Project aims to help homeless students

By MARILYN D. CARPENTER CORRESPONDENT
Published Sunday, June 1, 2008 in the Herald Tribune

When Ana Romillo gets behind a project, expect things to start happening. No one knows that better than her friends Coleen Hensley, Steve and Patricia Nemazie, and Ted and Gail Quigley, who met with her in the summer of 2005 when they decided they wanted to form an organization to help teenagers and young adults with substance abuse and life-altering problems that could leave them homeless.

INFORMATION
To become a partner or to make a donation, go to restorationroads.org, call 204-4180 or send donations to Restoration Roads Ministry Inc., P.O. Box 511056, Punta Gorda, FL 33951.

In addition, Dr. Lucy Garner, the homeless youth and family liaison for the Charlotte County public schools, had been encouraging Romillo for several years to establish a home for the "unaccompanied youths" who are in the schools. These are mostly teenagers without a parent or legal guardian who are living in the woods, in cars or moving from friends' homes to other homes.

As of May 28, Garner had 89 documented cases. She said they are part of almost 380 children identified as "students in transition," meaning they have no regular home, move frequently or are living in inadequate housing.
Romillo is well-known in Charlotte County for her service with numerous charitable and public service organizations, especially as former executive director and current chief financial officer of the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition. She took on these new challenges.

By October 2005, Restoration Roads Ministry Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, was formed with Romillo as president, Ted Quiqley as vice president, Hensley as secretary, Patricia Nemazie as treasurer, Steve Nemazie as marketing manager and the Rev. Sal LoPriore as board pastor. Other board members are Ron Bacon, Leif Olandese, Debbie LoPriore, Gail Quigley and Garfield Villafana.

Romillo began applying for grants with the intent of renting a large home to provide stable housing where the young residents would also receive emotional, physical and spiritual support and counseling, academic and work-skills guidance and opportunities, and life-management training.

In December, Restoration Roads Ministry received a grant for $980,000 from Charlotte County. Romillo forged ahead and began negotiating to purchase a 7,500-square-foot residence at the corner of Stillwater Street and Harbor Boulevard in Port Charlotte that she had been eyeing for a year.

Restoration Roads Ministry closed on the property in February. Three weeks ago, Al Holmes of Port Charlotte, the owner of Horizon Homes of Southwest Florida, and his crew began renovations. They have gutted the inside of the building in preparation for 18 new bedrooms and three multiperson baths on the second floor and a large kitchen, activity rooms, classrooms, offices and a house parents' apartment on the first floor.

This first project, under the auspices of Restoration Roads Ministry, is named Still Waters Home, based on the "still waters" of Psalm 23.

It will become home to up to 18 homeless children between the ages of 14 to 18 who are determined to finish school and have been recommended by the Charlotte County School District.

Steve Nemazie said Restoration Roads is already working on a second project."We are currently in negotiations to purchase a home in Lee County to shelter young adults aging out of the foster care system who need housing so that they can finish high school or begin college or technical training in order to ultimately be successful living on their own," he said.

Funding is needed for the continuing operation of Still Waters. Nemazie said the organization hopes that 300 families will partner with them by committing to donate $50 per month.

Our purpose is to provide young adults with an effective and comprehensive Christian faith based solution to life-controlling drug and alcohol problems in order to become productive members of society.  By applying basic biblical principles, Restoration Roads Ministry, Inc. endeavors to help people become mentally sound, emotionally balanced, socially adjusted, physically well, and spiritually alive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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