Happy New Year! I am thrilled to kick off 2018 with the Volunteer Florida family and our friends and partners. I wanted to take a moment to look back on 2017 and the work we’ve done, as well as what I have learned from you during my first five months on the job!
Volunteer Florida with Governor Scott and Tim Tebow at the State Emergency Operations Center
I spent the first several weeks as Volunteer Florida CEO focused primarily on our state’s response to Hurricane Irma. From the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee to the Joint Field office in Orlando, and working side by side with our AmeriCorps members, it was important for me to have an understanding of our operations and the multifaceted work of our partners during crisis response.
I appreciate the entire team, particularly the emergency management department, for their sacrifices while being away from their families for so long, their hard work, and their dedication to the State of Florida.
VF Emergency Management Director Ken Skalitzky in the field with AmeriCorps members following Hurricane Irma
I have also spent time in the field in order to gain a better understanding of Volunteer Florida’s national service grantees. My goal for these visits was to gain first-hand knowledge of the programs and their impact in local communities. I have visited more than ten programs and training events, and here are two stories that were particularly powerful:
- I visited Oak Ridge High School in Orlando with Heart of Florida United Way. In just three years, thanks in part to the work of AmeriCorps members, the school increased its graduation rate from 73.8% to 89.3%. School officials noted that the AmeriCorps program is the reason students get to walk across the stage on graduation day.
- I spent some time at Long Branch Elementary with Duval Reads, the AmeriCorps Program in partnership with Community in Schools Jacksonville. Program Director Carolyn Lynn, the heart of the program, described the struggles faced by many of the students. Principal Ashley Jordan described how important AmeriCorps is to the academic success and personal development of students.
VF CEO Vivian Myrtetus with Heart of Florida United Way AmeriCorps members at Oak Ridge High School
Firsthand accounts of our programs and grantees and the impact they have are so important as I visit with leaders across the state and legislators in Tallahassee.
ICYMI – Volunteer Generation Fund Grantees
In case you missed it, Volunteer Florida announced its 2017 Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grantees. Volunteer Florida awarded $286,000 in federal funding to 22 nonprofits and service organizations across the state. We are very proud of this investment in communities across the state. To learn more about Volunteer Florida’s VGF program, and to see a list of grantees, click here.
In closing, I wanted to share two things we are especially excited about this month:
MLK Day of Service
On Monday, January 15, 2018, families and individuals across Florida will join tens of thousands of Americans in service as part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, a national day of service that provides an opportunity for all Americans to come together to volunteer in their local communities. These service projects empower individuals, strengthen communities, and move us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a nation united, transformed, and strengthened. Volunteer Florida encourages all Floridians to participate in a service project in honor of this national day of service. Make it a day on, not a day off! For more information, click here.
Florida Disaster Fund Grants
We are also excited to announce that Volunteer Florida will be awarding the second round of Florida Disaster Fund grants in 2018. Grants will support organizations providing disaster relief to Floridians in crisis from the impacts of Hurricane Irma. Volunteer Florida will award between $5,000 and $75,000 to each recipient organization. To date, the Volunteer Florida Foundation has raised over $14 million to support those impacted by Hurricane Irma. To learn more, please email Emergency Management Director Ken Skalitzky at
Ken@VolunteerFlorida.org.
