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People Helping People
On May 7th, People Helping People in Hernando County celebrated the grand opening of their Help Center, located at 1396 Kass Circle in Spring Hill. This new facility is equipped with meeting spaces, a food pantry, a dining space, and a commercial kitchen, as well as bathrooms, showers, and a washing machine and dryer.
Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired & Blind
On May 23,
Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind
held a graduation for their "Independent Living Skills" class. This program teaches adults and seniors how to adjust and adapt to life with low vision and blindness. Skills taught in the program include: meal preparation, money and medication management, home care, travel skills, and techniques for coping with vision loss.
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Hernando Cares
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Davis Family Hearing Ribbon Cutting
On May 8,
Davis Family Hearing celebrated the opening of their new Citrus County location at
11515 W Emerald Oaks Dr, Crystal River. Congratulations!
Keller Williams RED Day
Every year on RED Day, Keller Williams Realty offices close their doors and dedicate their time to a full day of service and giving back to their community as a group for a local project. This year, on May 9th, the Keller Williams team partnered with Hernando County Parks & Recreation and painted the pavilions
at Anderson Snow Park.
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Getting to Know Your United Way Board of Directors
Meet United Way's Board Membe
r, Brittany Green
The Q&A Corner
- When did you first join the UWHC Board of Directors?
In January 2016
- How did you first learn of United Way?
When I was working at Oliver & Company (CPA firm) and I was assigned to complete the audit for United Way of HC. I audited UW for 6 years.
- Describe a fun fact you learned about United Way this year. I love the United Way Born Learning Trails that have been installed at parks throughout Hernando County.
- Is there one program or service you hope the community knows about United Way that you would like to highlight?
UW supports so many local programs under their umbrella. I believe the Dawn Center's Domestic and Sexual Violence Victim Services provides an extremely important service to the community.
- What do you do for fun on the weekends?
I love spending time with my family & being outside. I like to go camping & kayaking or spend the day at Busch Gardens or Adventure Island.
- Is there anything you'd like to share with someone who might be interested in getting involved with United Way of Hernando?
I have enjoyed being involved with United Way. They're an amazing group of people who work hard to help our community!
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Welcome New Staff Members!
Melissa Harris, Finance Director
Melissa has Accounting and Finance degrees from the University of Tennessee, and is a former CMS Auditor and business owner. Over the past five years Melissa opted to become a homemaker and primary care giver to family members with health issues, and now has recently decided to rejoin the workforce by joining UWHC as the new Finance Director. She and her husband, Will, recently moved to Spring Hill and are enjoying life in Hernando County!
Samantha Beckham, Community Outreach Coordinator
Samantha has a degree in English Literature from the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg. She was previously a stay-at-home mom for 4 years before coming to work for UWHC in April. She lives in Hudson with her husband and two daughters.
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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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Throughout the month of June, Spherion Staffing Services is matching dollar for dollar contributions up to $5,000 from all local businesses who pledge their support to United Way's Community Investment Campaign. Help us reach our goal and make an impact by giving back locally!
B
usiness Benefits for "Accepting the Challenge":
- Your donation will be matched dollar for dollar allowing you to double your impact.
- Free advertising throughout June!
- Facebook recognition featuring your business's logo and website, as well as a spotlight on United Way's Facebook Live.
- Promotion through local radio and print for "Accepting the Challenge."
- Featured in "Business Blitz Thank You Ad" in the Tampa Bay Times.
- Spotlight in Annual Community Report, as well as personal recognition at United Way's Annual Appreciation Meeting.
- United Way Community Partner window cling.
Thank you to those who have "Accepted the Challenge!"
How to Participate
- Pledge to LIVE UNITED by contributing any dollar amount to United Way.
- Accept the Challenge and donate online here.
- Mail in or drop off your contribution to the United Way office.
(4028 Commercial Way, Spring Hill, FL 34606)
- Donate through PayPal at PayPal.ME/UWHernando.
United Way's Executive Director Angie sat down with Michael from Spherion Staffing Services to learn more about their company and how they LIVE UNITED.
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Tap For A Cause
United Way of Hernando County was
Marker 48 Brewing's
recipient for Tap for a Cause for the month of May.
All month long, proceeds from the purchase of a special brewed beer named "Golden Ale" were donated to UW.
Winners from May 31st's raffles were:
- Erik (Dali Museum tickets)
- Toniann (Florida Aquarium tickets)
- Thomas ("Gone Fishing" basket donated by PED-Stuart Corporation)
- Susan (a Spa Day basket donated by HITS 106's Marvelous Marvin's wife Pam)
Thank you Marker 48! #BrewGoodDoGood
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Hop N' Glow
Another year, another amazing event! The 6th Annual Hop n' Glow was on April 20, 2019 at Anderson Snow Park, and a hopping good time was had by both adults and kids of all ages!
A special thank you to
all our dedicated volunteers who helped make this family friendly event such a success, and to the CETA Planning Committee who donated $1,000 to UW for recruiting and coordinating the volunteers for the event.
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5th Born Learning Trail Installation
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 On April 22,
United Way celebrated Earth Day by teaming up with
ALDI volunteers a
nd
Hernando
County Parks & Recreation
to install a Born Learning Trail at Hernando Park in beautiful downtown Brooksville. This is UWHC's 5th Born Learning Trail to date!
Thank you so much to the ALDI team members who volunteered their time and hard work.
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COAD Hurricane Supply Drive
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The 2019 Hurricane Season is officially here, and United Way of Hernando County, in partnership with Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) is holding an ongoing Hurricane Supply Drive. Items can be dropped off at the United Way office Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm.
 We kicked off the Supply Drive with Frank W. Springstead High School's Mrs. Urling's class. They collected donations in their class, and gathered 11 gallons of water, 8 bottles of shampoo, 2 bottles of dish soap, and so much more.
Thank you for your generous donation!
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United Way of Hernando County is still recruiting volunteers for our 13th Annual Stuff the Bus event!
If you are a Hernando County school teacher interested in volunteering just two hours of your time in exchange for FREE supplies for your classroom, please register and fill out a Wish List
here
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If you are not a school teacher but would still like to volunteer, either by collecting donations or sorting items, please call the office at (352) 688-2026 or email
[email protected]
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May 2nd's  ADVANCING YOUR MISSION workshop for non-profits' topic was "Work, Interrupted," which covered how to better manage your time and prioritize your tasks in the workplace, as well as easy and effective solutions to make your workday less harried and more productive. The guest speaker was Margarita Sarmiento, President and Founder of itk Consultants.
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 take place on August 1st, and keep in mind that although this 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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CETA Student Scholarships
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Since 2015, United Way has partnered with the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce and their Annual CETA Student Recognition Celebration. Every year business leaders and corporate partners have the opportunity to sponsor a local senior high school student through a school nomination process. Scholarships range anywhere from $500-$1,500 under the following categories:
- Academics
- The Arts
- Career & Technical
- Community Service ($1,000 scholarship from UW!)
- Entrepreneurial
- Leadership ($1,000 scholarship from UW!)
Congrats to Nathaniel William Toler (left) for
Community Service and Ryan Bradley (right) for
Leadership!
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Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
For over 10 years, United Way has sponsored
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program here in Hernando County. UW received $5,000 in grant support from our partners at
Suncoast Credit Union. This will
help provide FREE age appropriate books to enrolled
Hernando
pre-school children and help reduce our growing wait-list.
THANK YOU Suncoast Credit Union for supporting early literacy!
United Way of Hernando County currently provides almost 1,400 free books EVERY MONTH to local children, from birth to age 5. To sponsor a child, click
here to download a sponsorship form or
here to donate.
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UNITED Weigh 2.0 Wins 1st Place!
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The results are in!!! 
The winner of 2019's Great Hernando Weight Loss Challenge is UNITED Weigh 2.0!
We won 1st Place is both categories: "Most Pounds Lost" (202.6 lbs) and "Greatest % of Body Weight Loss" (9.63%).
The total amount of weight lost from all the teams is: 6,277.3 lbs!!!
Since Health is one of United Way's initiatives, UW feels it is important to advocate for local programs that focus on a healthy body and mind. Every year, United Way sits on the planning committee to help bring this event to our Hernando community. Congratulations to everyone for a job well done!
The GHWLC is a CHIPP driven initiative. |
Mental He
alth First Aid Training
UW's Community Outreach Coordinator Samantha, and Finance Director Melissa attended an all-day mental health first aid training on May 31st.
Mental Health First Aid is a groundbreaking public education program that helps the public identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The training
is offered in the form of an
interactive course
that presents an overview of mental illness and substance use disorders in the U.S. and introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments.
Those who take the course to certify as Mental Health First Aiders learn a 5-step action plan encompassing the skills, resources, and knowledge to help an individual in crisis connect with appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help care.
The entire United Way of Hernando County office is now certified in Mental Health First Aid. This is resourceful to our clients and phone calls from those in need of assistance.
Check out the video of Tina from NAMI Hernando speaking to UW's Community Outreach Director about the importance of understanding those who struggle with mental illness, and what NAMI does to help them.
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YMCA Health Fair
YMCA Hernando Branch held their Health Fair on May 15th. UW was in
attendance, showcasing their Wheel of Information which helped residents learn about valuable resources such as the
FamilyWize Prescription Discount card
and the local Hernando 211 resource line.
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Brooksville Wellness Fair
 
On April 4th, the United Way team attended the
City of Brooksville's Wellness Fair at the Jerome Brown Center, where they
shared information about United Way services and other local resources. Our St. Leo intern
even donated blood! Way to go, Noel!
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VITA Results $
For the 2019 Tax Season,
VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) prepared 899 tax returns! Through VITA, Hernando county residents received $228,480 in total EITC, saved $269,700, and received $888,352 in total refunds!
Thank you to our VITA volunteers for another fantastic tax season!
Interested in becoming a VITA volunteer for 2020? It's never too early! Fill out an application by clicking
here.
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Poverty Simulation
United Way of Hernando County was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to participate in a Poverty Simulation organized by
Students and Families in Transition and
Hernando County Schools
. This eye-opening experience allowed teachers and other members of the community to role play a month in poverty, bringing awareness to the reality that so many families live with every day.
Are you or someone you know looking for local resources? Easily search health and human services available to you by visiting UW's
2-1-1 Hernando's user-friendly website or by dialing 2-1-1 from your phone.
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| The month of June is United Way of Hernando County's BUSINESS BLITZ CHALLENGE! This year's Challenger is Spherion Staffing Services and they're matching dollar for dollar donations made to United Way. We sat down with them to learn more about their company.
- How long has Spherion Staffing Services been in operation?
Spherion was founded in 1946 but locally we have been in Hernando County for over 36 years. Teri Nichols has been the local Owner since 2010
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Tell us a little bit about Spherion Staffing Services and the services you provide?
Spherion is a staffing leader with local roots and a passion for placing the right person in the right job. Founded in 1946, we have a firm grasp on what it takes to build a strong workforce and a successful career.
When you work with Spherion, you're working with a locally owned business in Brooksville, but, we're also part the resources and support received from a $3 billion global staffing company.
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What is something the community might not know about Spherion Staffing Services?
We have a strong internal culture on our team. We are LIFERS! This translates to:
L = Leadership - we are all leaders in the specific roles we play on our team
I = Integrity - no matter what...we do the right thing
F = Focus - we are always focused on the person, or the phone call or the email that is in front of us
E = Encouragement - we always encourage each other to be the best we can
R = Respect - we always show the same respect to everyone we work with that we expect...to each other, to our employees and to our customers
S = together we Set the Example for others
- Spherion is a supporter of United Way through GIVING (Accepting the BUSINESS BLITZ CHALLENGE as this year's CHALLENGER)! What drives your company to stay involved locally?
It's just part of our DNA to be involved locally. It's where we live, work, play and click. Our employees and customers are all from our community. Helping our community prosper and thrive, helps all of us be successful. If we aren't involved, we're not part of the solution. We encourage our entire team to get involved in different organizations or projects - whatever they are interested in.
- Find out more about Spherion Staffing Services by clicking HERE!
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