- December 4, 2025
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Parrish High junior Parrish Williford purchased a 2002 Dodge Ram with close to 100,000 miles on it with assistance from Harbor58, a Lakewood Ranch nonprofit that provides resources and support for youths aging out of foster care.
He paid $3,500 out of pocket and received $1,000 worth of assistance from the nonprofit. He has had to pay for the air conditioning to be fixed twice.
“The first time it was the car with its age, and the second time, rats moved into the AC,” Williford said.
Williford was adopted as an infant and his adoptive mother Nancy Lynn Peterson died when he was 13 years old. His legal guardian is his uncle, Peterson’s brother Buddy Bentley. Williford, who lives with his uncle in Parrish, said he has become more prepared for the world since summer 2022, which is when he joined the Harbor58 Money Talks program.
Through the Harbor58 program, he has two mentors, Craig Miller and Vincent Contino, who teach him all about financial basics and strategies, including how to save, invest and more. Miller said Williford already knew some monetary strategies coming in, but not all those who are transitioning out of foster care is so lucky.
Miller said some don't have anyone to show them about some very basic foundations of life, such as financial responsibility.
“They don't know what a bank account is," Miller said. "They don’t know about checks or pay stubs.”
Williford said he has learned to dress more formally when he is doing business to how to find a part time job. He has worked part time at Publix since June 2023. He works three to four times a week averaging 15 hours in order to save as much money as possible.
Harbor58 Executive Director Missy Parmenter said it has been amazing to see Williford come into his own through his experience in the program. When he first started coming, she said he wouldn’t look people in the eye and was very nervous.
“He's smart, capable and resilient, so it's amazing to see what some mentors encouraging him has done,” Parmenter said.
Parmenter called Williford a sponge, soaking up any and all advice he has been given. Harbor58 is located at 5215 Lorraine Road and can be contacted by calling 840-0394.
Williford eventually wants to attend the University of South Florida to pursue a career in computer science.
“They’ve helped me out a lot and allowed me to get a head start,” Williford said of Harbor58.
Harbor58 teaches those aging out of foster care to set up an emergency fund as adults while learning what constitutes an emergency.
“If they save $1,000, we'll give them an extra $100 to incentivize them and encourage them to do the right thing. They learn to prioritize the things that are important,” Parmenter said.
At least once a year, Harbor58 hosts the “Game of Life” which revolves around budget-based scenarios.
“I think it was eye opening for them to see how expensive it is to have an apartment, utilities, and if you have a kid, paying for childcare,” Parmenter said. “We’re trying to make those things more tangible and understandable for them.”
Lakewood Ranch resident Tory Fredericks is a member of the Oasis Church, which isn't connected to the Harbor58 program, but which hosts the program since it was founded in 2020.
Fredericks said it is important that the kids gain the tools of how to be financially responsible — how to save and invest money, how to spend money wisely, and more. The goal is for the kids to become self-sustainable because chances are they will be on their own when they age out of the system.
“The dark side of that could be homelessness,” Fredericks said.
Shadeed Wright is a 17-year-old junior at Braden River High School and he has been mentored in Harbor58 by Fredericks since 2023. Fredericks was recruited to be a mentor just for Wright.
Fredericks said he is always reminding Wright to think about his future so that he doesn’t go into life after high school blind and without a plan. He said it’s about building toward financial goals and moving forward.
Wright’s goal after graduation is to get a good job so he can get a nice car, buy a house and eventually take care of his future family. His ultimate goal is to become an entrepreneur with his own clothing brand business.
Parmenter emphasized the importance of membership, not just with money skills, but about life in general. Youth who age out of the foster care system don’t always have a lot of support.
Parmenter had Harbor58's goal is to provide a safe space, a place for teenagers to go for support. She said a girl who went to Harbor58 for awhile left her placement and is technically "on the run," but she still reaches out to her mentor and lets them know that she is safe.
“While I'm sad that she's not in a placement, and I'm sad that she's not more stable than she is, I'm grateful that she knows she can reach out,” Parmenter said. “She knows if she was ever in trouble that she has people who would be there for her.”
Harbor 58 is currently in the planning process of building a campus behind Oasis Church that will consist of six paired villas that will house 12 youths in a studio apartment style living space. They will have 18 months to live there while gaining more life skills that they may struggle with.
“We will create an individualized transition plan for them, and we work with them specifically on areas where it might be hard for them to stand on their own when it's time for them to be an adult,” Parmenter said.
There will also be a community building where they can meet in classrooms, do laundry and eat together.
“Once a week we'll have weekly family dinners so everyone on the campus will get together and kind of get to know each other, hear each other's story,” Parmenter said. “We want to create a space for community, but also teach them the importance of how to have dinner around the table, because some of them never had that.”
