[0:11] Welcome to another episode of Sanford Says. I'm Lisa Holder, Communications

[0:15] and Marketing Manager for the City of Sanford. And today I have with me

[0:18] Commissioner Kerry Wiggins. Hello Commissioner.

[0:21] » How you doing? How you doing? >> I'm I'm doing well, and you?

[0:24] » I am wonderful. Wonderful. >> It's so great to have you here at City

[0:27] Hall in the Communications office on our podcast on your podcast. We got to talk

[0:32] about some really great things you have going on in the community. You always

[0:35] have some incredible opportunities for everybody, all ages. And particularly

[0:40] because we're almost at the start of school this year already. Can you

[0:44] believe this? It's like almost the end of end of end of July. But so you always

[0:48] do your back-to-school >> Yes.

[0:49] » event amongst other wonderful things the Commissioner does in the city for our

[0:54] youth and for our adults. Can you tell us a little bit about your famous

[0:58] back-to-school event? >> [laughter]

[1:00] » this week, you know, lining up with my

[1:03] monthly meeting, which I have the fourth Thursday of every month at the Dr.

[1:06] William Wright Community Center. Like Lisa said, end of the month, we'll

[1:11] go back in July, and we'll come and have our big bash where, you know, everybody

[1:16] does the backpacks and the school supplies and things of that nature. And

[1:19] that's I want to be able to to partner with

[1:22] others and do something that I can give as much information as I could to the

[1:26] community as a whole, the parents, the grandparents, whoever may be raising

[1:29] that child. So we teamed up with Seminole County

[1:33] Public Schools. This is going to be our sixth annual, and they're going to be

[1:37] out. But what we're going to do first, we'll have our meeting at 6:00.

[1:41] Our normal community meeting will be from 6:00 to 7:00.

[1:44] Over in the gym at 6:30, they're going to actually start the back-to-school

[1:48] event where they have a table set up. The whole gym will be packed. All of the

[1:52] surrounding schools that's on this flyer, which they can go to the website

[1:55] and pick it up, right? >> sure.

[1:56] » And all of those different schools will be there. If you know anyone that child

[2:01] is attending the school, but also transportation and

[2:05] uh Red Dining Services is going to be there as well.

[2:08] Um we got different programs that are going

[2:12] to be from the district that'll be there and actually each year grows big and

[2:16] bigger. Uh Mr. Henderson, who runs the Westside Community Center, I was just

[2:20] talking before I got here. We're telling people we have no room. I mean, we're

[2:24] we're which is a great thing. Uh we are getting so packed with folks wanting to

[2:29] come in and give resources, give information that is a win all all. Now,

[2:35] with that being said, remember what I said, the fourth Thursday of every month

[2:40] I have my community meeting at the Dr. B.L. Westside Community Center, which

[2:43] starts at 6:00 p.m. So, please, other than in November and December, because

[2:49] it falls on the holiday, so I do it the third Thursday of the month. And in

[2:53] November, we have a Thanksgiving meal, where we feed the community. And then in

[2:59] December, we have our back we have our big bash for for Christmas. Last year,

[3:04] we might have given away in partnership with numerous folks, Lake Mary Church

[3:07] being the biggest one. Uh we might have gave away

[3:11] at least 1,200 gro- excuse me, 1,200 gifts, excuse me. Uh and all the kids

[3:17] that left had two to three gifts. So, I am excited about all the things

[3:21] that we got going on. >> Yes, that's great. And so, it's

[3:25] Thursday, July 23rd, that's next week. And like the commissioner said,

[3:30] he can he holds these monthly meetings all the time at at the Westside

[3:34] Community Development Center and Community Center, and we have all the

[3:38] departments involved there. They'll be there if you need questions answered.

[3:42] Police and fire code enforcement, Community Development Block Grant, we

[3:45] have Parks and Rec Planning, the the Public Works Utilities crews

[3:50] will be there. So, there's um the commissioner has city employees there

[3:54] access for you to ask questions and they share the updates. So, it's really

[3:57] something really important to do. It's every month like the commissioner said

[4:01] and also particularly this July 23rd is the back to school event

[4:05] where you have I mean there's from what it looks like we have the most schools

[4:09] in the county in the city of Sanford and you're talking about high school, middle

[4:13] school level, and elementary school. So, it's all you know back to school.

[4:17] Parents come on out and bring your kids and take advantage of these great

[4:20] opportunities that you have uh here and your partner with the police department

[4:24] will be there and they'll share stuff. >> Seminole County

[4:27] uh health department, uh True Health uh again, but the plus is

[4:33] these organizations come to my meeting once a month already.

[4:37] » Mhm. >> And so, when you come to my meeting, you

[4:39] don't just come and get information from uh the the city staff, but you also have

[4:44] the different uh folks that come in from the school board. You know, we have some

[4:47] of our school board members uh that come. Uh Rosalind Geary's there all the

[4:51] time. Uh and that's why I tell people about her all uh you know, and this is

[4:55] not me pushing for her, but this is something that's just straight up. She

[4:59] doesn't just, you know, come when it's time to run. Uh Rosalind Geary's there

[5:02] all the time, you know, and sometimes Christine's there with her and and Robin

[5:06] Dellinger, you know, and so we have information

[5:10] that covers anything you might need when you come to my meeting.

[5:15] » Right. >> If you know someone that does not

[5:19] have social media, could you please just spread the word

[5:23] and let them know all the things that we got going on in this And here's the

[5:25] kicker, I say this all the time. You do not have to live in District 2

[5:30] to come to my meeting. Come to the meeting and see if there's

[5:33] something I'm quite sure you come and something that you're going to be able

[5:35] to learn. And if you have issues and things that needs to be heard from the

[5:38] city manager to the different heads of the departments, they're all there. So,

[5:42] you're able to talk to someone so that we can see what we can do to help.

[5:47] » Right. And so we're coming out into the community. We you don't have to come to

[5:50] city hall, make appointments with people. You know that this happens every

[5:53] month. >> Yes.

[5:54] » Literally the staff wait after the meeting and even to talk with people

[5:58] you know. So if you don't want to ask a question in front of everybody, you're

[6:01] able to go off to the side and talk to staff. And then also we have it live

[6:04] streamed on YouTube on the YouTube channel. So

[6:07] that's important that you can tune in also. And just a lot of it is learning

[6:13] and educating yourself on city programs >> and services as well. And not only

[6:16] access to these wonderful programs with the school district and with the

[6:20] commissioner leads, but also just for yourself. You know, knowledge is power

[6:25] as we would say. >> Yeah.

[6:27] » And so but there's a lot going on in the Westside Community Center. I know that

[6:32] you have in District 2. We have the financial academy with

[6:35] » Yes. >> Habitat for Humanity. We we did a

[6:37] podcast recently about that. That's this coming up Saturday

[6:40] » Yes. >> and the public can

[6:41] » Because I mean actually we did a wall raising

[6:45] with them a week ago. We got 19 homes. It's going to be a subdivision that

[6:50] they're going to be building and it's awesome because

[6:54] there's other homes that are coming. You know that again over where Castle

[6:58] Brew was. You know, we will be breaking ground at the either end of this year

[7:02] beginning of next year. Uh where we're going to have 60 uh

[7:08] senior living and then we have 60 other units that will be what you and I could

[7:13] even you know, we could be able to afford to stay. That's going to be mixed

[7:17] living. That's going to be single family.

[7:18] » Okay. >> So that's going to be 180 units.

[7:21] Goldsboro in District 2 is you know, rocking yeah, you know. And I

[7:26] thank God to be in this position to do this. You know, just even last week like

[7:30] you said, what I do in this position I try to make sure everybody that wants to

[7:36] be involved to help >> Mhm.

[7:38] » is always welcome. I don't want anybody that's going to come and try to fight to

[7:42] again just come to make noise. But if you want

[7:46] to come to be able to help make things better in our community, you are always

[7:50] welcome. Last week and and people know my passion for the youth. Last week we

[7:55] did our big food giveaway. We do food giveaway with my brothers Mark and Ryan

[7:59] with the Picnic Project. They're the co-founders of the Picnic Project. We do

[8:02] that once a month. And we do about 60 to 70 families with the smaller ones.

[8:07] But then we do two big ones one in in July or June one of the months

[8:12] of the summer and then we'll do another one in December at the Salvation Army.

[8:16] One in July is at Allen Chapel. The one in December is at Salvation Army.

[8:22] Last week with the big one we had the football team out there. SPD controlled

[8:27] the traffic. We had Allen Chapel and their members

[8:31] that were there to support the cause. And with that we were able to give away

[8:37] 30 33,000 pounds of groceries to 350 families

[8:43] and almost a little over 13

[8:49] hundred citizens. And out there that I didn't realize and someone on social

[8:54] media made a comment a parent was like you guys did that in a few hours out

[8:59] there in 105 degrees. Those young men again and I commend

[9:04] Coach Calhoun which is the head football coach at Sumter on high school for

[9:08] getting his staff the guys out there to support the cause.

[9:12] This is how we planned on using building community. I don't have all the answers.

[9:18] I don't know it all, but I try to make sure that I put myself around men and

[9:23] women that are trying to do the same thing

[9:27] so that we can compliment each other to make things better.

[9:30] » Right. And that's what community is all about.

[9:33] » Yes, ma'am. >> And so Christian Wiggins certainly knows

[9:36] how to lead that and show show up for all of the community and with these back

[9:41] to school events that you sixth annual you have your food drive food giveaway

[9:46] and your monthly meetings. And so we just thought we'd have this episode

[9:49] today to share with you what Commissioner Wiggins is doing just very

[9:53] briefly right now and the summertime and then there's some great things

[9:58] happening. So again if you have students that are high school age all the way

[10:02] down to elementary so please come out next Saturday to the back to school

[10:05] event. >> Next Thursday.

[10:07] » Next Thursday, sorry. Next Thursday Saturday's the the the financial

[10:10] academy. That too come on out for that but what I'm what I'm getting at is that

[10:15] building that location is a hub for excellence where there's so much to be

[10:20] offered and and so please take advantage of that and if that's what builds

[10:25] community and you get to meet your neighbor when you come out to these

[10:28] things too as well. So um >> And something you said at least too with

[10:33] Habitat for Humanity's doing on that. Guys if you know someone that needs help

[10:38] one thing about it where they always tell me and I've talked to the CEO

[10:41] numerous times of and she said to me that you know we want

[10:46] because my first thing is yeah we want to put people in those

[10:49] Habitat homes but I prefer if it's in Sanford for Sanford citizens to have the

[10:53] first priority. We have to make sure that we come out

[10:57] and we get the assistance and the help. And if you don't qualify this time and

[11:02] you need some work then they're willing to work with you to

[11:05] help make sure that you can get what you need. So please if you know someone send

[11:09] them on out. Uh the flyer should be on the

[11:12] will the flyer be on our website? >> website social media all that cuz you do

[11:15] have to register before you attend. And there's free breakfast.

[11:18] » Yeah so please spread the word so that we can get people out there and about

[11:23] because again everybody does the social media everybody that might not see this

[11:27] spread the word so people know so that we We'll be each other.

[11:31] » Right. And if you need help that's where you're going to learn how to get the

[11:34] help and where to get the help so you can try next time and all of that. And

[11:37] so um cuz we know it certainly affordable housing is not going away in

[11:41] the city of Sanford. We're going to continue working to push that initiative

[11:44] ahead. >> Yes, ma'am.

[11:46] » Is there anything else you'd like to say, Commissioner Wiggins? Thank you for

[11:48] stopping by in your busy day. I mean >> I think

[11:51] » [laughter] >> well, I I I

[11:52] again just thank you guys for this opportunity. Uh and what you guys do to

[11:57] allow us to be able to put things out for the

[12:00] citizens to be able to know. Uh you know, I don't I don't do the the

[12:05] well, with the Facebook, I don't do a lot of responding on Facebook. This

[12:08] gives me an opportunity to tell folks if they can't see me face-to-face. But I'm

[12:12] always open um for ideas and willing to meet again to sit down that

[12:18] to talk if we're going to be able to come

[12:21] together to help make things better. I don't know everything.

[12:24] » Right. >> And I'm not ashamed to say that. But

[12:27] again, I'm not going to uh uh come in to fight with anyone about doing things

[12:33] that has been working. If you show me it's not working, then we can find a

[12:37] better solution. Let's do it. I have no problem with that

[12:40] at all. >> Right. Right. I see local government

[12:43] closest to the people, and that's why you have your elected official here. You

[12:47] know, you have concerns, questions, or you just want to say good job to some of

[12:52] the staff or what the city's doing. Sometimes you like to hear the good, you

[12:55] know, that pat on the back, "Great job you're doing." you know?

[12:58] So, um you can always find the commissioner's contact information on

[13:02] the website, but um best way is email

[13:05] kerry.wiggins@sanfordfl.gov.

[13:08] There's other ways to reach the commissioner. But um on our website at

[13:11] sanfordfl.gov, please visit. You can also find out to see who is your elected

[13:16] official. If you put in your address on the city website, you can determine who

[13:20] is whose district you're living in. And so, um these are challenging and

[13:25] important times, and we we love the engagement with the community and it's

[13:29] important that you ask questions and get involved so everybody's educated all the

[13:33] way around and you understand why the city does the things that they do and

[13:36] why they offer these great programs as well. There's a lot of good stuff here

[13:40] so um thank you Commissioner Williams for

[13:43] stopping by really appreciate you. >> Thank you guys for having me.

[13:46] » All right. This is Lisa Holder, Communications and Marketing Manager for

[13:50] the City of Sanford. Thank you for listening to Sanford says and you can

[13:53] find this podcast wherever you subscribe to your favorite podcast and on the city

[13:57] website at sanfordfl.gov. Thank you. Have a great day now.

[14:02] Bye-bye.

Sanford Says: Back to School & Community Updates with Commissioner Kerry S. Wiggins, Sr.

Transcript