211: ANSWERING THE CALL

from HFUW 2021-22 Annual Report

VETERANS

Through 211, we are able to connect those in need with vital resources — including mental health support, rental, mortgage, and utility assistance, childcare help, and so much more.

43,523 Referrals were made for housing and shelter assistance, including referrals for rent assistance, low-cost housing, and shelters.

16,706 Referrals were made for healthcare and COVID-19 needs, such as information about nursing homes and adult care, COVID financial assistance, medical providers, and more.

20,042 Referrals were made for utility assistance including assistance with electric, water, and gas.

211 is the most comprehensive source of information about local resources and services in the country. Thousands of caring, local experts are available nationally to help, 24/7/365. Calls to 211 are confidential and can be anonymous.

7,729 Referrals were made for mental health and addiction requests, including crisis intervention and referrals to mental health facilities.

Volunteers Who Live United

Volunteers impact all facets of United Way’s mission. Heart of Florida United Way’s Volunteer Resource Center (VRC) harnesses the caring power of our community to create lasting change. Overall, 3,779 volunteers contributed 30,979 hours of service, saving local nonprofit agencies $825,183.

Thanksgiving Project 2021: For the third year, Heart of Florida United Way distributed 1,800 Thanksgiving meal kits with a side of hope at three sites throughout Central Florida. The Thanksgiving Project alleviated some financial burden for 1,800 prequalified ALICE households (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) by reducing expenses for a big holiday meal.

Week of Action 2022: To kick off the New Year and to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the VRC organized seven days of opportunities for over 200 volunteers. These activities included virtual options, outdoor beautification projects, and webinars to learn about how volunteering can benefit not just the community, but those who give their time.

Share the Love 2022: Share the Love brings together volunteers to create care packages or items for groups in need. In 2022, volunteers crafted 200 no-sew fleece blankets for Veterans and Seniors in our community, both in-person and utilizing VolunteerAt-Home kits via mail.

Community Baby Shower 2022: For the second year, HFUW was able to creatively host a safe Community Baby Shower for new and expecting families in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties. This combination of a virtual resource fair and drive-thru distribution provided 150 ALICE households with needed baby items. Over 300 Volunteers made baby blankets, packed and distributed gift bags, boxed lunches, and special cookies to each participating household.

Local Group Volunteering: Whether corporate based or a community group, families or students, the VRC is always available to help match groups with their ideal opportunity. Even during the pandemic, the VRC found creative and safe ways to help volunteers continue to impact their community. This included multiple beautification outings (outdoors), virtual card-making activities, and shipping Volunteer-at-Home kits.

Volun-Tourism: In 2021, Orlando welcomed over 59 million visitors, signifying a movement to slowly rebuilding to pre-pandemic numbers. The VRC has established a line of Volun-Tourism products to appeal to individual, corporate, and convention visitors to extend the benefit of our local Tourism industry. These programs harness the volunteer power of groups ranging from 3 to 3,000 participants to support the community through meal packing, bike assembly, and other engaging projects. As visitors begin to return to our area, our VRC is helping to bring Corporate Social Responsibility opportunities to life through engaging volunteer activities.

Volunteers pack and distribute meal kits during Thanksgiving Project.

Volunteers load up baby supplies into recipients’ cars during Community Baby Shower.

Leadership Donor Appreciation Event

December 2021

Host Sponsor: SeaWorld Orlando

In appreciation of our Leadership Donors, SeaWorld Orlando invited United Way supporters and United Way staff for a day in the park during the month of December, offering a safe and family-friendly environment for guests to enjoy the holidays in Central Florida. Donors also had the option to attend a day with United Way in the park, where they enjoyed a private show and a welcome from HFUW staff.

Women United Luncheon

April 2022

Host Sponsor: Walmart

The Women United Luncheon draws prominent female business and community leaders from across the tri-county area to learn more about getting involved with the Central Florida community and be inspired by a keynote address. This year’s speaker was award-winning ABC chief meteorologist Ginger Zee.

Through Ginger’s incredible story, audiences were left feeling renewed, empowered, and deeply moved by her raw, poignant chronicle of life as a Natural Disaster, which demonstrates how she was able to build a remarkable career and family through resilience and self-care learned from dysfunction, self-doubt, and turmoil.

The State Of Our Families

May 2022

The State of Our Families brings together key community leaders to learn what families in Central Florida are experiencing. Author Stephanie Land, who is the inspiration behind the Netflix series Maid, shared her story about dealing with financial stability. A struggling single mom determined to keep a roof over her daughter’s head, Stephanie Land worked long hours for years as a maid to provide for her small family. Running away from an abusive relationship, she found herself struggling to survive. Like many others in the Central Florida community, Stephanie was ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed).

Women United Luncheon