A VISION OF SUPPORT

Kevin Harrison: Took Flight in 1987

There’s a bit of magic happening every day on the Southern Miss Gulf Park and Hattiesburg campuses.

At The Children’s Center for Communication and Development, the laughs are louder, the hugs tighter and the celebrations bigger. Since 1974, The Children’s Center has helped children with complex disabilities secure brighter futures through a transdisciplinary approach. The Children’s Center provides opportunities to work on language, motor and social skills through play. Specialists in speech-language pathology, early oral intervention, audiology, special education, behavioral therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy help each child reach their maximum potential.

Kevin Harrison felt that magic the first time he stepped through the doors of The Children’s Center nearly two decades ago. After settling down with his family, the Hattiesburg native wanted to get involved in philanthropy in his hometown. A friend connected him with The Children’s Center, and after the first visit, he knew it was where he wanted to invest his time and money.

“The director at the time took me around the facility one day, and I just fell in love,” Kevin said. “There’s something about the love children have, especially children with special needs. I really don’t think we should call them special needs, though… I think we should call them special gifts.”

Kevin graduated from Southern Miss in 1987 with a degree in speech communication. His father owned Heritage Vision Center and one day asked him, “Son, until you find something else, do you want to work for me?” Kevin agreed to join his dad with the intention of finding another job in the very near future.

“While in college, I worked at a local retail store. When I finished school, I said whatever career I choose, it’s not going to be in retail.” However, it took Kevin less than a year to realize he really did enjoy working in retail, heavily due to the relationships he formed with others.

“The more I became involved with Heritage Vision Center, the more I liked it because I got to see customers on a regular basis and continuously meet new people.” In 1993, Kevin became the Hattiesburg store manager, and in 2005, he purchased the company from his father. After 30 years managing Heritage Vision Center, he says with a wink, “I think I’ll stick around.”

Not long after Kevin first visited The Children’s Center, he took his daughter Beth to visit. “I told Beth, ‘You have to meet these kids.’ Well, she fell in love with it, too. She wanted to raise money for them, so she started making and selling bracelets and donating the proceeds.”

Kevin also began donating a percentage of his sales from Heritage Vision Center each year. Kevin, his wife, Wanda, and Beth became regulars at The Children’s Center, often taking turns reading to the children. In 2007 at the age of 15, Beth passed away. Devastated, Kevin and Wanda worked with The Children’s Center to create the Rebekah Elizabeth Harrison Endowment in her memory. That was the start of a wonderful partnership in which Kevin would form special relationships with the children and staff members for years to come. The Children's Center also honored the care and resources they need for years to come while simultaneously honoring his late daughter.

“It wasn’t until I got older that I understood what my parents meant when they said giving is so much better than receiving,” Kevin said. “When your focus is on others, your blessings grow exponentially. When I think about the endowment, supporting studentathletes or the number of glasses I’ve given away… if I could have it all back, I would be so much poorer. Philanthropy ties me to those I’ve lost and hope to honor, and it also connects me to this community I’m proud to be a part of.”

In 2014, Wanda passed away, leaving an even larger void in Kevin’s heart. In order to push forward, he dug into his work, community and church family. “To me, life is all about relationships, and I’ve been blessed to have had the most genuine love with my family, friends and wonderful customers. I have a philosophy in my business—my purpose is not to sell eyeglasses or contact lenses, it’s to help people see better, look better and feel better. We do that by providing people with good quality products that are going to help them enjoy life.”

Beth’s memory by naming a room for her and planting a 15-year-old oak tree overlooking the playground, just as she loved to do.

“Kevin Harrison, or ‘Uncle Kevin’ as many of the kids call him, has been a loyal and generous friend for over a decade,” said Sarah Myers, director of The Children’s Center. “As a nonprofit, we rely heavily on the support of individuals and organizations in our community. It is because of longstanding partnerships with people like Kevin and local businesses like Heritage Vision Center that we are able to continue providing services for children with complex disabilities at no cost to their families. His contributions help facilitate the work we do, and we are so grateful for his ongoing generosity.”

Kevin also provides glasses free of charge for any child at The Children’s Center who needs them. As the Rebekah Elizabeth Harrison Endowment continues to grow, he takes comfort in knowing children will receive

When he least expected it, a new relationship developed. Kevin met Lynda Avery at church and the two immediately connected. Both having prior marriages, each understood the difficulty and uncertainty of pursuing a new relationship. They married in 2016 and continue to make a difference in the Hattiesburg community through their careers and philanthropy. Lynda is a nurse practitioner and founder of Legacy Health Center, a nontraditional health consulting, integrative medical practice.

Kevin and Lynda are actively involved in CrossPoint Community Church. They are members of the Circle of Champions, Eagle Club, McCarty Legacy, Aubrey K. Lucas Society and the USM Foundation Honor Club at the Joseph Cook Fellowship Level. Kevin is also a Life Member of the Southern Miss Alumni Association.