Enoch Davis Center celebrates 36 years of community service

BY ALLEN A. BUCHANAN, Staff Writer

ST. PETERSBURG –The third annual Pamper St. Pete event could not have come at a better time as the effects of Hurricane Irma still lingered after the storm’s initial collision with the Tampa Bay area.

The Enoch Davis Recreation Center invited the community to celebrate the center’s 36th anniversary on Sept. 16 with a day of pampering, and the community showed up in droves.

The event included free personal care goodie bags, massages, nail care, blood pressure checks, diabetes screening, vision screening, hearing screening, haircuts, clothing, a three-course meal, games, prizes and much more.

“This event brings in various vendors just to show our appreciation for the community where they can come in and get stress relieved from everyday life,” said Marci T. Reedy, recreation center supervisor of Lake Vista.

Citizens packed the center’s lobby area where women could get their fingernails polished and children could get their faces painted. Warm meals were served all day in the auditorium to accommodate community members who were still without power and others who lost food due to lack electricity.

Reedy’s role at the event was to talk to families and individuals about the variety of afterschool programs offered that includes affordable licensed childcare.

“We have elementary school age programs as well as a middle school age program,” said Reedy.

Amazing Hair and Braiding’s Tenise Crum said that her company teamed with Pamper St. Pete because of their love for the community. They offered free manicures and nail polishing for those interested.

Cortiva Institute instructor Heather Grey joined in with her volunteer students to provide 15-minute massages for the non-stop flow of people. Students at Cortiva receive training in Swedish Massage, Trigger Point Therapy, Positional Release, Muscle Energy Techniques and Myofascial Release Therapy.

“It’s been pretty solid busy this year and we had a continual flow whereas last year we had a lot of wait time between citizens,” said Grey, who relayed that the institute has relocated to 2370 34th St. N.

This year, the students massaged 64 tired backs.

An Arts Conservatory For Teens representative was also at the event to talk to teens about their arts program, which includes drama, music theater, dance, media production and visual arts.

In addition to the warm meals provided in the kitchen by Heavy D’s Food Truck, Feeding Tampa Bay volunteers were on hand passing out free meals to the community still in the dark or who had no resources to otherwise purchase a meal.

India Johnson and Brandy Walker originated the Pamper St. Pete event four years ago to give back to the community for all they do to help the center fulfill its mission.

About the Enoch Davis Center

The Enoch Davis Center celebrated 36 years of service on Sept. 13. It was built in 1981 and named after Rev. Enoch D. Davis, a longtime activist and civic leader with a mission to make the community a great place to live. The center is a multiservice center that houses human service agencies, legal services, social services, multipurpose rooms and other amenities.

To reach Allen Buchanan, email abuchanan@theweeklychallenger.com