Creating real pathways to employment and stability through adult education and workforce readiness Education creates opportunity. For adults facing financial hardship, it can be the turning point between instability and long-term independence. More than 43 million adults in the U.S. have low literacy skills, making it difficult to complete everyday tasks, secure...
Mike Dempsey moved from England to Florida in 1984 and has been serving at The Sharing Center since 2018. He first began helping during the holidays and soon became a full-time volunteer, faithfully supporting our mission. Mike serves in the Distribution Center, where he handles electronics with skill and care. When...
Understanding the growing need and how your support helps local families Food insecurity does not always look the way people expect. It can exist behind a full-time job, a busy family schedule, or a household doing everything it can to stay afloat. Across Florida, millions of people are facing hunger while...
Bring people together and make a meaningful impact in your community Hosting a community donation drive is a simple way to support families in need while bringing people together for a shared purpose. Whether you organize one through your workplace, school, church, or neighborhood, every donation can make a real difference...
Kathy Anderson has been a dedicated volunteer at The Sharing Center since 2002, after being referred by a neighbor. She began her time in the thrift store, sorting hangers and organizing clothing, and quickly became a consistent and valued part of the team. Before coming to The Sharing Center, Kathy volunteered...
Celebrating the volunteers who help bring hope to our community every day The room was full of laughter, dance moves, warm conversations, and familiar faces. For one evening, we set aside the daily rhythm of serving the community and turned our full attention to the people who make our work possible....
Shop with purpose. Find something special. Make a real impact. Walking into a thrift store can feel like stepping into the unknown, but at The Sharing Center, it is more meaningful. It is a place to find unique items and great deals, and to know that every purchase helps someone in...
Save money, reduce waste, and support your community with simple secondhand finds Setting up a kitchen can get pricey fast. Whether it’s cookware or small appliances, the expenses add up quickly. But there’s a smarter way to get everything you need for your kitchen without spending too much: thrifting. If you’re searching for...
MaryAnn Dean began volunteering at The Sharing Center in 2025, serving in our Distribution Center. She started by sorting clothing and later moved on to hanging clothes, joining a wonderful group of volunteers who share strong faith roots and a heart for service. MaryAnn has a passion for cooking and loves...
How your support helped Kawontaye find stability, confidence, and a home for her family When Kawontaye first came to The Sharing Center, she was carrying more than financial stress. She was carrying uncertainty, responsibility, and the emotional weight of trying to protect her children while navigating homelessness. “Being homeless, staying with other...
How your generosity helps neighbors face hunger with dignity Hunger is rarely visible, but it is deeply felt. Behind closed doors, families are stretching meals, seniors are choosing between groceries and prescriptions, and individuals are navigating daily uncertainty without knowing where their next meal will come from. In Central Florida alone, 588,450...
Breaking the myths that shape how we see our neighbors Homelessness and hunger are often misunderstood. Assumptions create distance and make it harder to see the real people and challenges behind these issues. Looking closer, the truth is more human and more connected to our community than many realize. Continue reading as...
Naomi Skocki began volunteering at The Sharing Center in 2015, serving in our Distribution Center by helping hang clothing. Over the years, she has faithfully given her time and energy to support our mission. Naomi is also active in her church community at Ascension Lutheran in Casselberry, where she enjoys fellowship...
Smart ways to shop, save money, and help your community Shopping second-hand is a great way to save money, discover unique items, support the environment, and help your community. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed in a thrift store, you’re definitely not alone. A few simple tips can help you find quality clothes...
Melissa Robinson and Basil began volunteering with The Sharing Center in 2020, serving in our Distribution Center by helping hang clothing. From the start, they brought kindness, consistency, and a shared love of service. Basil is a registered Pet Therapy Dog who loves volunteering alongside Melissa. Together, they also serve the...
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...