Blog

Meet Madison Pollock, a member of Heart of Florida United Way’s Emerging Leaders impact group and an Independent Contractor. Madison is a Baylor University alumna and part of the Emerging Leaders Advisory Board that helps uplift other like-minded professionals in Central Florida. Continue reading to learn more about Madison.   Q: When did you join Emerging Leaders?   […]

Central Florida is a community that embraces all that it means to Live United.  To show appreciation and honor individuals and organizations who have stepped up to contribute to significant and lasting change in our community over the past year, Heart of Florida United Way will recognize these passionate advocates through the 2023 Change Maker Impact […]

Our work is led by philanthropic leaders across Central Florida who serve on Heart of Florida United Way’s Board of Directors. Our board members typically serve for a three-year term, and we extend our utmost gratitude and appreciation to our board members who have reached their full term of serving on our board.   Thank you to […]

Every hit is a win!   Heart of Florida United Way has been selected by Suncoast Credit Union to compete for donations throughout August 2023.   Every Hit is a Win with Suncoast Credit Union is an initiative to engage Tampa Bay Rays fans and our community with Suncoast and their commitment to giving back to the […]

Heart of Florida United Way is proud to announce our new Associate Vice President of Compliance and Risk Management, Yasmin Andre.   Yasmin Andre has been with Heart of Florida United Way since 2016, originally working as the Ryan White Clinical Quality Manager and later as the Program Director for Ryan White programs. Yasmin has provided […]

Heart of Florida United Way is proud to spotlight a member of our Women United impact group and Founder and Executive Director of The Poinsette Foundation Mia Poinsette. Since joining Women United, Mia has become a leader-level donor and an incredible supporter through The Poinsette Foundation. Continue reading to learn more about what inspires Mia […]

On Friday, August 4, 2023, Heart of Florida United Way (HFUW) announced a $1,000,000 investment in the New Image Youth Center (NIYC), an organization that provides after-school and summer programs for Parramore’s children and teens. The funds were specifically invested for the purchase of a new building.  NIYC, celebrating its 19th anniversary this year, provides […]

The number of Central Florida households unable to afford basic needs increased during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting a total of 386,077 households throughout Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties.   Outlined in the new ALICE in the Crosscurrents: COVID and Financial Hardship in Florida report from Heart of Florida United Way and […]

Congratulations to our very own Vice President of Resource Development Parker Smith and Heart of Florida United Way Board Member Grace Chehansky for being recognized as People On the Move by the Orlando Business Journal!  Grace Chehansky, a new member of the board at HFUW is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience […]

Meet LaVell D. Monger, Vice Chair of Heart of Florida United Way’s Emerging Leaders Impact group. LaVell is the Director of Business Development & Outreach of RTW Photography and is committed to driving positive change in his community and beyond. He has recently been accepted as 1 of 6 to represent Central Florida in the […]

It’s summer break! No school and just fun in the sun for many families, but for many ALICE families, that’s not the case. Summer break means losing resources that they depended on for most of the year, like free lunches. Luckily, Summer Break Spot is here to help support families who need those free meals […]

By Victor Norman I’ve lived in Orlando my whole life, and — like most Orlando natives — have been to countless pools and waterparks, but Thursday morning: Dwight Bain taught me how to swim.   Early on Thursday morning, I drove to Winter Park’s Center for Health and Wellbeing to participate in Heart of Florida United […]