A Celebration of Community Cooperation and Outreach in Melbourne

Trinity Towers: A Wonderful Story of Community Cooperation

Between 1966 and 1982, Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Melbourne, and many leaders from the wider community worked to build Trinity Towers, three apartment buildings with a total of 510 apartments for the elderly of limited means.

These apartments were operated by the Board of Trinity Towers Inc. and Trinity Towers South Inc. until the buildings were sold to a national nonprofit, Preservation of Affordable Housing Inc. (POAH) in June of 2013.

Trinity Towers East and West

The sale resulted in an endowment for Holy Trinity Episcopal Church of about $7 million. The income on that endowment is being used, in part, to hire an additional priest to provide pastoral care for the elderly. In addition, the church has expanded its work in health ministry, music ministry and also its work with children and youth.

When God blesses us, it is right to be a blessing to others. God says to Abraham in Genesis 12:2, “I will bless you and make

Fr. Steve Easterday, President of the Board of Trinity Towers Inc., Co-Rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Melbourne, Florida. To his left are Members of the Holy Trinity Vestry: (left to right) Faye Bottomley, Rich Franck, Mike Crews (Senior Warden). To his right are Representatives of POAH; (left to right) Charlie Adams (Senior Project Manager) and Brenda Hernandez (Senior Regional Property Supervisor)

Anna Bourne (Board Member of Camp Wingmann) and Fr. Deke Miller (Director of Camp Wingmann)

your name great so that you will be a blessing.” With that in mind the Trinity Towers Board and the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Vestry has given generously from the proceeds of the sale to Camp Wingmann, the church camp of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida. The $60,000 gift that will be presented to Camp Wingmann today brings the total amount given to the Camp to over $413,000.

The Board of Trinity Towers Inc. and the Church Vestry wanted to spread the blessing to the wider community. Since the business and professional community worked so closely with Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in their sponsorship of Trinity Towers it became the desire of these two Boards to award an additional $300,000 in a one-time group of community outreach grants to honor and remember those from the community who helped to build and maintain the Towers.

We are here today to tell that story, honor those leaders and award the grants.

Presentation of a $60,000 check to Camp Wingmann, an Episcopal Church Camp in the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida Fr. Steve Easterday (Co-Rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and President of the TT Board), Bill Thornburg (Secretary of the TT Board and Long-Serving Honoree for the Evening), Tom Stallard (Treasurer of the TT Board and Vestry member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church), Ron Meehan (Vice-President of the TT Board and Long-Serving Honoree for the Evening), Anna Bourne (Board Member of Camp Wingmann), Fr. Deke Miller (Director of Camp Wingmann), Fr. Tom Seitz (President of the Board of Camp Wingmann)

The national non-profit from Boston (POAH) that acquired Trinity Towers will also be sharing with us today about how the good work begun 49 years ago is now moving forward in a wonderful way. POAH is beginning a $7 million renovation on the Trinity Towers West building.

The Rev. Tom Seitz, President of the Board of Camp Wingmann and The Rev. Pam Easterday, Co-Rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Melbourne, FL

Community cooperation and the faithful work of many incredibly committed people made possible affordable housing for thousands of elderly persons over five decades. And the story continues as the low income housing stock has been preserved and improvements are going forward. We celebrate today the blessings that overflow at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, at Trinity Towers and in the wider community. Thanks be to God!

Making the Presentation Are: Officers of TT Board Fr. Steve Easterday (Co-Rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and President of the TT Board), Bill Thornburg (Secretary of the TT Board and Long-Serving Honoree for the Evening), Ron Meehan (Vice-President of the TT Board and Long-Serving Honoree for the Evening), Tom Stallard (Treasurer of the TT Board and Vestry member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church) Also in picture are representatives from the Canterbury Retreat Center, An Episcopal Retreat Center in Oveido Florida, The Director is The Rev. Dr. Jon Davis who is the second from the right

TT / Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Event (Left to Right) Fr. Steve Easterday (Co-Rector of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and President of the TT Board), Bill Thornburg (Secretary of the TT Board and Long-Serving Honoree for the Evening), Ron Meehan (Vice-President of the TT Board and Long-Serving Honoree for the Evening), Tom Stallard (Treasurer of the TT Board and Vestry member of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church), and Christopher Hayes (Head of School of Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy). Presentation of $20,000 check.

Lee Ann Meehan, Jacky Malley (surviving spouse of honoree Robert Malley deceased), Elsie Amos. Lee Ann and Elsie are parishioners of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church

Dr. Arland Adams, M.D., Honoree for the Evening. Original Member of the Trinity Towers Inc. Board from 1967. He served on the Board for over 40 years.

Bill Thornburg (Secretary of the TT Board and Honoree for the Evening) and Anneke Bertsch (Member of the TT Board and very active in the Diocese of Central Florida)

Representatives of Devereux, a School for Kids with Emotional and Behavioral Challenges and Special Needs. With $20,000 check presented. On the far right are Rich Franck and Becky Crews, Members of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church and Members of the Devereux Board.

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TRINITY TOWERS WEST REHAB

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