September 19th, 6:00pm-8:30pm @ Nature Coast Technical High School
October 22nd, 9:30am @ Capital City Bank
October 23rd, 10:00am-1:00pm @ Brooksville Wesleyan Church
November 7th, 8:00am-10:00am @ Greater Hernando Chamber of Commerce office
December 9th, 11th, & 12th, 9:00am-4:00pm @ Pasco Hernando State College Computer Lab-- Spring Hill Campus
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Proud Partner Spotlights:
Dawn Center
On July 25th, Dawn Center celebrated the open house for the new location for their Outreach Program. The space is located at Bayfront Health Brooksville.
Boys and Girls Club
Congratulations to
Boys and Girls Clubs of Hernando County
for celebrating 20 years of helping the youth in Hernando! We are so grateful for your partnership and the amazing work you do in the community.
Ability Tree Florida
Ability Tree Florida hosted a Parents Night Out on Friday, September 6th for parents of children with special needs and their siblings. Thank you for providing this wonderful service to our community!
Catholic Charities
United Way had the opportunity to interview Jeanne Whitely, the Program Manager for the Foundations of Life Pregnancy Center, for #UnitedNews. Check out the video below to learn more about their program!
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SunTrust Bank
SunTrust employees made donations to United Way to rock jeans on Fridays during the months of August and September. Thank you for your support and for
LIVING UNITED!
OMG! Pretzel Bites
OMG! Pretzel Bites and
Bayfront Health Brooksville partnered together to raise money for UW over the summer. OMG Pretzels parked their food truck outside Bayfront to sell their delicious pretzels and fresh lemonade, with a portion of proceeds benefiting UW.
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Hurricane Preparedness Guide
Hernando Cares
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Getting to Know Your United Way Board of Directors
Meet United Way's Board Memb
er, Kelly Gormley
The Q&A Corner
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When did you first join the UWHC Board of Directors?July 1st, 2019
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How did you first learn of United Way?
When I began working for the Parent Academy, I was tasked with finding organizations that could help sponsor our first Superintendent's Summer Reading Challenge. This was when I met Angie, UW's CEO, who explained UW's mission & how we could work together.
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Describe a fun fact you learned about United Way this year?
I did not realize that they help create the Born Learning Trails in Hernando. Working in family involvement, I found this initiative so exciting as it enables parents/carers to really engage with their young children through education and play!
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Is there one program or service you hope the community knows about United Way that you would like to highlight?
This year was my first time volunteering during the Stuff the Bus campaign. There is so much work involved & the community really comes together to make sure our families and students are well-equipped. As I'm part of the school district, I will definitely make an effort to encourage more teachers to participate in this program.
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What do you do for fun on the weekends?
On the weekends, I like to focus on my family-- movies, beach days, pool time, or game nights!
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Is there anything you'd like to share with someone who might be interested in getting involved with United Way of Hernando?What I love about UW is that they value every single member of our community. Nothing is ever a problem or difficult to overcome. The ladies work extremely hard. Thank you for all that you do!
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Goodshop works with more than 5,000+ stores to provide the best deals and coupons and the top stores also donate up to 20% of their purchase back to United Way!
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Survey Says...United Way Needs You!
Are you a local resident? Parent? Business Leader? Organization? Caregiver? Student? Teacher? Are you a part of our community? Then
United Way wants to hear from YOU!
With over 100 participants in last year's Community Survey, United Way was able to further their on-going goal of sharpening the focus of their investments and truly target Hernando County's greatest needs.
That being said, United Way would like to hear from you to openly discuss the barriers and needs our community faces. Please click the "Take Survey" image below to answer the quick 14 question survey focusing on the following initiatives:
- HEALTH
- EDUCATION
- FINANCIAL STABILITY
- BASIC NEEDS/CRISIS PREVENTION
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2019-2020 Partner Programs
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Local Businesses Accept Annual Challenge
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United Way's 4th Annual Business Blitz Challenge was a tremendous success that will leave a significant impact on the community. During the month of June, United Way partnered with a Community Challenger,
Spherion Staffing Services
, who matched dollar for dollar contributions from all local businesses, doubling the community impact!
The purpose of United Way's Annual Business Blitz Challenge is to create awareness of local services, for businesses to gain exposure through promoting their philanthropic gift, and to encourage building a trusting relationship with United Way of Hernando County. More importantly, the Challenge also gave companies the opportunity to invest in United Way Programs that focus on Health, Education, Financial Stability, and Basic Needs/Crisis Prevention.
Thanks to Community Challenger
Spherion Staffing Services
and Hernando's corporate leaders who Accepted the Challenge, United Way exceeded their initial goal and raised over $11,000!
Thank you to those businesses and individuals who "Accepted the Challenge!"
United Way is so grateful to be a part of such a giving community.
All contributions will be invested back into Hernando County programs that advocate for the HEALTH, EDUCATION, FINANCIAL STABILITY, and BASIC NEEDS/CRISIS PREVENTION of every individual.
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United Way of Hernando County's 2018-2019 Annual Report is out! Click the picture below to see our collaborations and local accomplishments! View a list of last year's Partner Agencies, summaries of UW's
Health,
Education, and
Financial Stability initiatives, and updates on all of our programs that impact the community here in
Hernando County.
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Annual Appreciation Meeting
On Thursday, July 11th, UW hosted their 2018-2019 Annual Appreciation Meeting where community partners, loyal donors, and trusted advocates who have graciously contributed to the organization's successes over this past year were recognized. To see more pictures from the event, click here!
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Leading by Example: New Board Member Spotlight
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Four new United Way Board of Directors were sworn in for the 2019-2020 fiscal year. They are: Kelly Gormley from Parent Teacher Academy; Valerie Ciaccio from Bayfront Health Spring Hill; Marty Monegro from Spherion Staffing Services Nature Coast; and David Gonzalez from Withlacoochee River Electric Company. Welcome to the Board!
For a list of UWHC Board Members, click here. |
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Annual Publix Volleyball Tournament
On August 24th, Publix and United Way spent a beautiful day at
SunWest Park.
Between the volleyball tournament, tug of war, and relay races, it was safe to say everyone had a blast!
United Way would like to give a
HUGE
thank you to
Publix
for hosting such an awesome event.
#UWLovesPublix
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Nature Coast Technical High School Recipient of
Bright Apple Award
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Nature Coast Technical High School was selected as 2018's winner of United Way's Bright Apple Award. Each year, the Bright Apple is presented to a Hernando County School for their dedication, hard work, community support and United Way participation. The traveling trophy represents leadership and a positive influence, not just in the classrooms but out in our community.
Last year, Nature Coast had 6 teacher volunteers donate their time for the 12th Annual Stuff the Bus school supply drive, and had 11 donors pledge over $1,916 to the Community Investment Campaign. This year's Teacher of the Year was a proud Nature Coast member, and the Digital Video Production Team proudly partnered with United Way for CETA's 45th Student Recognition Celebration.
United Way is honored to work closely with such caring educators. Thank you for sharing a vision of a stronger community, and for recognizing the local need by choosing to help United Way focus on these very important initiatives-- Health, Education, Financial Stability, and Basic Needs/Crisis Prevention. Congratulations Nature Coast Technical High School for embodying what it means to LIVE UNITED!
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Thank you to our phenomenal community for making this year's
Stuff The Bus a tremendous success! 255 teachers and community members took part in our annual school supply drive, impacting 23 Hernando County schools and 158 classrooms. Over 8,300 POUNDS of school supplies were donated-- that's as heavy as 16 domestic pigs!
We could not have done it without all of you! Our
Hernando community continues to amaze and inspire us here at UW. Thank you for
LIVING UNITED!
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ADVANCING YOUR MISSION
August 1st's
ADVANCING YOUR MISSION workshop for non
-profits' t
opic was "
Breakfast was graciously provided by the 2019 AYM Sponsor, *Centennial Bank*.
This FREE workshop is held quarterly by United Way of Hernando County, the Greater Hernando Chamber of Commerce, Dawn Center of Hernando, and the Hernando Community Coalition. Each workshop focuses on a different topic that helps educate and strengthen our local networks.
The next workshop will be "Technologies in the Non-Profit Workplace," and will take place on November 7th from 8:00am-10:00am. Keep in mind that although this opportunity is free, attendees must still RSVP to reserve their seat! Check the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce website for more information.
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Kiwanis Club Supports Early Literacy
United Way currently serves 1,400 Hernando preschool children EVERY month. If you would like to learn more about UW's local DPIL program or how to sponsor a child and invest in their future, visit our website at
DPIL is also proudly supported by Suncoast Credit Union.
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Dolly Parton Imagination Library Parents Survey Results
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Last month, United Way sent out a survey to parents whose preschool children were enrolled in our Dolly Parton Imagination Library program. Over 200 parents responded, and UW is eager to share some of the responses with our community!
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Student Board: Leading Our Youth
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The
United Way Student Board is back for the 2019-2020 school year! Local high school and college students looking to enhance their leadership skills, get involved in their community, and gain volunteer hours for financial scholarships are welcome to join. UWSB meets bi-weekly at the UW office. Currently, the members are brainstorming project ideas for the fall, and plan to hold a car wash on October 19th to raise funds for the
Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
If you are a student between the ages of 16-21, or if you know someone looking to get involved with an organization tackling issues they are passionate about, fill out a
Student Board application and join in!
For more details, call the United Way office at (352) 688-2026 and ask for Samantha.
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Back to School Bash
On Saturday, July 27th, Hernando County School District and
Parent Academy hosted the 4rd Annual "Back To School Bash". This year's event brought in approximately 5,000 attendees, with 1,200 backpacks distributed, 300 health screens completed, 100 immunizations given, 300 physicals conducted, and over 100 haircuts!
"Over the last 2 years, we've seen the needs of many families move beyond school supplies. So, we reached out to local community groups, organizations and business partners and asked if they could help," Parent Academy Coordinator, Ivette Mendoza said. "Over 41 organizations committed to the event. Because of their generous donation of supplies and services, this year's event was able to expand services and support to even more families."
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Premier Mobile Dental Unit Rolls Out
After months of planning,
Premier Community HealthCare is proud to unveil their new dental service. The 40 foot mobile unit is fully equipped with two dental chairs, a waiting area, and brand new equipment to better serve the children in the Hernando County community. The mobile unit is currently circulating around to the Hernando County elementary schools, and has been very successful thus far. Thank you Premier for this important health initiative!
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It's that time of year again to start preparing for tax season! If you're a community member who's good with finances and has a passion for helping people save money, volunteer for VITA! VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) is United Way's free tax preparation service offered to residents of Hernando County. The IRS will provide free tax law training and materials, the volunteer hours are flexible, online training is available, and you will help your community members save money! No prior experience is necessary.
If you are interested in becoming a VITA Volunteer, please fill out an application and attend our Meet and Greet, on October 22nd at 9:30am at Capital City Bank. For more information, click here.
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First Time Home Buyers Class
Housing is one of the top needs in Hernando County, based on our 2018-2019 Community Survey results. To help alleviate this struggle that many families face, the
Housing & Education Alliance, Inc. offers a First Time Home Buyers class in Brooksville! The class covers all the fundamentals of the home buying process.
The next class is Saturday, September 21st from 9am-5pm.
To find out more information, register for the class, or see a complete schedule of all of the classes offered in the Tampa Bay area, click
here.
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Business Spotlight:
- How long has Carter Foreman been in operation?
Carter Foreman, PLLC has been in business for 32 years, and was started by David R. Carter in 1987.
- What services is Carter Foreman best known for?
We are known for Family law, Personal Injury, Probate and Trust administration, Estate Planning and Real Estate Law.
- What is something the community might not know about the team over at Carter Foreman?
We have our own title company and two office locations, one here in Spring Hill and the other in New Port Richey.
- Carter Foreman is a supporter of United Way through GIVING (Accepting the BUSINESS BLITZ CHALLENGE) and ADVOCATING (Matt had previously served on our Board of Directors). What drives your company to stay involved locally?
We live in the community and are a part of it, Mr. Foreman grew up here and wants to see the community and everyone who lives here succeed.
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