I’m delighted to be Parker Street Ministries’ 2022-2023 Chair of the Board. I began volunteering in 2003 and joined the Board in 2007. When I first learned about Parker Street Ministries and had an up close and personal tour of the neighborhood, I knew I had to be all in.
When this work began in the late 1990s, the area was an impoverished, dangerous neighborhood that held little beauty, was filled with brokenness, high unemployment, and fractured families with no hope. Over the years, we have been blessed to have extraordinary people partner with us and our neighborhood families to change the landscape and the lives of residents by pursuing healthy community. Together, we have represented Christ and His salvation and fostered lifetime learning so all can reach their full potential. The streets are even safer and more beautiful. You are a part of this excellent work!
My connection with this neighborhood goes back to the 1950s when my family moved to Lakeland, and we joined the downtown church that used to inhabit the Parker Street Ministries buildings. We made friends in this neighborhood, roller-skated in the gym, and had Sunday School in the classrooms. I am compelled to serve here because I want residents to find what I found growing up — I want them to know the hope and the future that can be found only through Jesus Christ.
We thank you for your support, and we invite you to become more involved. What can you do to make a difference? I’m sure your personal and spiritual gifts are different than mine, but all gifts are needed. There is a place for you here; come be a part of this growing and beautiful story!
Blessings to you, Teresa Bray, Chair, Board of Trustees
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Parker Street Ministries (PSM) is a 501c3 nonprofit in Lakeland, Florida that follows a Gospel-centered model characterized by living, listening, affirming dignity, and building community together in and through the Parker Street neighborhood. For more than two decades, PSM’s vision has been to see a city transformed by the power of the Gospel through building champions who make possible desirable neighborhoods, lifetime learners, financial sustainability, and healthy communities for all.