ORLANDO – For decades she served plates of delicious soul food to generations of Orlandoans, ranging from hungry city workers to Orlando Magic players looking for some old-fashioned home cooking.
But on this day, it was Lillie Johnson’s turn to be served.
     Equipped with paint brushes, drills, hammers, gloves and garbage bags, 15 volunteers from the Orlando Magic’s corporate office helped renovate her Parramore home on Saturday, October 4.
     The 82-year-old Johnson, founder of the local soul-food landmark, Johnson’s Diner, was humbled to have her home chosen by Helping   Hands of Orlando to be refurbished.
     “I am so happy, I am so thrilled,” said Johnson. “I have prayed to God to give me a blessing because I’ve been in this house 40 years, and I needed so much done to it and I didn’t want to go in debt to do it because I wasn’t able to pay the bills.”
The Magic was one of multiple area organizations that worked on a variety of downtown homes throughout the day.
     “As an organization we care strongly about our neighbors in Parramore,” said Orlando Magic Community Relations Coordinator Robyn Guokas. “It was rewarding for us all to see the happiness on Mrs. Johnson’s face.”
Guokas, along with the Community Relations Department, heads up the Magic Volunteer Program (MVP), which encourages employee community involvement through various initiatives.
     Last season, Magic employees totaled 5,858 hours of community service and have already amassed more than 1,000 hours since the beginning of July.
     Magic employees have served the community through various initiatives including charity events, building playgrounds, serving meals, constructing homes and mentoring elementary school students.
     “Volunteerism is one of the core values of the Orlando Magic,” said Director of Community Relations and Orlando Magic Youth Fund Kari Conley. “The revitalization of downtown and the Parramore community is important to the Orlando Magic and to the future of Central Florida.  It takes a commitment from everyone to continue making progress.”
     With the building of the new downtown Events Center on the City of Orlando’s West side, the Orlando Magic – the developers of the new arena – are focused also on revitalization efforts in the Parramore neighborhood. Previous recent efforts have included:
The Magic have pledged $250,000 to the Parramore Kidz Zone and After School All-Stars to provide positive programs for local youth vulnerable to drugs, gangs and violence.
     The team also recently refurbished Parramore’s New Image Youth Center. Once moldy and rat-infested, the new education center now  features flat-screen televisions, freshly painted walls, desktop computers, new carpeting, a Nintendo Wii and central air conditioning.
Other Magic efforts in the Parramore community have included: renovating the Downtown Boys and Girls Club, providing school supplies to the Bridge To Independence School and sponsoring a trip for kids from the Parramore Kidz Zone to New York City.
     When Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu received the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award presented by Kia Motors, he donated a brand-new 2009 Kia Borrego seven-passenger SUV to Parramore Kidz Zone, and in another endeavor with Adidas, Dwight Howard presented 300 pairs of shoes to the students at Orange Center Elementary for their hard work towards improving their FCAT scores.