ABOUT US
Assist individuals, with emphasis on youth and young adults, businesses, and communities with self-sustainability efforts through educational opportunities, training, and collaborative partnerships.
The Front Porch communities were designated through the State’s Front Porch Initiative, which originated in 1999. The Initiative was designed to revitalize designated Florida communities through local residents’ grass-roots approach. The designation included 20 communities throughout Florida, selected through an application process that involved community input, and a comprehensive community needs assessment. A major benefit of the designation was that special funding considerations and tax credits were provided to organizations, agencies, and programs which directly served specific populations within Front Porch designated communities. The designated communities are well known for high levels of poverty, unemployment, crime, and illiteracy.
Recognized as the Front Porch Revitalization Council from 1999 to 2004, the organization whose mission is to assist individuals, with emphasis on youth and young adults, businesses, and communities with self-sustainability efforts through educational opportunities, training, and collaborative partnerships, renamed and reestablished itself as Front Porch Community Development Association, Inc., and in 2004, received its nonprofit 501(c)3 designation.
Since inception in 1999, the organization has facilitated and managed over millions in funding for diverse programs and projects that enhance and empower communities.
Although state funding of the Front Porch Initiative terminated in 2007, today, two decades later, the organization continues to conduct business as a functioning independent organization striving for continued sustainability, by building and maintaining wonderful partnerships and relationships with reputable agencies, businesses, and organizations, throughout.
Front Porch CDA, Inc. is a community driven, reputable, reliable, and respectable organization, whose growth and accomplishments exhibits the capacity and the ability to provide effective, proficient projects-programs, as well as the display of verifiable fiduciary responsibility.
FRONT PORCH EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Lolita Dash-Pitts, was hired by the State of Florida in 2001 to represent the Front Revitalization Council as the Community Liaison. However in 2005, the position was re-titled to Executive Director of Front Porch Community Development Association, Inc.
In addition to representing the organization as the Executive Director, from 2011 to 2015, Lolita also represented the organization in the capacity of Community Health Worker (CHW).
Shortly thereafter, she received her Florida certification as an independent Certified Community Health Worker (CCHW), and documented by certification date, to be the first Community Health Worker (CHW) to be certified in Florida.
During her present twenty year plus tenure at Front Porch, Lolita has worked in various capacities, which include, but are not limited to: Educational Trainer, Program Manager, Facilitator, Grant Writer, Lay Health Advisor, Program/Project Coordinator, Training Director, and Legislative Representative.
With nearly thirty years of experience in community development and organizing, Ms. Dash-Pitts also has extensive experience and knowledge of non profit grant writing and program/project management.
A native Floridian, as well as a business owner, whose business is registered as a certified Disadvantaged Minority/Disadvantaged Women Business Enterprise (DM/DWBE), as a certified Small Business Enterprise (SBE), and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), in the State of Florida-Dept. of Management Services, as a Women Minority Business Enterprise (WMBE), as a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB), and as a Economically Disadvantaged-Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB).
Ms. Dash-Pitts is very committed to the communities she serves and her compassion to her community is unwavering.