{"id":271,"date":"2019-06-14T21:49:27","date_gmt":"2019-06-14T21:49:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/?p=271"},"modified":"2019-06-14T21:49:38","modified_gmt":"2019-06-14T21:49:38","slug":"noahs-ark-of-central-florida-empowering-people-who-have-developmental-disabilities-to-live-laugh-and-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/2019\/06\/14\/noahs-ark-of-central-florida-empowering-people-who-have-developmental-disabilities-to-live-laugh-and-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Noah\u2019s Ark of Central Florida \u2013 \u201cEmpowering people who have developmental disabilities to live, laugh and love\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Noah&#039;s Ark of Central Florida Outreach Video\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/DtmkP8Txsiw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tucked into a corner of Lakeland, Florida, is not just a community, it&#8217;s a family. It was a realization of a dream initiated by a small group of parents over 20 years ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It\u2019s called The Village at Noah\u2019s Landing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/noahsarkflorida.org\/\">Noah&#8217;s Ark<\/a> is 150% committed to empowering individuals who have developmental disabilities by advocating on their behalf and by providing or facilitating the choice of meaningful employment, recreational and social opportunities and affordable housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A little history lesson: In\nmid-1997, five families tried to envision what the future held for their\nintellectually\/developmentally disabled children. Where would they live? Who\nwould care for them? Would they have friends? Would they have a reasonable\nquality of life? Most importantly, how would they survive once their parents\nwere no longer around to take care of them?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The families wanted to find an\nexisting organization that took a holistic approach to providing a balanced\nlifestyle for their children. One that included a safe and affordable place to\nlive, daily activities that were fun and taught greater independent living\nskills, meaningful daytime activity either through employment or volunteering\nand a spiritual component all wrapped in a small-town community environment\nthat embraced individuals with disabilities for their abilities and gifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In mid-1997, Noah\u2019s Ark was\nfounded and another year committed to search, this time on a national basis,\nfor that \u201cperfect\u201d organization with a holistic approach. The community that\nwas closest to what the families of Noah\u2019s Ark envisioned was Lambs Farm, in\nLibertyville, Illinois. This was a campus community established in 1961, and,\nat the time, was only receiving about 20% of their revenues from the government\n(as compared to 80% to 90% with organizations in Florida).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1998, Noah\u2019s Ark completed its\nresearch of other residential service providers and communities across the\nUnited States. They clearly defined its mission and wrote its mission\nstatement. In 1999, a monthly activities program was established for its\nparticipants and a series of educational workshops for families began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2000, Noah\u2019s Ark worked\nclosely with the Exceptional Student Education Department of Polk County\nSchools to facilitate the creation of an innovative, high school level\ntransition class that was highly focused on preparing ESE students with the\nskills they need to survive in \u201ctheir world\u201d (public transportation, social\nsecurity, food stamps, vocational rehab, etc.), to elevate their job skills\nthrough hands-on experiences, and to get the students actually employed (not\njust ready for employment) before they exited the program. This public-private\npartnership has had up to a 90% success rate, as compared to only 7% from the\ntraditional high school transition programs. The Transition Program was named\nthe Best ESE Program in the State of Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2001, another partnership,\nthis one with the First United Methodist Church of Lakeland, was formed to\nbuild the first supported-living home. The church purchased, then donated three\n(3) residential lots to Noah\u2019s Ark and also donated some seed money to get\nconstruction started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In early 2002, construction was\nstarted on the first home using volunteers from both the church and Noah\u2019s Ark.\nNoah\u2019s Ark received significant community support from the Lakeland Rotary Club\nand other local area businesses. The first home was completed the very end of 2002\nand was completely built using volunteers and donations from the community\u2026 and\nhad no debt service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In early 2003, the first three\nresidents moved into Noah\u2019s Nest community near Lake Morton and began to live\nindependently. Noah\u2019s Ark worked the remainder of the year to identify\npotential property for the development of The Villages at Noah\u2019s Landing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Journey into Independence: Cody&#039;s Story\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_V7JYTvXWYg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2004, Noah\u2019s Ark worked in\ncollaboration with Governor Jeb Bush, Senator Paula Dockery, and the City of\nLakeland\u2019s Community Development Department and successfully acquired 56-acres\nof residential development property in North Lakeland. Noah\u2019s Ark also\npurchased a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home adjacent to the development\nproperty. The demand for activities and social interactions continued to\nintensify so the activities program was expanded from monthly to weekly using\nresources and volunteers from the community and family members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2005, Noah\u2019s Ark was awarded a\ncommitment for a low-interest loan from the Florida Housing Finance Corporation\nto partially fund an innovative, affordable, supportive-housing demonstration\nprogram. These funds were subsequently replaced by a $189,000 \u201cgrant\u201d from the\nFlorida Hurricane Housing Recovery Funds and donations from the local\ncommunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2006, Noah\u2019s Ark retained\nGiles Blunden, an architect from Carrboro, North Carolina, to design a Master\nSite Plan for a sustainable, pedestrian-oriented, residential community now\ncalled The Villages at Noah\u2019s Landing. Noah\u2019s Ark completed and received\napproval of its conceptual site plan, its unique zoning, and Planned Unit\nDevelopment (PUD) application from the City of Lakeland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah\u2019s Ark also formed another\npartnership, this one with the Polk County Builders Association and the\nConstruction Technology Classes from the Polk County Schools to help build the\nsecond supported-living home at Noah\u2019s Nest. This initiative garnered statewide\nattention by the Florida Homebuilders Association and a desire to use this type\nof community partnership as a model for other local Homebuilder Associations to\nreplicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah\u2019s Ark also started\nconstruction of a third supported-living home and a separate detached garage\nwith a second story two-bedroom apartment, once again using volunteers from\nNoah\u2019s Ark and the First United Methodist Church. This project was funded through\ndonations from the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2007, Noah\u2019s Ark retained a\nlocal engineering firm to complete the engineering and apply for construction\npermits from the Southwest Florida Water Management District for The Villages\nat Noah\u2019s Landing. Off-site survey work for the utilities connections and\nupgrading of the access road leading to the property was also completed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In mid-year, the construction of\ntwo more homes at Noah\u2019s Nest was completed and six additional residents moved\nin and began living independently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2008, Noah\u2019s Ark presented The\nVillages at Noah\u2019s Landing at the Family CAF\u00c9, a statewide disability\nconference, and began educating families across the state on the emerging\nsupportive residential community concept. This presentation received\noverwhelming support from families and restored hope to many that their adult\nchildren would be able to experience a reasonable quality of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Noah&#039;s Ark of Central Florida dog treats production\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/u23Av8OhBmc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The demand for activities\ncontinued to grow with the activities program adding a weekly bowling league\nresulting in the expansion of community volunteer opportunities<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Additionally, family education\nand support surfaced as a huge, unmet need. Families were unaware of what\nsupport services might be available and the critical needs to establish an\nappropriate guardianship and special needs trust in order to protect and\nprovide for the future needs of their disabled adult child. Addressing those\nneeds, Noah\u2019s Ark established an aggressive education program to help these\nfamilies and has since been recognized as a strong community resource for\nfamilies by other non-profit organizations, state legislators, and the local\nmedia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah\u2019s Ark successfully\nadvocated, then lead the charge, to get an inappropriate rule removed from the\nFlorida Medicaid Waiver Handbook. This rule restricted the rights of\nindividuals with intellectual\/developmental disabilities to be able to choose\nwhere and with whom they live by establishing arbitrary quotas and other\ngeographic restrictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah\u2019s Ark received construction\npermits for the development of the residential portion of The Villages at\nNoah\u2019s Landing from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2009, Noah\u2019s Ark advocated to\namend a Florida statute that would provide more flexibility in building\nlicensed homes (i.e. group homes, assisted living facilities, foster homes,\netc.) within a planned residential community. The proposed legislation did not\nsurvive the session, but legislators and support agencies were much better\neducated on the critical supportive-housing needs for individuals with\nintellectual\/developmental disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah\u2019s Ark worked with local\ncounty government and received a commitment from the county to resolve\nsignificant drainage issues along the primary street leading to the development\nproperty for The Villages at Noah\u2019s Landing project and to resurface the\nroadway. This commitment eliminated approximately $450,000 in future off-site\ndevelopment costs for the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2010, Noah\u2019s Ark led the\ncharge to create and organize a statewide coalition of grassroots organizations\nwanting to proactively address the critical supported-housing needs for\nindividuals with intellectual\/developmental disabilities. This coalition of\ngrassroots organizations stretched from Jacksonville to Venice with many points\nin between. Families were desperately seeking a supportive community type\nliving that would allow their disabled children a reasonable quality of life\nand for the parents to have peace of mind when they die.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2011, Noah\u2019s Ark completed a\nmajor rehab of the 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom, single-family home (previously\npurchased in 2004) in preparation of providing three additional individuals\nwith disabilities the opportunity to live independently and also to provide a\nfuture field office during the development of the Villages at Noah\u2019s Landing\ncommunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Villages at Noah&#039;s Landing\" width=\"1110\" height=\"833\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AEMyIuBgNx0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Off-site engineering for a new\naccess road connecting The Villages at Noah\u2019s Landing property to the end of\nMelody Lane was completed and construction permits from the Southwest Florida\nWater Management District were obtained along with site access permits from\nPolk County government. Improvements to the master site plan and conceptual\nhome and clubhouse designs were completed along with updates to the development\nbudget. The Villages at Noah\u2019s Landing project is very close to \u201cshovel ready\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah\u2019s Ark worked with the Agency\nfor Persons with Disabilities on developing a new approach that would better\nleverage taxpayer resources while providing support services to a greater\nnumber of citizens with developmental disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah\u2019s Ark Executive Director was\nappointed by the Governor of Florida to serve on the Florida Developmental\nDisability Council (FDDC) as a parent advocate. The FDDC is a federally funded\norganization whose mission is to promote innovative programs and practices\ndesigned to improve the quality of life of individuals with developmental\ndisabilities and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Board of Directors of the\nFlorida Housing Finance Corporation (FHFC) has recommended almost $14 million\nin funding for the development and construction of The Villages at Noah\u2019s\nLanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah\u2019s Ark designed the N.E.A.T.\n(Noah\u2019s Education, Arts &amp; Training) Center. The Center will be the hub for\nresident activities at The Villages at Noah\u2019s Landing and it will feature\ncontinuing life-skills education, music, fine arts, and culinary arts training.\nThe N.E.A.T. Center will help facilitate the personal growth of a growing\nnumber of families joining the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Completed the complex and\ndetailed underwriting requirements to finalize the funding of a $14.5 million\ncommitment (low-income housing tax credits, grants, and loan) to construct an\naffordable rental community that will provide an enhanced quality of life for\nup to 132 individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities and\nprovide their families with a peace of mind that their adult child will be\nproperly cared for when they are no longer able to provide such support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Completed and closed on a $15M\nlow income housing tax credit funding<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Began construction of a $17M low\nincome housing community for individuals with developmental disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Completed construction of a 52-unit\nlow-income housing community for individuals with developmental\ndisabilities.&nbsp; Residents start to move in over Independence Day Weekend\u20262016<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Increased our capacity to serve\nindividuals with developmental disabilities from 17 to 143 residents<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2017 they had their 20<sup>th<\/sup>\nanniversary serving the community\u2026\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Noah&#039;s Ark 20 year Celebration\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QPIXTYnFuDw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their Mission Continues\u2026 2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are over 22,000 Floridians\nwith intellectual\/developmental disabilities on a \u201cwaiting list\u201d for\nservices.&nbsp; The demand for support services and family education is\nenormous and the support services budget through the Agency for Persons with\nDisabilities continues to be cut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah\u2019s Ark of Central Florida\ncontinues to support and educate individuals with intellectual\/developmental\ndisabilities, their families and caregivers\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah\u2019s Nest was their first\n\u201cin-town\u201d initiative and first supported-living home. Phase 1 was completed in\n2003, and is currently home to three residents; phase 2 was completed in 2007\nand currently houses eight residents. We also have a two-story garage with a\nsecond-floor apartment (affectionately called \u201cThe Penthouse\u201d) that\u2019s home to\ntwo residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Noah\u2019s Nest is conveniently\nlocated in the East Lake Morton Historic District near downtown Lakeland,\nFlorida. Shopping, restaurants, a library, an art museum, a community theater,\nemployment opportunities, a college, several churches, a lovely park and\ngardens, and three beautiful lakes are all within walking distance. There\u2019s\nalso a public bus system accessible just a few blocks away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All Noah\u2019s Nest homes provide a\nprivate bedroom and bathroom, though \u201cThe Penthouse\u201d is a 2-bedroom, 1-bath\napartment. All homes (excluding the garage apartment) are handicapped friendly.\nEach has a variety of features, including roll-in showers, wide hallways and\ndoors, and an open design to make day-to-day living easier for individuals\nusing a wheelchair to assist with mobility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Residents of Noah\u2019s Nest\ncurrently pay 35% of their total income for rent plus utilities (usually around\n$70 per month).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Villages at Noah\u2019s Landing\nopened in mid-2016. It\u2019s an awesome community with one, two, three, and\nfour-bedroom shared apartments.&nbsp; Each resident enjoys the privacy of their\nown bedroom and bathroom.&nbsp;The master plan emphasizes sustainability and\nharmony with nature. Residents can choose to enjoy a variety of rewarding\nlifestyle offerings, including education, arts, a training center, daily\nactivities, an accessible pool, walking trails, and an optional dining room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rents at The Villages at Noah\u2019s\nLanding are determined by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program guidelines.\nRents generally range from $265 to $568 per month for each resident (including\nutilities), depending on the unit selected and the individual\u2019s income.<em>&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About 95% of residents don\u2019t\ndrive, the pedestrian-friendly community\u2019s road system runs mostly around the\nperiphery of the housing clusters. Comprised of cozy neighborhoods, the\ncommunity\u2019s homes face lush greenbelt areas. Front porches overlook a\nlandscaped pathway system with benches for meeting with friends and neighbors.\nThe paths are connected throughout the community, thoughtfully designed to\nencourage walking, jogging, and bicycling for exercise and to facilitate\nsocialization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Amy&#039;s World\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JVvDmanYniw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Noah\u2019s Education, Arts, and\nTraining (NEAT) Center addresses the diverse interests of residents and offers\nfrequent social, recreational, vocational, and educational opportunities.\nAlthough each&nbsp;apartment has a fully-equipped kitchen, the NEAT Center\nincludes a dining room where residents can socialize and dine together\n(optional). There\u2019s also, a high-tech game room, meeting spaces, special\nevents, a stage, and&nbsp;an array of activities. The&nbsp;NEAT Center has been\nbuilt&nbsp;to meet or exceed emergency evacuation shelter specifications to\nprovide a safe place for our residents during \u201can event.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The vision is for The Villages at Noah\u2019s Landing to provide a small community atmosphere and a transitional stepping stone for individuals who aim to live and\/or work within the greater community. It also offers a permanent residential setting for those who seek a more traditional community lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One key measure of our success is\nthat residents have realistic choices in deciding where and how they live,\nwork, and play. We believe The Villages at Noah\u2019s Landing can serve as a model\nthat can be replicated nationwide to provide lifestyle choices never thought\npossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To contact Noah\u2019s Ark about any questions or to schedule a tour\nof The Villages at Noah\u2019s Landing and\/or Noah\u2019s Nest <a href=\"https:\/\/noahsarkflorida.org\/contact\/\">click here<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What do people say about Noah\u2019s Ark\n\u2026\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lucille Pivinski&nbsp;said \u201cNoah&#8217;s Ark &#8211; a community in the\ntruest sense of the word. May all the individuals who choose to live here\nexperience joy, peace, and contentment. Blessings to one and all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mandy Roberts Martin&nbsp;said\u201d Noah&#8217;s Ark is AMAZING!! From\nthe people that are residents to the people that organize\/run it! This is\nrevolutionary and profound. They give caregivers a light at the end of the\ntunnel. I am not ashamed to say Noah&#8217;s Ark is run by ANGELS!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keith Slingo said \u201cThey are a great place for special needs\nadults. The whole development is nice &amp; clean. They a lot for them to do\nthere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To get involved <a href=\"https:\/\/noahsarkflorida.org\/get-involved\/\">click here<\/a> help them\ncontinue their mission by volunteering your time and talents or even donating\nfunds. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/noahsarkflorida.org\/resources\/family-resources\/\">Click here<\/a>\nto see a list of resources that most people haven\u2019t even heard about in the State\nof Florida <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Journey of Letting Go, The Gossen Family\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MTg8ujJr1zw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Tucked into a corner of Lakeland, Florida, is not just a community, it&#8217;s a family. It was a realization of a dream initiated by a small group of parents over&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":272,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"wpai_generated_summary":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"dois","default_image_id":71799,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=271"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/271\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakelandgazette.info\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}