Orange County allocates $20 million for 'empowerment zones'

ORLANDO, Fla. — Operation Reachback works with young men in Orlando who don’t have a father figure in their lives.

“We found that there were so many,” said Jacquelyn Ross, who works for the program.

Several organizations, like Operation Reachback, are trying to keep Orange County kids out of trouble and on the right path to future success.

"We taught them health and wellness, we taught them how to drive, we taught them how to tie a tie. I mean so many things you take for granted -- these boys, they never sat behind the wheel of a car,” said Ross.

Last year, Orange County hired a consulting firm to find gaps in child services where more money could help.

In November, Channel 9 obtained the firm’s findings and reported the county would be funneling its newly allocated $20 million into nine of the more 50 zip codes in the county.

"We now have the locations where we can have the greatest impact here in Orange County,” said Mayor Jerry Demings.

Here's a map of those nine zip codes:

Areas the county's calling "empowerment zones" -- with the highest levels of poverty, juvenile arrests, dependency issues, abuse or neglect, teen pregnancies and infant mortality.

Nearly 700 kids a year are arrested in Pine Hills.

Organizations like Operation Reachback, which are helping disadvantaged kids get into college, said with a share of that money, they can do a lot.

"One of those young men never had a bed to sleep in. And when he went to college, he had his own room. So, he's continuing to grow,” said Lesli Ahonkhai, who works for the program.

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