UWFK hurricane relief efforts continue...

UWFK Supports Building of First Key Cottage for Affordable Housing on Big Pine Key

For decades prior to Hurricane Irma, there has been a scarcity of affordable housing in the Keys due very simply to limited supply and high demand. Already faced with the highest cost of living in Florida, that situation was intensified by Hurricane Irma when so many homes were heavily damaged or destroyed. The hardest hit areas were those in the very neighborhoods of the Lower and Middle Keys where service and hourly workers could afford to live. The majority of those displaced are teachers, police officers, servers, cashiers, firefighters, and the like – the very people who make the Keys what it is.

Thanks to the generosity of our many Irma Relief Fund donors, UWFK is one of the first organizations to step forward in support of building new affordable housing in the hard hit neighborhood of The Avenues in Big Pine.

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UWFK’s Irma Recovery Efforts at $1.6 Million Disbursed or Allocated in Monroe County

Cecelia and her husband spent the first 7 months after Irma hauling gasoline aboard their sailboat to power the emergency generator on their live-aboard. Now, thanks to support from United Way of the Florida Keys, her boat’s two solar panels destroyed in the hurricane have been replaced. They are just one of thousands of families that have been supported through the $1.6 million raised and allocated by UWFK to assist with Hurricane Irma relief, rebuilding and recovery efforts in Monroe County.

As time has passed from the initial devastation, UWFK’s focus has shifted from providing immediate relief to how we can assist in the community’s rebuilding. UWFK’s latest round of $221,300 in funding will support long-term recovery efforts throughout Monroe County, addressing affordable housing, legal services, and other issues related to Hurricane Irma.

Read more about our hurricane relief efforts...

United Way Day of Action

United Way of the Florida Keys staff and volunteers helped prepare snack and lunch for 350 Monroe County students at the brand new SOS Foundation Community Kitchen as part of the United Way Day of Action . It was wonderful to see just how much our community partners do to make sure children in the Keys have nutritious food. Thank you to our volunteers and to SOS!

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Partner Spotlight

The Hammock House at St Columba Church in Marathon provides free after school and camp programs for 90 Middle Keys children. UWFK support makes it possible for their program to include transportation from Stanley Switlik during the school year, snacks and a meal, homework help, lots of outdoor play and Fun Fridays.

The after school program re-opened as the children went back to school and they have maintained their normal schedule working hard to offer the children a safe and happy space!