Deborah Barr, 56, sits for a portrait after service at the Israel Bethel P.B. Church in Tampa on Sunday, November 17, 2013.  Barr, who is unable to read, carries a bible in her purse and is hoping to one day be able to read it.  Her story is a part of the Holiday Hopes series in which the Tampa Bay Times features the stories of those in need during the holiday season.  Readers are encouraged to reach out to the subjects of these stories with support and assistance.

Willie Brantley does roofing in Tampa these days; however, at one point he was making his living "under the table."  He spent three years in prison because of that lifestyle, but is turning himself around.  He said, "I've watched this area decline, but that don't mean I got to keep declining with it." 

Ray Whitehouse

Erica Heller recreating American Beauty.