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A Message From the President & CEO

The holiday season is finally upon us, and after a year of frequent and devastating natural disasters affecting our neighbors in the Big Bend, holiday cheer is needed more than ever. Our neighbors suffered total home loss, prolonged power outages, food shortages, and more. 

 

We asked you for help, and the response was overwhelming! We appreciate your support in helping our neighbors in their time of greatest need. We thank YOU for our ability to act quickly in response to these life-changing events!

 

As we all pause for holiday celebrations, I am reminded of a quote from Oscar Wilde, who said "The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention." This holiday season, I encourage each and every one of you to do one act of kindness that betters your community in some way. It takes all of us to create a better future, and that starts with small improvements until we're met with a crescendo of good. 

 

I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season filled with family, love, gratitude, and health. Your support of the United Way of the Big Bend is always appreciated, both by our team and the neighbors you help. We couldn't do it without you, so thank you!

2024 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP BREAKFAST RECAP

Our 8th Annual Leadership Breakfast hosted by Women United was a major success! This year we were fortunate to have Elyce Arons, the visionary CEO of Frances Valentine and co-founder of Kate Spade, as our keynote speaker. Thank you to all who attended, sponsored, and purchased tables to help make this event one of our best of the year! We learned so much and were honored to bring Elyce to Tallahassee.

2024 FULL GALLERY

EMERGING LEADERS TO HOLD KICK-OFF EVENT THIS DECEMBER

United Way of the Big Bend's Emerging Leaders are back in action, and we're getting ready to kick things off with our Kick-Off Happy Hour the first weekend of December! Join us December 6th to learn more about what we do, meet other young professionals from the Big Bend, and have a great night at Amicus Brewing!

SIGN UP HERE

WORLDS OF WORK 2024 IS A MAJOR SUCCESS

The 2024 Worlds of Work Career Expo was held this October 24th-25th, and saw high school students from across the Big Bend explore career options through presentations by local businesses. 120 businesses and industry employers participated, including some of our community partners! Congratulations to North Florida WOW on a successful event and promoting Skills Development in the Big Bend!

NORTH FLORIDA WORLDS OF WORK

VITA TRAINING BEGINS SOON: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Your neighbors need your help, and so do we! Our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program is seeking volunteers for the 2025 tax season, and trainings are starting soon! No tax experience is necessary, and it's a fantastic way to create positive change in the community.


Trainings will begin December 13th, so sign up as soon as possible!

Interested? Click the button below to sign up for VITA volunteering, or contact Samantha Sager via our website.

SIGN UP HERE

HURRICANE HELENE RECOVERY CONTINUES

The outpouring of support we saw from our community after Hurricane Helene devastated parts of the Big Bend was nothing short of extraordinary. Our Disaster Recovery drive was an incredible success, and we were able to collect hundreds of supplies and distribute them to our neighbors in Madison, Taylor, and Jefferson counties.

UNITED IS THE WAY: UNITED WAY WORLDWIDE UNVEILS BRAND REFRESH

United Way Worldwide has unveiled a complete brand refresh, which means a new look globally and here in the Big Bend! You may have noticed that we have a new logo, and our website looks a bit different than it did before. We're so excited to implement this refresh and better communicate the important message we're so passionate about: United is the Way!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE REFRESH

ReadingPals NEEDED FOR 2024-25 SCHOOL YEAR

Donate one hour of your time per week to help change the lives of struggling readers in the Big Bend

School is back in session for counties in the Big Bend, which means thousands of schoolchildren are back in class and ready to learn! Did you know that (amount) of children in local schools struggle with reading and language skills? That’s why our ReadingPals program, operated in conjunction with The Children’s Movement of Florida, has been implemented throughout the state and has been in operation since 2011 for children up to third grade. This program has had a fantastic impact on the Big Bend, helping thousands of children meet their reading goals annually.

For more information about our ReadingPals program, contact Samantha Sager at samantha@uwbb.org or by phone at (850)-414-0856

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MATH SKILLS NEEDED TO HELP STRUGGLING YOUTH

The 2024-2025 school year has started in counties throughout the Big Bend! Unfortunately, for many students this means another year of struggling with math skills. Mastering skills like timed testing, blind memorization, and speed pressure is difficult for so many children, but our MathPals program is here to help!

MathPals creates a creative and encouraging environment for learning math by matching caring mentors one-to-one with students who are in need extra help developing essential mathematical skills. Want to help us develop the next generation of students into math-conquering scholars? Just one hour a week can help inspire confidence and make an impact locally.

For more information about becoming a MathPals mentor, please contact Samantha Sager via our website.

JUMP IN!