United Way of Central Florida works with organizations to find valuable volunteer labor to support goals in our community for Kids, Families and Wellness. If you're interested in organizing a group to help with a project to build better lives and stronger communities, call today! 863.648.1500 x241 scottl@uwcf.org.

KIDS

To help Kids be successful in school we're using a strategy of helping develop parenting skills. Miss Jean's Playland, Little Bloodhounds Preschool, Lena Vista Elementary School, Lake Wales YMCA, Mrs. Pearson' Pre-school and Even Start Preschool worked with United Way and Success By 6 to hold parenting education classes designed with an eye on fun. Volunteers from the organizations helped with the children and serving meals so mom and dad could work with professional educators and identify every day learning moments that will help their children be successful in school.

Also for Kids: The Ledger and Bright House Network employees helped with a community-wide book drive to get books in to the hands of parents and encourage reading to young children for vocabulary development. Studies show a child's success in school is directly related to how much they are read to and their development of vocabulary. Coca-Cola North America had volunteers read to elementary children at 5 schools in Auburndale. Polk Board of County Commissioners' employees (Building Inspections, Development, Traffic Engineering and Leisure Services staffed a phone bank for a morning calling parents to help them know their options in the new Florida Pre-Kindergarten learning program. The Polk County Sheriff - Juvenile Boot Camp helped prepare the Crickette Girl Scout house in Bartow for painting so employees from the Polk County Property Appraisers could come in to paint later in the week, helped by a team from Polk County: Probation, Engineering and Sheriff. Gulf Stream Natural Gas helped with landscaping and cleaning at a United Way partner-program that identifies children 0-6 years old who have learning delays and helps them get caught-up.

FAMILIES

United Way of Central Florida is working too, to help families stay strong. One strategy is to help assist with services for food/clothing or shelter. FMC Food Tech helped with a day long project in Lake Wales for a woman needing hurricane repairs. She'd been living in a mold plagued home until volunteers from Rebuild Polk After Disaster and United Way helped. CF Industries helped with hurricane repairs for a family in Wauchula and is helping the husband acquire a transport for his motorized wheelchair. Mosaic Company volunteers helped in Hardee County and Fort Meade painting and cleaning community thrift stores. Bright House Networks helped an Auburndale family with hurricane clean-up that opened the door for the family to participate in a county program that will finally get them back into their home. Progress Energy helped paint a thrift store in Lake Wales and built ramps for hurricane displaced individuals in Lake Placid and Avon Park. Target Stores employees served in a United Way food line.

WELLNESS

Promoting Wellness is another goal of United way of Central Florida. Volunteers from Sear's Optical helped by providing free glasses adjustments for residents at Florida Presbyterian Homes. Carter Belcourt & Atkinson, Westminister Presbyterian Church, Faith in Action and United Way visited isolated elderly residents cleaning windows and helping with light household chores. Central Florida Gas volunteers escorted blind citizens and served hamburgers at a fall picnic in Winter Haven. Watson Clinic volunteers and Whispering Pines Mobile Home Community worked with United Way on a Spanish language health fair in Bartow.

Many projects have taken place throughout the three county area to help build stronger communities through Days of Impact. A special thank you to each and every volunteer!