History of the Central Florida Dream Center

Paul Benjamin Sr., president and founder of Men, Women and Youth in Action USA, Inc., after working with other ministries in Central Florida and the Sanford areas since 1995, felt God leading him to purchase a building located at 540 Pecan Ave. to expand the vision of his ministry.

This 46,000 square foot warehouse and office building set into motion what is known today as the Central Florida Dream Center.  The CFDC is a faith-based, non-profit (501C3) organization that partners with other organizations to impact the region.  The facility is located in the heart of inner-city Sanford, FL where crime, abuse, and poverty run rampant. 

The CFDC is modeled after the L.A. Dream Center which has proven to reduce crime in the community by 70%.  Currently in the community served by the CFDC 9 out of 10 families are fatherless.  To give significance to this statistic here are some disturbing statistics:

• 90% of runaway children are from fatherless homes
• 71% of high school drop-outs are from fatherless homes
• 85% of youth in prison are from fatherless homes
• 90% of inmates on death row are from fatherless homes

The Dream Center's goal is on breaking this cycle and offering programs ranging from mentoring programs for adults and families to after-school programs for the children.  Our mission is to assist families and individuals toward self-sufficiency so that they become contributing members of society. 

In a community where the local drug dealer is often the only male figure a young person has you can see why the need is so great for an organization such as this.  By following in the footsteps of similar organizations the Dream Center has already reduced crime in the community but much more needs to be done.

By providing a "hand-up" as oppossed to a "hand-out" the Dream Center makes long-term change in the lives of those who are serious about improving their situation.

Please take time to consider what talent, treasure, or time you have to donate to the Central Florida Dream Center and join us in improving the world we live; one community at a time.