It Takes a Village!
Every Story Has A Start
Meet Our Founders & Hear Their Stories
KATEE CALLAWAY WHO?
I’m Katee Callaway, Project Manager and Board member of a nonprofit organization called Picking Up The Pieces, based in Ocala, FL. I was awarded one of the two, 2025 ACE of Florida Student Success Awards. Born and raised right here in Sumter County; you could say my family has been here since the roads were dirt.
Growing up here, there wasn’t much to do, and without being able to handle, or properly understand the hardships my family was facing, I acted out. By the time I was 13, I was already heading down the wrong path. I went through many of my own hardships leading me into a 20-year struggle with drugs and addiction.
Now, almost 2 years sober (2026), I am dedicated to helping the community and the youth to have a program where they can come learn about what the world has in store for them. Through our after-school program I aim to provide the youth with a safe place to not only be themselves, but to learn the tools they will need to empower themselves for a better future. This program will be everything I wish I would have known and had available to me as a little girl.
WHO IS MICHELLE​ PEPIN?
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Michelle Pepin is a woman who turned unimaginable loss into a mission of hope. After the passing of her son, Ian, Michelle refused to let grief be the end of the story. Instead, she channeled her pain into purpose and founded Picking Up The Pieces, a nonprofit built on compassion, dignity, and the belief of every person deserves to be seen and valued.
Through her work in community outreach and harm reduction, Michelle has become known as someone who truly meets people where they are—without judgment, with open arms and a fierce commitment to helping others rebuild their lives one step at a time. Her authenticity, strength, and deep love for people have made her a trusted advocate for those who often feel forgotten.
Now, Michelle is taking het mission even further by opening a youth program for young people involved in the juvenile justice system. She understands many of these youth are not “bad kids,” but young people who have faced trauma, loss, and circumstances beyond their control. The program will provide mentorship, life-skills training, tutoring, job readiness support, and a safe community where youth can feel supported instead of judged.
Michelle’s vision is to break cycles before they become lifelong patterns, showing young people their past does not define their future. Through the youth program, she hopes to give them what every child deserves: guidance, opportunity, and a community who believes in them when the world may not.
How To Reach Us
Let's build this together!
Community connection is what we aim
for, so we'd love to hear from you!
352-581-0426
