, it gets trashed in less than a year.

[robert999]

Originally Posted by bmw335xi

I hope it doesn't, but I have my doubts. Almost always when they build a beautiful park in a bad area, it gets trashed in lesns than a year.

Mr Rosen dosn't get any publc credit for his generosity. You would hope the media would want a story like this to go publc nationally. It would be sad if his efforts were in vain. If all goes bad from such a large infusion of private money why would the tax payers ever want funds allocated to these types of communities?

.

[AONE]

The area has come a long way. People are taking care of the properties and the riff raff need not apply. It is a slow road to success but gains are being made. Values are rising and rents are increasing. It is a good thing.