Volunteer Florida Awards $496,000 in Funding to 24 Florida Nonprofits

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Volunteer Florida announced that $496,000 in Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grant funding has been awarded to 24 nonprofit and service organizations throughout the State of Florida.

Volunteer Florida’s VGF program, which is funded by the federal agency, AmeriCorps, helps organizations recruit skills-based volunteers to serve Florida students, families and communities. Skills-based volunteerism expands the impact of organizations by leveraging the experience and talents of professionals, such as teachers, IT consultants, accountants and attorneys.

“Skills-based volunteers are an integral part of many nonprofits as they help extend the reach and capacity of organizations to meet their missions,” said Volunteer Florida CEO Clay Ingram. “Since 2014, Volunteer Florida has been able to empower 50,943 skills-based volunteers to serve 746,487 hours, a value of nearly $17 million to the State of Florida, through the VGF program.”

The following organizations received VGF funding for the 2020-2021 program year:

Big Bend Hospice Foundation, Inc. ($20,000) – Leon County
Big Bend Hospice will recruit 450 volunteers who will conduct Valor Ceremonies to honor the organization’s veteran patients.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast ($20,000) – Walton County
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast will recruit 400 volunteers who will mentor youth, help with homework, facilitate project-based learning and serve as career exploration speakers.

Christian Sharing Center ($20,000) – Seminole County
Christian Sharing Center will recruit 400 volunteers who will work to prevent hunger and homelessness in Seminole County.

Community Hope Center ($20,000) – Osceola County
Community Hope Center will recruit 400 volunteers who will provide legal services, vocational assistance and career training to individuals experiencing homelessness in Osceola County.

Florida Veterans Foundation ($20,000) – Leon County
Florida Veterans Foundation will recruit 400 volunteers who will provide a variety of services to veterans and their family members throughout Florida.

Genesis Health Foundation ($20,000) – Duval County
Genesis Health Foundation will recruit 400 volunteers who will provide virtual service activities, such as peer mentoring and elder companionship, to individuals living in Jacksonville.

Girls on the Run of the Panhandle ($20,000) – Bay County
Girls on the Run of the Panhandle will recruit 400 volunteers to fulfill the organization’s mission of inspiring girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running.

Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratories, Inc. ($20,000) – Wakulla County
The Gulf Specimen Marine Lab, Inc. will recruit 400 volunteers who will lead environmental education tours, assist with sea turtle releases, collect and identify marine specimens, care for marine specimens and coordinate educational outreach events at their lab in Panacea.

Habitat for Humanity International ($20,000) – Jackson County
Habitat for Humanity International will recruit 400 volunteers who will help build homes for qualifying families in Jackson and Washington County.

House of Hope ($20,000) – Martin County
House of Hope will recruit 400 volunteers that will serve a combined total of 3,000 volunteer hours in the organization’s food pantries, gardens and centers.

ICU Baby, Inc. ($24,000) – Miami-Dade County
ICU Baby will recruit 400 volunteers who will provide support to families with babies in the neonatal intensive care units (NICU) at Baptist Health System’s South Miami Hospital and Holtz Children’s Hospital at UM/Jackson Memorial Medical Center.

Jacksonville Humane Society ($20,000) – Duval County
Jacksonville Humane Society will recruit 400 volunteers who will provide veterinary assistance, dog behavior assistance and retail support in their Adoption, Education and Pet Help Center.

Junior Achievement of Greater Miami ($24,000) – Miami-Dade County
Junior Achievement of Greater Miami will recruit 400 volunteers who will visit K-12 classrooms and interact with students and educators, sharing business knowledge and real-life experiences that relate to the lessons of Junior Achievement’s programming.

Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast ($20,000) – Palm Beach County
Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast will recruit 400 volunteers who will teach Junior Achievement curriculum in classrooms.

Keep Lee County Beautiful ($20,000) – Lee County
Keep Lee County Beautiful will recruit 400 volunteers who start a classroom-in-a-box program in schools with the goal of raising awareness of local environmental issues.

Kids Incorporated of The Big Bend ($20,000) – Leon County
Kids Incorporated of The Big Bend will recruit 400 volunteers who will provide early learning, health, family and capacity-building services in Leon, Jefferson and Madison County.

Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine ($20,000) – Polk County
Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine will recruit 400 volunteers who will provide clinical and operational support at the organization’s clinics.

Manna Food Bank ($24,000) – Escambia County
Manna Food Bank will recruit over 400 volunteers who will help the organization provide emergency food assistance and specialty programs to those in need in northwest Florida.

Operation New Uniform ($20,000) – Duval County
Operation New Uniform will recruit 400 volunteers who will provide critical work to the veteran community in northeast Florida.

Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital ($20,000) – Broward County
The Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital will recruit 400 volunteers who will aid in fostering environmental stewardship.

Scholar Career Coaching, Inc. ($20,000) – Palm Beach County
Scholar Career Coaching, Inc. will recruit 400 volunteers who will coach, motivate and support underserved college-bound students who speak English as a second language.

St. Lucie County Oxbow Eco-Center ($24,000) – St. Lucie County
The Oxbow Eco-Center will recruit 400 volunteers who will support the multi-faceted Riverlution Program and assist with education and outreach throughout St. Lucie County.

United Way of Collier County and the Keys ($20,000) – Collier County
United Way of Collier County and the Keys will recruit 400 volunteers who will staff the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and other community allocations programs in Monroe and Collier County.

Volunteers in Service to the Elderly ($20,000) – Polk County
Volunteers in Service to the Elderly will recruit 400 volunteers to provide supportive services to more than 4,200 seniors, age 70 and above, to help them live safely and independently in their own homes.

Funding for the VGF program is awarded through a competitive application process. To learn more about this funding opportunity and others, please sign-up for the Volunteer Florida newsletter here.

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About Volunteer Florida
In 1994, Volunteer Florida was established in Florida Statutes to manage national service programs, such as AmeriCorps, and advocate for volunteerism throughout the Sunshine State. Since then, Volunteer Florida has evolved to serve as the state’s lead agency for mobilizing volunteers and coordinating donations before, during and after disasters, including managing the Florida Disaster Fund. After 25 years, Volunteer Florida remains committed to promoting volunteerism in Florida, and recently launched the state’s official volunteer opportunities platform, Volunteer Connect. Through our work, Volunteer Florida delivers high-impact volunteer programs and opportunities that engage Floridians, transform communities and make the state a better place to live.

About AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country’s most pressing challenges, through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov.