ORLANDO, Fla. – In the heart of Parramore, the New Image Youth Center stands as a beacon of hope and opportunity for children and young adults from kindergarten to 24 years old. Founded by Dr. Shanta Barton-Stubbs, this after-school program has been a safe haven for the community for 20 years.

“We are known as the good in the hood,” said Dr. Barton-Stubbs. “It is always our goal to provide a safe haven for the youth and to make sure they are excelling in certain areas such as academics, social development, health and wellness. We have a crisis intervention program and social justice.”

The center, which began with a simple game of Monopoly, has grown into a vital community resource.

“What I was doing at the time was playing a game of Monopoly with four children. And those kids began to come back every day and ask for me. So here we are 20 years later. It’s not like I chose this 100%, but it definitely chose me,” Dr. Barton-Stubbs said.

Her mission to give kids a safe place after school where they can get tutoring and a snack comes with a price tag that grows every year.

Tee up Diana Riley and her organization, Swinging with Purpose.

After retiring early from a successful career in the insurance industry, Riley moved to Orlando and turned her passion for golf into a mission to support grassroots organizations. Her initiative, Swinging with Purpose, aims to support women, girls, and children.

“I’m very passionate about the game,” Diana shared. “Having played for over 30 years, I was blessed to retire early and give back to the community.”

The organization has been instrumental in raising funds for grassroots initiatives.

“Our mission is always to look out for the grassroots communities. Those organizations, they don’t have the bandwidth to ensure that most of the larger organizations do to be able to tap into the golf philanthropic dollars. So our goal is to be the face of those organizations, to advocate for them, to make the community aware that these organizations exist,” Riley explained.

Her first golf tournament was a resounding success, raising $100,000 in grants for five organizations, including $50,000 last year that was given to New Image Youth Center.

A Partnership for Change

Barton-Stubbs says that money allowed them to celebrate a 20th summer in Parramore. She acknowledges the impact of Riley and Swinging with Purpose on her center.

Riley explained New Image Youth Center is the poster child for who they are looking to help.

“She was this small organization, true grassroots. There is no better description of grassroots than the New Image Youth Center. And what she does to these 60-plus kids that she serves there, and a lot of people didn’t know about her. So that is exactly who we look for and who we want to help,” Riley said.

In a world that often feels divided, the partnership between New Image Youth Center and Swinging with Purpose exemplifies the power of community and compassion.

“And the climate in the world that we’re living in now, we really need to focus on being able to nurture each other, show love, show that compassion and just being able to build up communities and not tear them down,” Barton-Stubbs said.

Together, they are making a difference, one child at a time.

Swinging With Purpose is holding an event to raise money for New Image Youth Center and other non-profits.

It will take place on Monday, Feb. 24 at the Lake Nona Golf & Country Club

• Registration is at 9 a.m.

• Shotgun start is at 10:00 a.m.

Lots of celebrities will be on hand.

LPGA legend Nancy Lopez will be there as well as basketball great Grant Hill and former NFL standout and Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson.

You can find out more about the event by going to their website www.swingingwithpurpose.org.

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