SRU_Examiner.com_article_042613 by Heart of Florida United Way

Heart of Florida United Way Volunteer Carnival - Orlando charity | Examiner.com

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Examiner.com Heart of Florida United Way Volunteer Carnival UNITED WAY

APRIL 26, 2013

BY: BRUCE LARSON

Volunteers help write encouraging notes to middle school students Credits: Heart of Florida United Way

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“Volunteering can be a fun and rewarding experience,” Traci Blue, director of the Heart of Florida United Way (http://www.examiner.com/topic/united-way) (HFUW) Volunteer (http://www.examiner.com/topic/volunteer) Resource Center said. The

organization recently celebrated National Volunteer Week which took place April 21 through April 27 by holding its annual Step Right Up! Volunteer Carnival.

topic/nonprofit)

“Through this event," Blue said, "we wanted to thank our RELATED ADS ( HTTP://WWW.GOOGLE.COM/URL? CT=ABG&Q=HTTPS://WWW.GOOGLE.COM/ADSENSE/S UPPORT/BIN/REQUEST.PY%3FTRUNC%3D1% 26CONTACT%3DABG_AFC%26URL% 3DHTTP://WWW.EXAMINER.COM/ARTICLE/HEART-OFFLORIDA-UNITED-WAY-VOLUNTEER-CARNIVAL%

community for their volunteer service and also wanted to emphasize the importance of these activities for local nonprofits.” The free, family-friendly event brought more than 250 participants and included over 30 game booths, free food and prizes. "Without the help of volunteers, these organizations would not exist,” Blue admitted.

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To help show their appreciation for those who volunteer for our

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community, several area personalities and companies participated in the celebration.

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4/29/2013

Heart of Florida United Way Volunteer Carnival - Orlando charity | Examiner.com

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Event Chair Orlando Police Department (OPD), Chief Paul Rooney, brought resources including SWAT and K-9 teams, mounted patrol and officers for the “Dunk-a-Cop” tank. Special guest, Orlando Magic Community Ambassador Nick Anderson,

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also joined and provided games and activities. STAR 94.5 was broadcasting live from the event as participants enjoyed donated

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food from Sedano’s Supermarkets.

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Participants had the opportunity to take part in on-site volunteer projects supporting HFUW’s focus on alleviating hunger & homelessness, developing healthy families, building safe communities through education, and improving financial stability. These projects included:

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Sending customized emails to local representatives, encouraging them to support educational programs.

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• Constructing 150 hygiene kits for children and veterans • Assembling nearly 100 weekend snack packs with nutritious shelf -stable foods for hungry children • Writing encouraging letters to middle school students • Assembling 100 “Teacher Appreciation Treats."

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Representatives from 30 local nonprofit

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(http://www.examiner.com/topic/nonprofit) partner agencies including

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4C-Community Coordinated Care for Children, Catholic Charities

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of Central Florida, PACE Center for Girls, and City Year Orlando, among others, were in attendance to share information about

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additional volunteer opportunities throughout Central Florida .

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“Volunteering not only impacts local nonprofits that need the help, but it ultimately benefits the economy as well,” Robert H. (Bob) Brown, President & CEO of HFUW said. “Last year, Heart of

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Florida United Way volunteers accumulated more than 59,000 hours across Central Florida , valued at more than one million

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dollars.”

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Through external efforts, HFUW organized nearly 23,000 hours of group volunteer work benefiting its partner agencies through its Volunteer Resource Center in 2012.

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Participants helped with meaningful projects like serving meals to hungry Central Floridians, hosting baby showers for families in

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need and doing free tax preparation for low-income households.

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Volunteers and interns also provided about 37,000 hours of • Volunteer Leadership (http://www.examiner.com/related-ads? google_kw=Volunteer+Leadership&google_rt=ChB RftSwAA7RrQo0KlLbAFHcEhRWb2x1bnRlZXIgTG

administrative support at HFUW offices. Each hour is worth $22.14, according to Independent Sector, a leadership network for nonprofits – which translates to more than $1.3 million in donated time.

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4/29/2013

Heart of Florida United Way Volunteer Carnival - Orlando charity | Examiner.com

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For more information about volunteering through Heart of Florida United Way, call (407) 429-2136 or visit www.hfuw.org

florida-united-way-volunteer-carnival)

(http://www.hfuw.org) .

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