ORLANDO, Fla. – In the heart of Parramore, a community garden flourishes under the care of Montaius Stewart, a dedicated mentor at the New Image Youth Center. At 29, Stewart is not only nurturing plants but also cultivating the potential of young minds.
“Before the Garden Club started, I never really had any interest in it,” Stewart admits. “But when they started to come out and do it, I thought, let me test my hand at it.”
Stewart’s journey with the New Image Youth Center began two decades ago when he was just nine years old. Like many of the children he now mentors, he once roamed the streets without direction. It was the center that provided him with a sense of purpose and belonging.
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“Before coming to this center, I didn’t really think about my future much,” he recalls. “I would just live day to day. But when I came here, it was, ‘How is school? How are your grades? Where do you see yourself in the future?’”
He said no one had asked questions like these before.
These pivotal questions were posed by Dr. Shanta Barton-Stubbs, the founder and director of the center. Her unwavering dedication to the children of Parramore has left a lasting impact on Stewart and countless others.
“I was one of the first to be here. This is my second home,” Stewart reflects. “When I came in, I was instantly greeted with someone asking if I needed help with my homework. No one ever really asked me that before.”
The seeds of curiosity and ambition planted in Stewart years ago have blossomed into a fulfilling career. He studied computer science at Claflin University in South Carolina.
Today, he shares his knowledge by teaching kids how to code, inspiring the next generation of innovators.
“If the center wasn’t here, I probably wouldn’t have gone to college. I probably would have dropped out of school at some point,” Stewart acknowledges.
Despite the challenges of operating out of two aging buildings, the mission of New Image Youth Center has been steadfast. They continue to provide a safe haven and educational support for dozens of children in the community.
New Image has always known how to do the most with very little. From their seeds of faith, hope for a bright future is flourishing as the center embarks on a new chapter. With the support of Advent Health and the United Way, they have raised two million dollars toward a new state-of-the-art facility. This 8,000-square-foot, two-story youth center will feature six classrooms and a kitchen. It will bring the kids together under one roof.
The new site is just a couple of blocks down on the same street. It was once a popular grocery store in the neighborhood but come this summer it will be demolished to make way for the new center.
While the building and everything in it will be new, the center’s mission remains steadfast: nurturing young minds, planting seeds for the future, and harvesting hope.
“I see potential in all of them,” Stewart says with pride, as he continues to inspire and guide the youth of Parramore.