Tony Harris has served in the Oasis since April 2025. His heart has always been for people experiencing homelessness. After moving to Florida from Jamaica in 2005, Tony found work and spent his free time helping those living under bridges, offering support wherever it was needed. In 2011, Tony experienced a...
How your support gave Wayville a safe place to begin rebuilding his life When everything changes at once For Wayville, losing housing happened fast. In late 2021, his family’s lease ended, and everyone went their separate ways. Without enough money saved or a place lined up, he found himself without a home...
Understanding the need in our community and the services that help neighbors rebuild stability From 2024 to 2025, the total number of people experiencing homelessness in Seminole County went from 420 to 436, a 3.8% increase. That figure includes people sleeping in emergency shelters and traditional housing. [1] Behind every number is...
Shane discovered career direction, confidence, and community at The Sharing Center Unsure of what came next Before enrolling in ProjectRISE, Shane was feeling stuck. He wanted to grow, contribute, and find his path, but wasn’t sure where to start. “I was looking for a passion,” he shared. “It was clear I liked helping...
With a quick search on the internet, you’ll find a plethora of research findings describing a correlation between health literacy and socio-economic status. According to information compiled in The Journal for Electronic Health Data and Methods, these factors are “directly associated with clinical and behavioral risk factors and healthcare outcomes.” Under...
Our donors, volunteers, and staff are the heart of our mission. Every service shared relieves families and individuals from the burdens of poverty because of the compassionate care of our community. For this reason, while heart-shaped confections and floral arrangements are in abundance this month, we want to express our...
Families and individuals around Central Florida face the unexpected every day. One slip on the playground results in an unexpected medical bill, and one high credit card charge leads to a missed rental payment. As a result, the hardships continue to mount at indescribable rates. With your support, The Sharing Center...
It costs approximately $35,424 for a single adult and $93,228 for a family of four to survive in Central Florida. That’s according to Heart of Florida United Way’s Household Survival Budget released in 2022, based on updated research conducted from public sources. That means an individual needs to earn $40,000 to...
What comes to mind when you think about what it means to experience poverty? For most, physical descriptions of what life is like when individuals and families lack the monetary resources needed to meet their basic needs come top to mind. However, poverty's accompanying psychological effects on an individual continue to...
The hunger crisis is growing at an exponential rate while showing little to no mercy to those who are struggling to meet their basic needs. Today, 2.2 million people around the state of Florida are facing hunger – 660,500 children are living through that harsh reality. The Sharing Center’s Pantry lives...
White picket fences, freshly cut lawns and wrap-around porches perfectly fit together to portray the American Dream at its finest. Although this portrayal of what life was like in the 1930s no longer looks the same, the yearning for something better still rings true for many today. For Shannon and Jocelyn,...
MAITLAND, Fla. (12/9/22) – The American Fundraising Foundation (AmFund) announced recipients of the 2022 Golden Pear Grants during a live stream on Facebook in a record breaking $250,000 distribution of funds and an additional $100K in-kind donations through its Educational Foundation. The Sharing Center was among the organizations selected for an...
DeAnn Hollis once said, “The heart of a volunteer is never measured in size, but by the depth of the commitment to make a difference in the lives of others.” With this sentiment in mind, we can be sure that the heart of every volunteer at The Sharing Center is...
The final days of September were overcome with uneasiness and exhaustion as the landfall of Hurricane Ian left residents across Central Florida exposed. The catastrophic storm produced unprecedented amounts of flooding and destruction in its wake, but the heart of Seminole County has remained unwavering through it all. While some were...
The Importance of Dismantling Stigmas of Homelessness “Society needs to get out of the mentality of what homelessness is. It’s not the person on the side of the street with a sign. It’s your neighbor, your friend, people you used to go to school with, someone with a degree, with a...
At The Sharing Center, volunteers are considered family. Tens of thousands of hours every year are given to help our neighbors in need. Monday through Saturday, anywhere from 40 to over 100 volunteers are working throughout our campus and our community in dedication and service. Alex Tao is one of...
DaMario, case manager of The Sharing Center's Oasis, shares why he serves our homeless neighbors. On this episode of Your Story presented by TV45, host Tracy Leek sits down with DaMario of The Sharing Center to learn his story, how God has been working in his life, and how he...
Q: What is the most enjoyable part about your role with The Sharing Center? A: I would have to say, witnessing how our team works, changing lives, and hearing client testimonials are all exciting to me. Every day I see how my work is meaningful and directly impacts our neighbors in...
Written by: Lynn Pham March is National Social Workers Month and we want to recognize our team's efforts to bring relief back into the lives of our struggling neighbors. Suzanne Conty has been The Sharing Center's lead client service coordinator for over 10 years. When asked about her experience, she says, “It...
Heart of Florida United Way Invests More Than $1 Million to Support Basic Needs for ALICE Families During COVID-19 11 Agencies Awarded Total of $1,045,000 to Provide Needed Support to ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Families in Central Florida ORLANDO, Fla. (December 21, 2020) – Today, Heart of Florida United...
November is the kick started to the giving season. This is also the time of year that we hear heart-warming stories from the community like the one below. The extension of giving goes far beyond any season and this is one example of how, when we give, we transfer kindness...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 30, 2020 MEDIA CONTACT Savannah Kelly savannah@volunteerflorida.org (850) 556-9799 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,...
We must celebrate! Recently, two of our incredible Board Members, Cliff Long and Ron Davoli, were honored with a nomination for the Orlando Business Journal's 2020 CEO of the Year award. Their accomplishments within the community and the businesses they serve have and will transfer into guiding The Sharing Center's...
What do you get when you combine a passion for the environment, and a desire to meet the needs of our homeless community? The answer is a beautiful Labor of Love. Asbury United Methodist Church in Maitland Florida, is behind this labor of love. Shirley Brietz along with, Jack & Mel...
With every new year, there is an air of excitement and hopefulness. We create new goals and seek ways to grow throughout the days and months before us with little caution to the “what ifs”. Well, we can all agree, this year has brought the unexpected into our lives, collectively....
COVID-19 has disrupted many lives across our community. Hardworking people lost their jobs either to furlough or lay offs. Families began struggling, some for the first time in a very long time, to afford their rent, utilities, and car payments. This is exactly why The Sharing Center stepped forward and...