January 24, 2013 (Orlando, FL) — Ever since Orlando Community News launched online(May 2011), people have been spotted often around town working, trying to make a difference in the Pine Hills community.
Take Kelvin L. Cobaris, newly appointed senior pastor of Livingston Street Church of God and community leader. And take Michael Kimbrough, president-founder of Shine Performing and Creative Arts and founder of the Pine Hills Community Performing Arts Center.
While there are many people working in the community, these two men have been selected for their noticeable, relevant service, as Orlando Community News’ first “Pine Hills Heroes.”
Pine Hills Heroes, a new feature on OCN online, shines a spotlight on people working tirelessly in the trenches to build up the Pine Hills community. It is an occasional honor here on OCN online, with a goal of celebrating those who have done great things for the people in the community, while motivating others to get involved. In church, we would say we are giving folk their flowers while they live, so they can enjoy them.
Kelvin L. Cobaris
Cobaris, a Orlando native, must be one of the hardest working pastors in Central Florida. There’s not enough space here to list all of his accomplishments but we’ve seen him everywhere, preaching at special programs, spearheading gas giveaways with his church members in the heart of Pine Hills, hosting crime prevention events with other community leaders and lending his voice to express the views of the people in congressional redistricting meetings downtown.
Cobaris, a bishop in the Church of God organization, has been known to walk the streets of Pine Hills, talking with people to get them some help – whether spiritual or natural – like food, clothing, shelter and education. Much of this has been accomplished through the Empowerment Ministries Church, which Cobaris founded in October 2005 near the corner of Pine Hills and Silver Star roads (behind McDonald’s). Many young people and others from the neighborhood have turned their lives around with the help of the ministry. Bishop Cobaris recently merged Empowerment with the Livingston Street Church of God—the church where he received his training. Together, he and his spiritual father, Bishop Thomas E. Chenault, are working towards making an impact in the kingdom and community through care and commitment. Cobaris, named senior pastor to the Livingston Street church on the first Sunday of this year, is married to Diedra L. Cobaris, also an ordained minister. They have one child, Kelsey.
Michael Kimbrough
Our second hero, Michael Kimbrough, is the founder and executive director of the Pine Hills Community Performing Arts Center. Kimbrough, originally from St. Louis, is also an ordained minister and community leader. Although his background is in information technology, he has been involved with community activism and leadership for more than 14 years. In a recent interview, he said he started the performing arts center because he loves creativity and he wanted to showcase the creativity, especially of young people, in Pine Hills. It was just dying on the streets, he said.
Since he moved to the area (more than 10 years ago), he has mentored young men at the 33rd Street Jail complex and worked to keep Evans High School open and rebuilt at its current location – in the heart of the community. He also helped spearhead crime-fighting movements such as “Stop the Killing. Start Living. Choose Peace.” Those efforts helped in finding the guys involved with the shooting of then 15-year-old Danielle Sampson last year in Pine Hills. (An innocent bystander, Danielle is still recovering from the incident). Kimbrough and his wife Barbara have an adopted son, Nathaniel Young. Kimbrough is also the founder and pastor of the Church at the Center.
Editor’s note: Congratulations to both Bishop Cobaris and Pastor Kimbrough. Thank you for all that you have done and are doing. While we know you don’t work for the “spotlight” (man’s recognition) but for a higher calling, we still want to say “THANK YOU!” To our readers and supporters: If you have noticed someone deserving of this honor – who has worked hard in our coverage area in recent years or months, contact Trish Martin here at Orlando Community News. Coverage area: Pine Hills, Orlo Vista, Metro West, Lockhart and Rosemont. Email: trish.martin@att.net
© Orlando Community News, 2013
OrlandoCommunityNews 
Distractions from the real work: Is it time to make some calls?
Opinion
Here comes more drama out of Washington, less than two weeks after the re-election of President Barack Obama and within a few days of the start of Congress.
I wish our leaders would lay aside the politics for such a critical time as this and focus on the real work – creating new jobs, overhauling our tax system and lowering the deficit.
Here’s what I mean: Some of the Republican senators in Washington, including John McCain, who lost his presidential bid to President Obama in 2008, are calling the perceived lack of information given to the American people on the Libya incident either incompetence or a cover up. Someone needs to be held responsible, McCain said in reports.
What exactly does he want anyone to do at this point? Start another war? Fire people in Obama’s cabinet? Stop already. President Obama is still the president of the United States and will keep the office come January for another four years. He is cashing in on the respect that’s due now, with a majority of Americans behind him. Let’s move forward.
God bless the families of the four American government officials, including the U.S. Ambassador, killed in Benghazi, Libya.
I just don’t think our representatives in Washington should use this incident for political gain, keeping this issue at the forefront of folks minds to make themselves or their party look good and furthering the negative feelings many people have toward President Obama.
I, for one, don’t believe our CIA, FBI nor the president need to disclose everything (provide a full and complete explanation as McCain suggests), especially if it has to do with our country’s national security and foreign missions.
Look, if we know, the world knows. Secret Service, top-secret information, confidential information are all that for good reasons.
I am thinking we, the people, ought to look into making some phone calls and sending some emails to refocus our leaders’ attention on the more important work.
-Trish Martin, founder and editor
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