Mt. Zion Human Services receives $5,000 donation

L-R, Mt. Zion Human Services Chairman of the Board Tom Hochhausler accepting a check from Robert Rubenstein, center, and Sen. Darryl Rouson

BY KARIN DAVIS-THOMPSON, Staff Writer

ST. PETERSBURG — Senator Darryl Rouson brought along some of his friends to church on First Sunday to Mt. Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church.

One such friend was Robert Rubenstein, founder of Rubenstein Law, a personal injury law firm headquartered in Miami. He presented a $5,000 check to the church’s human services initiative, whose goals are to help foster a healthy environment, strong economy and the well being of the people living in the community.

Mt. Zion Human Services strives to:

• Help children achieve superior outcomes in the areas of education and academic preparedness through tutoring, as well as social, physical, and spiritual development

• Aid parents and families in achieving family success, financial security and a basis of material, and spiritual wealth

• Work alongside private investors and public stakeholders in creating a competitive and attractive landscape of commercial and housing development

Rubenstein’s values align with the organization’s goals and said giving back to the community has always been important to his firm. He hopes his donation will allow Mt. Zion Human Services to continue its work in the community.

During the presentation, Rubenstein, who has law offices throughout the state of Florida, also told the congregation that Rouson has joined his firm and will be assisting in setting up a brand new office in St. Pete before the end of the year.

Along with the check presentation, Rouson and Rubenstein encouraged the congregation to vote.

“I won’t tell you who to vote for either, but I know we got a crazy guy in the White House, and we don’t want a crazy governor,” Rubenstein said at the Aug. 5 10 a.m. service. “We’d like to get the right people into office.”

He reminded the congregation that the last two governors’ races that put Rick Scott in office were only won by 60,000 votes, which is a small amount considering the millions of people in the state.

He urged everyone not just to vote, but to also bring 10 people along with them. With Mt. Zion’s 3,000 members that would calculate to 30,000 voters, half of what was needed to defeat Scott in the last two elections.

“Don’t ever think that your vote doesn’t count,” Rubenstein said. “Every vote makes a difference.”

Also joining Rouson was Jennifer Webb running for House District 69 in the Florida House of Representatives; Kionne McGhee, the incoming Florida House Democratic leader; State Rep. Janet Cruz running for the state senate in Tampa and the State Rep. Onkia Onfo.

After the presentation, Senior Pastor Rev. Louis Murphy Sr. thanked the group for the donation and echoed Rubenstein’s call for everyone to get out and vote.

“If you don’t know by now that voting really matters, then something is really wrong,” Murphy said.

He told the congregation that when the community doesn’t show up at the polls, it leads to who’s currently in Washington and Tallahassee.

For more information on the Mt Zion Human Services, call (727) 822-0443. To learn more about early voting for the Primary and General Elections, visit the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections Office website at www.votepinellas.com.