About

Building Community Leaders

Our Story

Established in 2001, Alliance for Neighborhood Restoration is a Florida not-for-profit corporation integral to an inclusive, collaborative partnership based upon resident-identified needs. With a primary focus on the City of Cocoa’s Diamond Square RDA and adjacent neighborhoods, this partnership provides leadership, resources, training, and opportunities to empower area youth and families with the opportunity to improve their quality of life and work towards self-sufficiency. With a significant emphasis on Youth Services and Community Building, a staff of two, along with consistent, dedicated volunteers coordinate and organize programs, projects, and events. 

Our Activities

As the core program for delivering youth services, the Cocoa Police Athletic League is a juvenile delinquency prevention program that provides athletic and academic activities to youth.

Without programs of this type, many of our children would have no structured character-building activities to keep them on the path toward success. Through this program, with the support of the Cocoa Police Department and the community, we can provide structured youth activities to keep kids off the streets and out of trouble. Since 2009, (Alliance for NeighborhoodRestoration, Inc.) has exposed Cocoa’s Youth to State PAL activities, including State Conferences, sporting tournaments, leadership training, regional volunteer training, and activities.

Community Leaders

Coordinate Crime Prevention Activities for Youth that help build character, develop leadership skills and build a rapport with law enforcement.

Delores McLaughlin
Cocoa PAL Executive Director

After over 16 years in local broadcasting with WBSF-TV43, in 2000, Delores embarked on a new journey as the site coordinator for Brevard County Weed and Seed and Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiatives. Winning more than two million in grants for the Brevard County Initiatives, she received national recognition for her work with Weed and Seed, including the Department of Justice’s Tenure Award for Weed and Seed Site Coordinators. Over the past 22 years, as founding executive director of the Alliance for Neighborhood Restoration, Delores has spearheaded the development of several innovative programs designed to fill gaps in services for the Diamond Square Community in Cocoa and other Weed and Seed targeted areas throughout Brevard. These programs include the Academy for Academics and Arts, Youth Employment Training, Youth Leadership Development, and Youth Crime Prevention Summits. She has also worked with volunteers to fund and bring cultural activities and events to Cocoa and the surrounding areas, such as the Juneteenth Arts and Cultural Festival and the Diamond Square Health and Resource Fair. She is currently the Program Director for the Cocoa Police Athletic League. She serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the State of Florida Association of Police Athletic Leagues.

Sonja Moragne- Mitchell
Cocoa PAL Program Manager

Sonja joined the Alliance for Neighborhood Restoration in 2001 as the Program Manager for the Brevard County Weed and Seed Initiative. Working alongside Delores, she assisted in developing and executing youth programs, projects, and events. These programs included the Academy for Academics and Arts, Youth Employment Training, Youth Leadership Development, and Youth Crime Prevention Summits. Since 2009 at the culmination of the Weed and Seed Initiatives, Cocoa PAL has become a significant focus for ANR, making Sonja’s primary responsibilities Youth Employment Training and the Cocoa PAL After-School Program. Both of which emphasize Career Readiness for youth ages 7-17.

Officer Cierra Johnson
Cocoa PAL Officer

Officer Cierra Johnson is a vibrant person who loves to help others. Originally from Polk County Florida, she joined the Cocoa Police Department in April of 2020. Officer Johnson attended Ridge Community High School where she participated in basketball, track, and field, and JROTC. After graduating high school in 2011, she attended Eastern Kentucky University and subsequently joined the United States National Guard where she held the position of 88M transportation Specialists. In 2017 she attended
South Florida State College and graduated from the Florida Criminal Justice Police Academy. Since joining the police force, Officer Johnson has strived to be a positive influence in the community she serves. Officer Johnson comes from a Southern background and enjoys cooking delicious food and spending time with her family in Loughman, Florida. Officer Johnson has three children whom she encourages every day to be better individuals and treat everyone with respect. On her leisure time, Officer Johnson enjoys singing, going to the beach, and riding roller coasters. As a new member of the community engagement unit, Officer Johnson enjoys spending time with Cocoa PAL and wants to continue to build a good rapport with the youth by being positive role model.

Diamond Johnson
Volunteer

Named State of Florida PAL Girl of the Year in 2019, Diamond had been a PAL member for four years. In that time, she completed the Youth Employment Training Program. Diamond volunteered hundreds of hours for the Cops and Kids Summer Camps and the Cocoa PAL After-School Programs. In 2020 she received the Ileana Garcia Scholarship Award naming her the State of Florida PAL Youth Advocate of the Year. Diamond continues to volunteer for the Youth Leadership Program and special events. She is also a member of the State of Florida PAL Alumni Conference Committee (ACC).

Larry Brown

Larry Brown joined the Alliance for Neighborhood Restoration team in 2012 as a volunteer for the Juneteenth Festival, a fundraiser benefitting the Alliance’s youth programs. Since that time, he has volunteered countless hours in the Cocoa PAL After-School and Basketball Programs. He also volunteers for the many annual events associated with Alliance’s Crime Prevention Initiatives, including National Night Out and Youth Crime Prevention Summits.