HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A retired Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy spends part of his retirement giving back to the same community he served.
For Leon Paige, coming back to the University Area makes him proud, seeing a community turn around.
Paige patrolled this area for HCSO for nearly 30 years. Needless to say, he's seen a lot.
"I started learning a little bit more about it. And as I learn more about it, I like to see a growing community, I like to see happy people," Paige said. "This place was solving all of that. I mean, it was solving some of the things here in the neighborhood. The community was disjointed."
But he's also seen this area transform, adding a park, new housing and resources for people who live here.
Today, Paige is a volunteer and also serves on the board of the University Area Community Development Corporation.
"Once I got involved with the UACDC, I thought I would never leave. I actually live in a totally different area of town," he said. "But I'd made the trip here, and I work diligently in this area because it's important to me. I've seen the low part of it, the worst end of it, and now I see the other end up."
And for Paige, the message is simple: his work here is just about making a difference.
"I would love to see the quality of life for people in this area be the same standard all over Hillsborough County," he said. "Because everyone deserves to have a comfortable place to sleep, clean water to drink, food on the table, rent paid, lights, all those types of things are just basic necessities in our society."
Volunteers can help with events with the UACDC and also their community garden.
Click here to find out how you can get involved.
