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DeLandite Voloria Manning serves as a board member on the West Volusia Hospital Authority. Recently, she has also been assisting local students, from prekindergarten through 12th grade, at the Chisholm Center, ensuring they have access to the internet for their virtual school programs, and food for lunch.

In the coming year, Manning hopes to help guide the Hospital Authority to provide as much care as possible for underserved and indigent people across the West Volusia area. The Hospital Authority is funded by a special property tax for that purpose.

“Being on the Hospital Authority board, I feel like there are a lot of new things that are happening,” Manning said. “I am looking forward to working as a team, to continue to provide the services which are needed in our community.”

Manning said one hope of hers is to expand the Hospital Authority’s health-card program, which gives uninsured poor people access to health care. She also hopes the Hospital Authority will consider opening a health-card program clinic in the Spring Hill neighborhood of DeLand. In 2020, clinics were opened in DeLand, and in Deltona.

Overall, Manning said she would like to see more diversity and inclusion in the Downtown DeLand area.

“DeLand is my home,” Manning said. “I was born and raised here, and I would like to see more diverse businesses Downtown.”

Manning said she hopes she sees change in the coming year, but she said the problems are systemic, and complicated to fix.

“People of color have the capability, it’s just being given the opportunity. That’s it,” she said. “The opportunities are just not given.”

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