It was nothing short of a newsworthy year in the City Beautiful, filled with ups, downs and plenty of surprises. We said goodbye to iconic eateries while we welcomed in some new big bites. We saw storied theme park rides close while we geared up for new magical worlds to come. We cheered on abortion-rights groups, labor unions and community-centered organizations, while we faced business struggles and legislative changes.
But through it all, we remained strong. Here are 20 of our stories on the biggest W’s and L’s Orlando took home in 2024.
COMMUNITY:
W: “New peer respite center opens in Orlando for mental health, a first for Central Florida” (July 12)
Eva’s Casita, a peer respite center run by the local nonprofit Peer Support Space, officially opened its doors this summer — the first of its kind in Central Florida, and the first and only in the nation designed and led by LGBTQ+ mental-health advocates. Peer Support Space was formed five and a half years ago, in the wake of the mass shooting at Pulse nightclub. The center is named after the late Eva Fajardo, a local advocate for queer, Hispanic and migrant communities who passed away 18 months ago, as she and the nonprofit were working hard to make the new respite a reality. Fajardo was a “therapist for therapists” after the Pulse tragedy that killed 49 people, says Yasmin Flasterstein, executive director and co-founder of Peer Support Space.