United in Education and Community
United Way Suncoast
Impacting lives in DeSoto, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas & Sarasota counties.
At United Way Suncoast, our role is to contribute to the effort of teachers and administrators and help them level the playing field so all can find a path to success.
That’s your role, too.
Every community member, whether you have a child in the system or not, has a responsibility to play a role in the success of our students. Education represents a foundational element in our society. Because of that, early learning and literacy serve as a cornerstone of our community impact efforts.
The Hillsborough County School District is seeking a new one-mill property tax, which equates to $1 for every $1,000 of assessed property value. Manatee and Sarasota counties are simultaneously looking to renew their mill, while Pinellas is asking voters to increase their millage from a half to a full mill.
Revenue from these millages will be used to supplement salaries for teachers and support staff. Funding in some of the counties would be used to augment school safety and for other educational priorities.
Despite some tailwinds and challenges, each of our districts can point to successes. Our organization had originally planned to stage an online forum to help highlight the steady progress being made by students. We postponed that event because of Hurricane Milton, but we’re sharing the videos we requested from each superintendent here.
These millages are crucial for school districts across our region to recruit and retain skilled teachers, and to ensure that our students receive the world-class education that they deserve. By increasing pay for our teachers and support personnel—many of whom are part of our region’s ALICE population—we can also help them manage rising costs related to housing, transportation, and other essentials.
I encourage everyone in our community to support these initiatives, which align with the work that United Way Suncoast has been doing for over a century to promote education, youth success, and the long-term financial security of our residents.
Supporting Our Schools
United Way Suncoast endorses and supports passage of the referendum on the ballot in our Suncoast region as a key step towards continued funding for student achievement. We asked superintendents and staff across our school districts to create videos highlighting their recent successes as part of a planned online forum. We postponed the forum because of Hurricane Milton, but we post these presentations from Hillsborough County Public Schools , School District of Manatee County , Sarasota County Schools and Pinellas County Schools as a show of support for their districts, its teachers and administrators, and, most importantly, their students.
Community in Action
A huge thank you to our friends at 沃尔玛 for their support throughout Hurricanes Helene and Milton. With their generous donations, we were able to assist 16 of our partner childcare centers with relief support efforts.
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Thrive by Five
Thank you to Thrive by Five Tampa Bay for awarding us with the Family Friendly Business award.
United Way Suncoast CEO Jessica Muroff says, “A Family Friendly Workplace is critical to the culture and success of our organization. We bring our whole selves to our work and ensuring that we are supporting the full needs of our team only makes our organization that much stronger and resilient to the impacts of daily life.”
New Worlds Reading
New Worlds Reading is Florida’s free at-home literacy program to help eligible VPK through 5th-grade students strengthen literacy skills, build reading confidence, and foster a lifelong love of reading. Each month during the school year, eligible kids receive a free book tailored to their interests with resources and activities for caregivers and children to use together. New Worlds Reading is administered by the UF Lastinger Center for Learning. Book titles are selected in partnership with the Florida Department of Education and Scholastic. Books and materials are available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, and braille. Learn more at newworldsreading.com.
United Way Suncoast supports New Worlds Reading initiative by encouraging families to apply, helping families fill out their application, and by offering caregiver literacy workshops that teach science of reading strategies to use at home. We host 24 workshops a year and table often at events to spread the world of this wonderful program!
Disaster Recovery Volunteer Services
In times of disaster, every United Way works diligently to organize resources and connect those in need with those who can support, coordinate volunteer efforts, bridge communication and leverage relationships to ensure our neighbors have the support they need to recover. Several areas in our five-county footprint experienced severe flooding and property damage. We're working diligently with our partners on mid- and long-term recovery.
NOVEMBER ENGAGEMENT: MONTH OF GRATITUDE
November is National Gratitude Month, a time to celebrate and share positivity in our lives and the lives of others, creating a community that is united. Expressing gratitude helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals and strengthens relationships. Throughout the month, we encourage?you?to share gratitude with others in the community.
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VOLUNTEER
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DIY OPPORTUNITIES
Community volunteers are invited to create the below kits that would be distributed to individuals in the Suncoast region.?
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DONATE
We provide pathways to education and financial stability that give every person in our community the freedom to rise, and your gifts make this possible! Donate today.