2025 tested us — politically, personally, and as a community. We faced painful losses, harmful policies, censorship, hatred, and economic uncertainty. But we also saw the very best of Orlando: generosity, creativity, resilience, and people who refuse to give up on one another.
From knocking doors and passing legislation to fostering kittens, raising funds, and uplifting new leaders, this year proved that people-powered movements can thrive even in hard seasons. Together, we turned obstacles into action, grief into purpose, and moments into momentum. These are some of the highlights that kept us grounded and moving forward.
Orlando Mayoral Launch Party
Early this year, we kicked off our campaign for Mayor of Orlando with hundreds of friends, neighbors, and community champions who believe in a people-powered future for our city. With grassroots momentum, we’ve already raised over $900,000 from thousands of donations, knocked on 28,000+ doors, and delivered hundreds of yard signs. The excitement was real, the hope was contagious, and the movement is just getting started.
Community Supply Drives
From diapers to menstrual products to classroom supplies and Thanksgiving baskets, we showed up for families all year long. Our annual diaper drive raised over $10,000 to support Central Florida parents, with hundreds more in donated items collected at our office. During the federal government shutdown, we collected thousands of food products and supported local food banks and provided food directly to Orlando families, too. When our community needs support, we respond — with love, dignity, and bags full of essentials.
Fighting for Veterans and Veterans’ Benefits
We continued to honor and serve those who served us — from helping secure a new mortgage-free home for Eatonville Veteran Ms. Golden to celebrating the legacy of World War II Navy Veteran Dorothy “Pat” Rudd and serving on the Orlando Veterans Mayor’s Advisory Board. Veterans deserve stability, recognition, and a community that never leaves them behind. This year, we lived that belief in action.
Passing Bipartisan Bills
2025 reminded us that progress is possible — even in polarizing political times. Our bipartisan Right to Repair for Powered Wheelchairs passed the House, and our Elopement Prevention bill passed its first committee stop. We worked with legislative leadership on Florida’s state budget, brought money back to the district, and look forward to holding the line on our collective values in 2026 while keeping the door open to important opportunities to work across the aisle.
Community Connections
Whether at house parties, community markets, neighborhood nights, local panel discussions, or spaghetti dinners, we showed up everywhere people gather and created opportunities to come together, too. We listened, laughed, shared meals, and rooted ourselves in the brilliance of Orlando’s neighborhoods. Our work is strongest when it’s grounded in connection — and this year proved that again and again.
Serving our Constituents
Helping people navigate real-life challenges is core to who we are. We believe in a no-wrong-door policy, and this year, our legislative office resolved hundreds of cases and engaged in thousands of constituent interactions — from housing & healthcare support to navigating state agencies. Public service means action, and we’re proud of the impact we made together.
Pushing Back on Extremism
We helped stop anti-LGBTQ+ bills, fought censorship, defended safe classrooms, and organized against discriminatory agency actions. We stood with Pride, chalked the Pulse Crosswalk when the state tried to erase it, and refused to let hate define Florida. We showed up at immigrant detention centers, defending immigrant community members, and I am actively engaged in multiple lawsuits to challenge state overreach. Love always wins — especially when we fight for it.
Volunteer Engagement
2025 was powered by people — over 4,500 volunteer signups across more than 100 events. Our volunteers canvassed, walked in parades, tabled at community events, phone banked, delivered yard signs, organized our office, wrote postcards, registered voters, and kept our movement alive with joy and grit. None of this works without you, and this year, you showed up big.
Hosting Our First Ever Clothing Swap
We held our first-ever Back-to-School Clothing Swap — reducing waste, saving families money, and building community in the best way. Neighbors traded everything from kids’ uniforms to shoes to fall outfits at no cost. A small idea became a beautiful act of community care, and we’re already planning the next one.
Building New Leaders
From supporting local candidates like Felipe Sousa Lazaballet, Tom Keen, Mira Tanna, Eric Gray, and others — to mentoring interns and fellows who will shape Florida’s future — we built leadership at every level. Our pipeline is growing, diverse, and deeply rooted in service and impact. When we invest in new leaders, our community and democracy grow stronger.
Protecting Florida’s Environment & Pushing for Good Energy Policy
We stood with clean energy advocates, pushed for sustainable policy, and challenged harmful projects from the Everglades detention facility to corporate polluters. Community cleanups, environmental summits, and climate education were at the heart of our work. A greener future isn’t optional — it’s urgent, and we’re fighting for it.
Supporting Amazing Local Candidates
This year we knocked doors, hosted kickoffs, raised awareness, and rallied for incredible leaders ready to serve, including School Board, City Council, and House candidates across Central Florida. When we lift others, we lift our communities. This is how we build power — together.
Community Cleanups
Hundreds of neighbors joined us across SoDo, Mills 50, Eatonville, Winter Park, and beyond to pick up litter, reduce plastic waste, and beautify the places we call home. Gloves on, trash bags full; we made our district shine. Nothing feels better than collective care in action and taking care of Momma Earth.
Voter Reg and Getting Out The Vote
People Power for Florida registered voters across parks, festivals, campuses, and neighborhoods — meeting people where they are and bringing democracy to their doorstep. We empowered new voters, trained volunteers, and kept civic engagement fun and accessible. Democracy works best when more people participate, and 2025 proved that.
Fostering & Finding Homes for Kittens
What started as rescuing three kittens turned into fostering nine. Our office quickly became part policy center, part kitten nursery and playroom. Every furry friend is now safe, healthy, and on their way to forever homes — thanks to our community and the help of Brozanski for Cats. Two of the cats are now members of the Eskamani Household, too.
Earning Endorsements
From labor unions to community groups and local elected officials, endorsements rolled in because people believe in our vision for Orlando. SEIU workers even endorsed us on the steps of City Hall — a moment filled with solidarity and hope. Support like this keeps our movement growing and grounded in working families.
Stopping Harmful Bills from Passing
We fought back against bills targeting LGBTQ+ Floridians, reproductive rights, public schools, and immigrant communities — building coalitions to stop and weaken harmful legislation. Some of the worst measures did not pass thanks to grassroots resistance. When we organize, we win.
SISTUHS Membership
Receiving honorary membership in SISTUHS was one of the greatest honors of the year. Their leadership, service, and commitment to women and girls inspire our work daily. Together, we’re driving generational change and making Orlando more equitable.
Fighting for Healthcare Access
We stood with healthcare workers, spoke at conferences, fought for insurance coverage and the defense of Medicaid, and pushed for access to preventative care — including colon cancer awareness. We hosted a community meeting focused on vaccines, and have filed several bills that intersect with healthcare access, too. Healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and we will never stop fighting to make it affordable and accessible for all.
Hosting Town Halls
Town halls across the region gave constituents space to ask questions, share concerns, and shape the work we do. From vaccines to renters’ rights to education funding, we brought policy to the people — not the other way around. Transparent, accessible government is how democracy thrives and it’s how we build collective efficacy, too.
Right to Repair Legislation Advances
A huge legislative milestone — Florida’s Right to Repair for Powered Wheelchairs passed the House, and our expanded mobility device bill is next and already passed its first committee stop. Floridians shouldn’t wait months for basic repairs. Dignity and independence matter — and we’re legislating like it.
Helping to Save Austin’s Coffee
When Austin’s Coffee faced closure, we showed up, organized, and helped amplify the fight for Central Florida’s beloved local gathering space. Community spaces and small businesses matter, and we’ll always defend them.
Supporting Our Small Businesses
We visited (and spent our money at!) small businesses across the region. From cafes, bakeries, boutiques, chambers, independent pharmacies, and community markets; listening to business owners and advocating for local entrepreneurship. Small businesses are the soul of Orlando — and we will fight for their future.
Defending Public Education
We pushed back against censorship, political interference, and book bans — championing truth in classrooms and respect for educators. From school visits to statewide policy work, we stood with students, teachers, and families every step. We fought to protect funding for AP and college-readiness programs, and we’re now pushing back against efforts that would close or weaken neighborhood public schools. Public schools deserve investment, not attacks, and we’ll keep fighting so every child has access to a high-quality, fully resourced education close to home.
Standing With Workers
From picket lines to contract fights, we showed up for union members and everyday workers demanding fair wages, healthcare, and dignity. Workers keep our city running — and they deserve a seat at the table and a contract that respects them. Solidarity is how we win.
Championing Housing Affordability
We fought for renter protections, affordability solutions, and policies that keep people housed, because everyone deserves a stable place to call home. We pushed for stronger tenant rights, transparency in leasing, rental assistance pathways, eviction diversion, and housing policies that prioritize people over profit. Housing should be safe, secure, and attainable — not a monthly crisis or a luxury. This year we fought hard to make that real, and we’ll continue working until every Orlando family has access to a home they can afford.
Being Recognized for our Community Impact
From Orlando Magazine’s “Best Community Leader” recognition to statewide honors — every award reflects the power of our community. These acknowledgements aren’t ours alone; they belong to everyone who organizes, volunteers, shares their story, and believes in people-centered leadership.
Advocating for Arts and Culture Funding
This year we championed arts funding after statewide cuts, showing up at concerts, galleries, theaters, and cultural festivals across Orlando. Creativity fuels community, and artists deserve investment. We don’t just support the arts– we stand in the crowd, on the stage, and in the fight.
Advocating for Gun Safety Policies
We pushed for common-sense gun reform and stood with survivors, students, and families demanding safety over politics. The work continues, and we will not stop. Every community deserves to live without fear of gun violence.
Successful Library Office Hours
We met constituents at local libraries, making government more accessible, personal, and rooted in community. What began as a simple idea has now become an annual tradition, with office hours hosted at multiple libraries across the district to meet people where they are. People deserve to meet their representatives in welcoming spaces, without barriers, without intimidation — just conversation, problem-solving, and care. This model is working, and we’re excited to keep expanding it.
MadSoul
Whether celebrating music, culture, or community connections, MadSoul gave us space to breathe, dance, support artists, and celebrate local creativity. Huge thank you to Congressman Maxwell Frost for his leadership in bringing this event to life and uplifting the voices of young creatives across Orlando. Joy is political too.
Collaborating with Local Nonprofits
From food drives to immigration justice to environmental protection, we partnered with nonprofits across Central Florida to meet community needs and support families directly. Local organizations are often the first to respond during crises — providing housing assistance, food distribution, legal support, healthcare access, and so much more — and we are deeply grateful for their leadership. These partnerships are essential to solving the affordability crisis and building a city where everyone can thrive. Collaboration isn’t just a strategy; it’s how we scale impact, and this year proved it.
Hosting Stacey Abrams in Orlando
We were honored to welcome Stacey Abrams to Orlando for a powerful community conversation on democracy, voter engagement, and building long-term political power — especially among women, young people, and communities of color. Hosted at the Englewood Community Center, the room was filled with organizers, students, first-time candidates, and neighbors ready to step into leadership. Stacey reminded us that local organizing shapes national outcomes, and that when we invest in people, we build movements that last.
Celebrating our Diverse Community
We celebrated the cultures, identities, and traditions that make Orlando vibrant — marching in Pride, attending cultural heritage festivals, honoring multiple holidays, uplifting our disability community, and more. We stood with immigrant families and multilingual communities, amplified voices often pushed to the margins, and uplifted the beauty of our city’s global roots. Diversity is not just something we celebrate — it is a source of strength, resilience, innovation, and joy. Orlando thrives because of our differences, not despite them.
Working in All Environments
Public service doesn’t stop at the office. This year included late nights on the road, car-desk work sessions, emails sent from parking lots between events, and policy research done from the passenger seat — proof that the work follows wherever the people are. From highways to picket lines, neighborhood association meetings to legislative chambers, we showed up in every space where decisions and lived experiences meet. Grassroots in the street, policy in the Capitol — that’s our model.
Raising Funds for the Miracle League
We helped raise funds to support the Miracle League, an incredible program that provides adaptive softball opportunities for children and adults with disabilities. Every person deserves the chance to play, compete, and be part of a team, and our efforts helped ensure families have field access for years to come. Inclusion matters in every arena — including sports — and we’re proud to champion it.
Knocking on 28,000 Doors
28,000 doors. Thousands of face-to-face conversations about housing, schools, transportation, and the future of Orlando. We listened to stories on porches, in driveways, in apartment breezeways, and across neighborhoods big and small — because leadership starts with listening. Nothing replaces real conversations, and this year we built trust one doorstep at a time. The movement is real, and it’s people-powered.
Through every challenge, your support kept us going. Every knock, call, donation, town hall, supply drive, protest, and policy win was made possible because you believed in what we can build — together. We are not done. We are just getting started. Here’s to a brighter, bolder 2026. Rooted in justice, powered by community, and guided by love for the place we call home.
Help us continue our work in 2026! See upcoming events via this link.