Connor Barry

Community News

The Community Paper •

Harbor House needs you!

The most important thing a neighbor can do is answer the door when you come knocking. Harbor House has been answering the door for women in need for 50 years.
On the surface, Harbor House may appear as a normal homeless shelter, but their impact is much bigger than that. As a resource for those who have experienced domestic violence, countless lives have been saved by their welcoming arms, and much of that is due to the time given by hardworking volunteers.
Volunteering with Harbor House is no e...
The Community Paper •

Calling all bird lovers

The Audubon Center for Birds of Prey has been quietly serving both the human and avian residents of Central Florida for over 40 years. Much of the hard work provided to continue their rehabilitation and rapport care efforts — as well as their community environmental education — has been generously donated by volunteers.
While they have been able to maintain a steady presence, the center is constantly searching for new volunteers.
Carrie Mohanna, the Audubon Center’s special projects coordinator,...
The Community Paper •

Serving the community together

What makes a community? Is it just a collection of houses? An area of town where people all live in close proximity and visit the same shops? Maybe it’s people who have something in common. Surely there is more to it than that. I think a community is a group of people who care about each other and about the spaces they share, and who work to support those around them to make their shared spaces better.
In our many Orlando communities, there are tons of groups working to do just that. For our ser...
The Community Paper •

Kaya focuses on sustainability, community and flavor

The team at Kaya has put considerable time and effort into making sure that community, sustainability and quality are at the core of what the Mills 50 restaurant does.
This means being mindful of everything from the origin of ingredients to the waste they produce.
Co-owner and chef Lordfer Lalicon said that even the building itself and the furniture inside were designed and created by locals and friends of his. 
For him, being sustainable doesn’t just mean in the environment but also within the...
The Community Paper - •

UF/IFAS Extension is done being a secret

Tucked away between warehouses near the Orlando International Airport is a garden oasis.
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Orange County is a little-known secret that works with the county to bring education and information to residents through a variety of classes and events.
“I don’t want to be a secret,” said Kevin Camm, Orange County Extension director. “Taxpayers are funding us, so we need to be there for them.”
That’s why over his nearly six ye...
The Community Paper - •

Praxis Submission Fighting sees success in first months

When I walked into Praxis Submission Fighting to interview Frankie Manalo and Meelo Campesino, the gym’s founders/coaches, I did not expect to walk out gasping for air and covered in sweat.
What started with a routine interview to profile a new business led to a generous invitation to join their next class and ended with me knocked on my back, pinned to the ground.
Praxis, a new combat gym, opened in Parramore in January and focuses on creating an open environment where people feel safe to learn...
The Community Paper - •

A community of pop-ups

Orlando is often lively with events and markets popping up across town. These pop-ups have something for everyone with things like crystals, vintage clothing, food, art and plants. Markets also serve as places for people to share their interests and build relationships around them.
Ashley Hallenbeck organizes one of the biggest pop-up markets in Orlando, Milk Mart. Held in the Milk District, Milk Mart offers a place for hundreds of vendors and thousands of shoppers to support local businesses. T...
The Community Paper - •

Milestones matter

Whether it’s opening day or day 4,353 (almost 12 years), keeping an organization running for any length of time is a huge accomplishment. In celebration of the many local businesses, organizations, nonprofits and public agencies reaching new milestones and working to reach their next milestone, The Community Paper will share some of their stories in print and online all month.
To start, we spoke to some founders, the people who started organizations ranging from just-about-to-open to hitting the...
The Community Paper - •

Growing through golf

Alfredo Ortiz’s eyes lit up as he spoke excitedly about seeing children play golf for the first time.
“It’s beautiful. We give them clubs … clothing, even shoes. Just to see their eyes and how they’re walking and carrying a bag that is bigger than them,” said Ortiz, the CEO of First Tee Central Florida. “You see in their eyes the feeling of, ‘Hey I can do this, I belong here too.’”
First Tee is a national organization, founded in 1997, to increase access to golf for all kids and to teach them li...
The Community Paper - •

SoDo community members voice support for Orlando shelters

Alan Levi woke up the day after a tense neighborhood association meeting, regretting his decision to not speak up.
The 30-year resident of Wadeview Park in SoDo attended the public meeting in March, where Commissioner Patty Sheehan and Director of Social Services Lisa Portelli answered questions on the proposal to convert the Kaley Street Work Release Center into a homeless shelter. The meeting saw the attendance of the Stop SoDo Shelter group, which ultimately helped to end proposals for the ne...
Watermark Out News •

Bereishis Foundation helps kids get the mental healthcare they need

The Good Page features positive LGBTQ+ news in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, uplifting and inspiring stories highlighting locals in our community. In this issue we learn about the Bereishis Foundation, a non-profit organization that pays for children suffering from mental health issues to go to therapy.


Founder of the Bereishis Foundation, Azirel Boymelgreen, says that Bereishis, meaning beginning, represents a chance to help children restart and begin anew through therapy. This was somethin...
Watermark Out News •

Goblin Market gives queer community a safe space to shop and more

The Good Page features positive LGBTQ+ news in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, uplifting and inspiring stories highlighting locals in our community. In this issue we learn about Goblin Market, a monthly pop-up market, usually hosted at the Oviedo Mall.


Over the last year the market, founded by artist Courtney Ring, has grown to become a massive third space for the queer community in Orlando with other events being sprinkled in like drag shows, fashion shows and even the occasional maid cafe....
The Community Paper - •

Sports league 8Coed helps adults keep playing

“Vamos, vamos, vamos!” shouted an onlooker as a group of 16 people played an 8v8 game of soccer next to the Central Florida Fairgrounds.
What might have, at first, looked like a regular pickup game, was actually the final round of an 8Coed Sports soccer championship.
Nathan Beauchesne, owner of 8Coed, sat by one of the goals, watching the action unfold.
“Kudos to anybody in their late 30s or 40s playing an agility sport like soccer,” Beauchesne said. “I can’t run side to side the way they do.”
B...
The Community Paper - •

Gamers connect through Gayming league

Video games are an outlet of connection for many, especially in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic. They provide a place to connect with others while allowing you to stay in the comfort of your home.
The Orlando Gayming League is providing a safe place to expand that connection beyond the screen.
“We’re trying to unite, celebrate diversity and empower positive change through gaming,” said Johan Colon-Sanchez, league president.
Originally founded as a program at The Center Orlando in January 2...
The Community Paper - •

Celebrating one year of College Park Laundry

Everyone needs clean clothes, but many don’t have the luxury of an in-house washer and dryer. It’s for this reason that businesses like the College Park Laundry are so important; they fulfill a need with the pride and care of a small business.
It’s filling this need with the help of his son that owner Carl Humphrey enjoys so much, and after a year of providing high-quality laundry services to College Park, he says that business is booming. 
“It’s been going good. My son and I work good together,...
The Community Paper •

Team Florida takes to the skies

Team Florida marched through the Orlando International Airport on June 19, with smiles and determination on their faces as they prepared to take flight toward the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota.
As each team of athletes, from tennis to flag football, walked through the terminal, they were met with cheers from a crowd of supporters wishing them luck. Athletes ran through the crowd high-fiving their fans. 
With nearly 170 athletes and 70 coaches, it was no small feat coordinating it...
The Community Paper - •

IDignity hosts annual memorial

Names echoed through Heritage Square Park on Dec. 17 as hundreds gathered during the annual IDignity memorial to honor the unhoused people who died this year. 
Members of IDignity took turns approaching the podium to read out the names of people within their community, as others placed a dove with each name on a Christmas tree.
After the reading of the names, friends of some who passed took turns sharing stories and anecdotes about them.
The memorial group then joined in prayer and continued on...
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