( ENSPIRE Man Code 101) How Wiggins “Stepped Up” To Serve His Community
ENSPIRE Contributor: Gabel Strickland
The Hope Church Archbishop Allen T.D. Wiggins was recently honored with the 2022 Better Man of the Year Award during a ceremony held on September 24th in First Orlando Church. The theme of the 2022 Better Man Event was “stepping up,” which the awards determined Wiggins did through all the housing, feeding, and educational initiatives he has championed in his community. The Better Man Event holds Wiggins up as an example for other faith-led men to follow as they take steps to better themselves as individuals, friends, students, co-workers, fathers, husbands, and brothers.
The Better Man Event is a highly produced live event that’s widely broadcasted across radio and social media channels alike. Better Man 365 estimates over 55,000 men across the globe view their show. The event aims to equip men with the better practical and social-emotional skills to improve their work and relationships – and ultimately, themselves. The 2022 guest speakers lineup included big names such as Orlando Magic Basketball Player Jonathan Isaac, pastor and author Wilfredo “Choco” De Jesús, and comedian Michael Jr.
Better Man 365 is dedicated to combating the “dangerous isolation” men can find themselves living in. According to Founder and President of Better Man Brian Buckley, men in our society are isolating themselves, retreating within themselves under the pressures of work, socialization, marriage, and parenting. Better Man 365 aims to help men navigate and rise above these challenges through shows, practical podcasts, and snippets of content spread on their social media platforms. The organization is also heavily faith-based, looking to Jesus Christ as the “original Better Man.”
“In a world where we live with the symptoms of isolation, Better Men don’t cower; they step up. They love their wives, they invest in their children, they live with integrity at work, and they draw closer to Jesus and “Step up” to pursue him in their lives,” Buckley said.
That’s why Better Man 365 determined T.D. Wiggins was the perfect recipient for the 22 Better Man of the Year Award. Archbishop T.D. Wiggins is the owner and operator of Hope Center West, a 50-acre ecosystem in the Greater Washington Shores community. Hope Center West has been working to meet Orlando’s needs, including housing, food, and education.
This includes the need for housing. Archbishop Wiggins has always been concerned with advocating for affordable housing and providing temporary shelter for those in need. For example, he has partnered with faith-based organizations, such as First Baptist Orlando, to provide temporary shelter for women released from prison. Many of the temporary housing solutions he has championed also focus on providing transitional life skills to aid individuals and families coming out of homelessness and looking to achieve independent living.
Wiggins has also been instrumental in providing food to those in need of it. Wiggins is involved with the Hope Cares Program, which partnered with local restaurants to distribute hot meals to people struggling with homelessness. Included with those meals were socks, blankets, coats, and masks. Hope Church also hosts “The Souper Bowl” every year, an event that donates thousands of soup cans to homeless shelters each Superbowl Sunday.
In addition to the aforementioned initiatives, Wiggins has worked towards the preservation of landmarks and the expansion of classroom facilities on Hope Center Campus aimed at helping youth with their education. And, according to Buckley, this is only the beginning for Wiggins, who is planning to launch even more community initiatives concerning environmental sustainability and social services. Therefore, it was determined that Archbishop Wiggins encapsulated the 2022 Better Man Event’s theme of“Stepping Up.”
“‘I’m truly striving to be a better man, but it’s more like better-ing, present progressive, because I’m still in the process of becoming,” Wiggins said. “I’ve given Him (The Father) permission to correct me, improve me and teach me… And in my surrender to Him, God has taught me to forgive quicker, release sooner, live now and dream with a powerful expectation. This award is only a symbolic reflection… when I look at it, I’ll see it for the light it reflects of the ‘SON’ representing the BEST man. This award will serve as a visible reminder to strive to be more like HIM.”
If you want to get involved with The Better Man event’s self-improvement track, you can stream the event on their website starting October 29th at 7pm EST. You can access that streaming service on their website, and you can find even more Better Man 365 content on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram. The 2023 Better Man Event will be held on September 23rd, 2023.
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