Kadesh Reaves People of Plant City

By Cheryl Johnston

To support his wife and their five children, 29-yearold Kadesh Reaves works two jobs. He owns a lawn maintenance business and serves part-time at the Boys & Girls Club as a coordinator for the Member Tracking System. The Plant City native graduated from Tampa Bay Tech, where he played football and continued playing during his college years. When he has spare time, he enjoys watching action movies and having meaningful conversations with anyone willing to engage. Although he considers himself an introvert, Kadesh truly loves “to help people.”

Tell us a little about your family.

I’m now the oldest of three sons born to Correggio and Cassandra Reaves because my older brother died at ten months old before I was born. My parents have been married for 36 years and my father pastors St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in the Port of Tampa. He had to be a strict disciplinarian with my younger brother and me because we were bad. I met my wife, Adreena, when a friend invited me to a church function, and she began to help me with my business. Today we have five children, and by year’s end will have our sixth. The children are sons Ezra, 4, and Muhki, 3, and daughters Azzariah, 2, along with threemonth-old twin girls Zephaniah and Nehemiah. My amazing wife cares for the children while I work, but when I’m home, they love playing outdoors with me. They like to wrestle, run, jump, play Ring Around the Rosie, and other old-school games.

Describe your work and what you enjoy about your jobs. I don’t really use my degrees in Mass Communications or Broadcast Journalism in my career, but I enjoy interacting with the children and teens at the Boys & Girls Club. I’ve been involved with the club from ages 5 to 17 and became a junior leader. My first summer job after high school was here, and then I was hired part-time as coordinator of the Member Tracking System. In 2021, in addition to this role, I started my own lawn maintenance business after I lost a prior job, and then my friend Jasper White, who had just retired, added 17 more customers to my client list.

Faith is central to your life, correct?

Yes, my wife and I believe having a relationship with God will keep us grounded and strengthen our family. I assist at a few churches whenever I’m needed to lead music, teach, or do just about anything else they ask. I’ve also played drums, trombone, and piano. Adreena and I want our children to know God is real and want them to know Jesus Christ as their Lord. We plan to teach them to work hard because the world can be cruel. And we also want them to win souls for God and leave a legacy.

How do you manage to stay in shape?

I’m careful with my diet and typically eat only once or twice a day when I’m not fasting, which I typically do for spiritual health 3-4 days a week. I’ve just finished a 2-week sugar fast. I eat poultry, fish, and occasionally pork, but almost no red meat. I drink water or BodyArmor drinks. I want to get back into my routine of stretching for 30 minutes every day. My lawn maintenance business is physical, so that helps, too.

What do you enjoy most about life in our community?

The people are friendly and kind and the location is convenient. Plant City is a unique hometown and a great place to raise a family.