CHAIRMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, & FOUNDER
FRESH START SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY, INC.
GARRY B. COSTON WAS BORN IN JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA ON OCTOBER 4TH. NO STRANGER TO HARDSHIP, DIVERSITY, AND ADVERSE CHALLENGES, GARRY WAS NOT BORN INTO A RICH OR AFFLUENT FAMILY SHIP. ON THE CONTRARY HIS LIFE HAS BEEN ONE OF OVERCOMING SELF INFLICTED AND NATURAL GOD INSPIRED OBSTACLES.
GARRY'S PROFESSIONAL LIFE BEGAN WITH THE SETBACK OF NOT FINISHING HIGH SCHOOL. GARRY DROPPED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL THREE MONTHS SHY OF GRADUATING FROM SARASOTA HIGH SCHOOL, SARASOTA, FLORIDA. THREE MONTHS LATER, IN JUNE 1974, GARRY WOULD EMULATE HIS BEST FRIEND BY JOINING THE UNITED STATES NAVY. UPON ENLISTING IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY, GARRY WAS PLACED IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND CLERICAL FIELD. NOT REALIZING THAT LATER IN LIFE HE WOULD SORELY NEED SUCH TRAINING AND EDUCATION, GARRY BEGAN WORK IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE OCCUPATIONAL FIELD AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE LADDER WITHIN THE NAVY, AND WOULD WORK HIS WAY UP TO THE LOW TO MID-MANAGEMENT LEVEL OF CHIEF PETTY OFFICER UPON HIS RETIREMENT IN 1994. WHILE IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY, GARRY WOULD OBTAIN AND COMPLETE NUMEROUS COLLEGE LEVEL COURSE, TRAINING, AND EDUCATION IN ADDITION TO RECEIVING NUMEROUS PERSONAL AWARDS IN THE FORM OF APPRECIATION LETTERS, COMMENDATIONS, MEDALS AND CAMPAIGN RIBBONS.
UPON RETIRING FROM THE UNITED STATES NAVY, GARRY ACCEPTED A POSITION WITH A REPUTABLE RAILROAD INTERMODAL COMPANY IN JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA AS AN EQUIPMENT DISPATCH REPRESENTATIVE, A CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE JOB. IN 1995 GARRY WAS LAID OFF FROM THIS POSITION WITHOUT WARNING. THAT SAME YEAR GARRY WOULD MOVE TO SOUTH FLORIDA, IN THE CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE AND WOULD REMAIN THERE UNTIL 2004. DURING HIS TIME IN SOUTH FLORIDA, GARRY WOULD WORK IN THE REAL ESTATE FIELD, CUSTOMER SERVICE REP AND MANAGEMENT FIELD, PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FIELD, OFFICE MANAGEMENT, PRESIDENT OF A PHOTO AND VIDEO IMAGING AND PRODUCTION COMPANY, AND AS A DOCUMENT CONTROL/SCAN/IMAGING MANAGER. DURING THIS SAME TIME, GARRY WOULD EXPERIENCE, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS LIFE, VARIOUS ADVERSE SOCIAL ILLS, AND WOULD BECOME DISABLED FROM SERVICE CONNECTED DISABILITIES. IN 2001, GARRY RECEIVED A CALL FROM GOD, THROUGH A DREAM THAT GOD WANTED HIM TO "WRITE FOR HIM (GOD)." AT THE TIME GARRY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THIS MEANT, BUT AS TIME WENT ON, AND WITH THE EXPERIENCES OF ADVERSE SOCIAL ILLS AND BECOMING A DISABLED VETERAN, GARRY TOOK THE DREAM FROM GOD TO MEAN THAT HE WANTED HIM TO WORK, ADMINISTRATIVELY AND SOCIALLY, HELPING THOSE THAT ARE IN NEED.
IN 2004, GARRY MOVED FROM FORT LAUDERDALE TO SARASOTA, FLORIDA. UPON ARRIVING TO SARASOTA, GARRY BEGAN INITIATING AND FORMULATING THE RULES, RGULATIONS, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR FRESH START IN ADDITION TO PHYSICALLY HELPING THOSE IN NEED. DURING THIS SAME YEAR, GARRY WOULD ALSO RECEIVE HIS DEGREE, FROM AMERICAN INTERCONTINENTAL UNIVERSITY, IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. INITIALLY HELPING THOSE IN NEED WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH PROVIDING INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO CLIENTS FROM PEER AGENCIES WITHIN THE LOCAL AREA (MANASOTA). IN 2005, GARRY, AFTER RECEIVING TAX EXEMPT STATUS FROM THE IRS, BEGAN SEARCHING FOR A NAME FOR THE AGENCY. A CLIENT/FRIEND, WHO CALLED GARRY FOR COUNSELING, STATED THAT HE WAS TIRED AND EXHAUSTED AND NEEDED A "FRESH START." WHAT DENNIS GUDGEN SAID THAT NIGHT RANG IN GARRY'S EAR AND GARRY TOOK THIS TO MEAN THAT THE AGENCY WAS TO BE NAMED, "FRESH START." THUS FRESH START, AS A NAME, WAS OFFICIALLY BORN IN 2005 AND THE AGENCY FOUNDED IN 2004.
AT THE PRESENT, FRESH START HAS BECOME A VIABLE AND SUCCESSFUL WORKING ENTITY IN MANASOTA (SARASOTA AND MANATEE COUNTIES FLORIDA) HELPING HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE EACH YEAR WHO ARE IN NEED. GARRY AND FRESH START'S OBJECTIVES ARE TO TURN NO ONE AWAY AND TO ALWAYS, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE UTILIZING ALL AVAILABLE SERVICES AND RESOURCES, TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE THE ROOT CAUSES OF SOCIAL ILLS AND HOMELESSN ESS THUS ENABLING THAT PERSON TO RETURN AS A VIABLE MEMBER OF SOCIETY. GARRY ADMONISHES EVERYONE TO KEEP GOD IN PERSPECTIVE, ACCEPT HIS SON JESUS AS YOUR PERSONAL SAVIOR, AND WHENEVER POSSIBLE, HELP SOMEONE THAT IS IN NEED. PLEASE DO THIS BECAUSE ONE DAY, IT COULD BE YOU THAT IS IN NEED! THANK YOU, AND MAY GOD RICHLY BLESS EVERYONE!
-GARRY BERNARD COSTON-
