Every now and then we have a special guest at our bi-monthly Coldwell Banker United meetings. This week Teresa Gouldie, of Coldwell Banker United, introduced us to a very special lady with a heart that knows no boundaries. Her name is Florence Ponziano and she runs a place called Florence’s Comfort House.
Florence describes Comfort House with these words “a house that kids go to in Montopolis when they don’t have a place to go, when they have problems or they need to lean on someone, when they need to know the truth, when they need love, when their tummies are empty and they need a pot of soup or some beans, or they just need someone to listen to them and nobody does.”
Montopolis, a city here in Austin, as we found out is one of the poorest areas in Austin. These kids come from homes that are broken: parents may be in jail, siblings on drugs or in gangs. Florence feeds them, washes their clothes to make sure they go to school with clean clothing on their backs. She came to our meeting with flip-flops on because someone needed shoes and she gave them hers. She told us how a 10yr old boy came up to her one day and told her she was a “warrior” – she said she now proudly wears that title. She told us of one of her boys that she met when he was in kindergarten, has now graduated from Austin Community College, has a good job and is giving back by helping others in Comfort House.
There is so much more that Florence and Comfort House does and you can learn all about it by checking out her website: www.FlorencesComfortHouse.org. I especially encourage you to listen to her speak about the house in her own words. Florence's Comfort House depends on the generosity of those who share her values and goals. Those donations help her keep the lights on and the internet working so the kids can do their homework. Stepping out of our comfort zone and helping those in need is what the holiday season is all about. A small contribution could make all the difference to her family so please consider making a donation.
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