Because of the high impact United Way of Central Florida partner program at Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine, Debbie's health crisis was averted. Here’s her story, in her words:

On Friday, November 22, we said good bye to our 2013 Loaned Executives. For the past three months, these dedicated individuals have worked tirelessly to make the 2013 campaign a success.

Children who are exposed to the educational opportunities available at our partner programs show significant improvement in standardized test scores, and other measurements, than children who do not. Alyssa is a prime example of that success.

Days of Caring has a new face. In years before, the traditional volunteer day was a time to gather and help with painting and yard work, but now, Days of Caring is a call to action to use volunteer time to contribute to community goals that improve lives.

A-C-T Environmental & Infrastructure is hosting their tth annual Chili Cook-Off to support United Way of Central Florida. The event will take place on Friday, November 6, 11:30am - 1:30pm, at the A-C-T Corporate Headquarters in Bartow. Ten dollars gets you all the chili you can eat, fixins', a beverage, and dessert.

People who are financially stable have less stress, fewer health and domestic problems, and are less likely to need emergency social services. Here's how we're helping:

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Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. What is new in the Income area at United Way of Central Florida? You could say that we are teaching fishing.

One of the ways of improving financial stability is through training and certifications. When an individual has OSHA certification, he or she is eligable for an hourly pay increase

Improving the financial stability of an individual or a family can take several forms, sometimes touching on needs in education, income, and health. This was the case for Mark.

At United Way of Central Florida, we're improving the physical and mental health of our community through programs that create measurable, maintained changes in health indicators. Here's how (and why):

Bring your friends (and your blankets or lawn chairs) to kick off the 2013 Be BOLD Campaign with a FREE concert event in Downtown Lakeland headlined by Clemons Road.

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United Way of Central Florida - Highlands County Division is having its 2013 Campaign Kick-Off on Tuesday, September 10, at 5:30pm.

As a United Way of Central Florida partner, Alliance for Independence has instituted healthy living training for its clients enrolled in the Adult Day Training program to great success. Tarea is just one example.

Why has UWCF taken Education as one of the cores of its mission? Because it's a key building block to a better quality of life. Here's why and what we're doing about it:

The future of Central Floprida rests on our people, especially the next generation. One place we can make a real difference is getting kids off to a good start in school, and we need your help!

Lasting, measurable change doesn't happen over night. That was the case for Bryan, a young man who has been receiving tutoring from a UWCF partner program since 2008.

To improve the financial stability of our community, a new program has been created that will create a permanent position to coordinate financial services for moderate wage earners.

A new program was created during our allocation process to fund the development or expansion of electronic medical records in clinics serving low-income patients in Polk and Hardee counties.

United Way of Central Florida has completed its allocation process for the 2013-2014 fiscal year, and final program funding has been approved.

UWCF welcomes the 2013-2014 slate of Officers and Board, chaired by Dr. Eileen Holden. Ten new members were added, and four members are outgoing.

There is a difference between United Way and United Way of Central Florida. It's subtle and it's huge, all at the same time. And it all has to do with governance.

Reading Pals wants you! We're looking for 200 volunteers to read to more than 600 students for the 2013-2014 school year. Join us as we improve early literacy rates.

United Way of Central Florida is pleased to announce David Robinson as our 2013 Campaign Chair.

You've heard or seen the phrase: Live United. We put it on everything we do here at United Way of Central Florida. But have you ever wondered what it means? And how do you do it?

The United Way of Central Florida - Highlands County division recently received a $1 million dollar planned gift to be added to its endowment to support UWCF programs in Highlands County.

Doris Brossou and Pauline Wells both volunteer at Alta Vista Elementary in Haines City, and both have far exceeded the required 25 hours of ReadingPals volunteer time for the year.

On Friday, April 12, United Way honored the Employee Coordinators from our 2012 Campaign. Awards were given to the most successful and innovative Employee Coordinators for the year.

You may have heard that we're changing our community through programs that create measurable results. What you may not have heard is exactly what those "measurable results" are.

If you have donated to the United Way of Central Florida in the past year, or if you just want to be a part of a fun evening, you are invited to attend either (or both!) of our Annual Meetings.

Many of us have heard of the United Way at some point in our lives. But unless you've been "on the inside," do you truly know what the United Way is?

All you seem to hear about in the news is how much people won't work together for the common good. That is not the case in Polk County, and here is an example.

Dr. Daniel Haight is one of our community's most active leaders in the health field, and he has contributed significantly to UWCF's mission.

We had a boot-stompin' good time at our 3rd Annual Leadership Giving Association Belt Buckle Bash on Thursday, February 21.

With Valentine’s day around the corner, this is a great time to think about everything in your life you are passionate about. When you Live United, you turn those passions into ways to improve our community.

One of the easiest ways to start a savings account is by immediately depositing your tax refund. You could save even more if you didn't have to pay to have your taxes prepared.

We are recruiting volunteers, men and women of all ages and backgrounds, to work with us on the important effort to increase the number of students reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade.

We're having a Pajama Party at Family Fundamentals, and the Tooth Fairy is coming! This FREE event focuses on children ages 2-6.

We're sorry if this newsletter is late getting to you, or if you received it twice. We've been having technical issues. Thank you for understanding, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

While you're deciding your New Year's resolutions, why not add a commitment to Live United to your list? There are definite things you can do to make our community a better place

United Way is looking for volunteers for our Community Invest Teams, a commitment of about 15 total hours of time on four dates from February to May.

Polk County's graduation numbers showed increases in the most recently released statistics. While this is great news, there is still work to be done to help children succeed in school.

Families who use the Free-Tax-Prep sites and use direct deposit to put money into savings might win a laptop!

Starting in January, Randy Music will be the new Director of the Church Service Center in Bartow, one of UWCF's partner agencies.