To improve lives and create lasting community change by mobilizing the caring people of Tampa Bay.
United Way of Tampa Bay is proud to be a member of the World Community Grid.
LIVE UNITED NOW (stories continued)
WHEN YOU NEED HELP, CALL 2-1-1.
The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay offers help, hope and healing to all people experiencing life’s problems and challenges, big and small. The Center helps people throughout Hillsborough County cope with the devastating trauma of sexual or physical violence, domestic violence or abuse, depression and despair, substance abuse, financial problems, family issues and many other critical challenges.
Best known for the 2-1-1 emergency hotline, the Center is where individuals and families receive free, confidential crisis counseling by highly trained staff, along with information and referrals to Crisis Center services or to over 3,500 other community resources. Last year, more than 158,000 individuals turned to the Center for help.
One of United Way’s four community impact agenda focal points is providing a safety net for people facing critical life challenges. United Way invests in the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay to meet this strategic community need.
United Way also invests in 2-1-1 Tampa Bay Cares, which connects people and resources in Pinellas, Hernando and Citrus counties and provides after-hours 2-1-1 service to DeSoto, Manatee, Pasco and Sarasota counties. The 2-1-1- Tampa Bay Cares call center also answers local calls to the national Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
David Braughton, president and CEO of the Crisis Center, notes “the demands for our services are sky-rocketing. Suicide calls to our 24-hour 2-1-1 crisis hotline have gone up 125%, and requests for financial help have more than doubled. We are seeing on average one sexual assault a day and admitting 20 to 30 new cases each month to our specialized counseling program for children, adults and families who have experienced trauma."
Meet David and learn more about the Crisis Center in this short video.
Don’t mistake Vashon Thompson’s quiet personality for indecisiveness. He knows what he wants. Like many of the residents of Tampa’s Sulphur Springs neighborhood, Vashon wants a job.
That’s why he walked into the Sulphur Springs Resource Center a few months ago. The Resource Center celebrated its one-year anniversary in April. Since it opened in 2009, more than 1,600 residents have used its services. They’ve taken GED classes and received legal aid. They’ve filed their taxes and received customer service training. They’ve brought their children for community nights and completed the census. Most of all, they’ve used the computers to create résumés and search for jobs.
The Resource Center was the brainstorm of many strategic partners, including United Way of Tampa Bay, and was developed with the help of neighborhood leaders. “It doesn’t do any good to go into a neighborhood and give them what you think they should have,” says Diana Baker, United Way President and CEO and Sulphur Springs native. “You have to listen to the people who live there and try to give them what they need.”
Vashon has lived in Sulphur Springs since 2003. He says he learned how to create a résumé and how to look for jobs online. “They taught me which sites to go to to find jobs I might like,” he says. And it seemed to work. Vashon has an interview at a nearby restaurant.
According to James Jackson, the center director, the center is a place where residents can come for help. “We want to be a beacon for people who need help, a place where they fill at home and where we can keep an eye on their progress,” he notes.
The Sulphur Springs Resource Center has become just that. And with the help of the neighbors, the volunteers and the partners, it will continue to be a beacon for the neighborhood and for people like Vashon.
COMPANIES SUPPORT UNITED WAY WITH “FORE” GOLF TOURNAMENTS
United Way receives financial support from nearly 1,000 companies throughout Tampa Bay through the annual Workplace Campaign. But what many people don’t know is that these companies are hard at work beyond their efforts in the workplace, including special events like summer golf tournaments.
United Way benefit golf tournaments are held throughout the Bay area to provide company clients and co-workers an engaging experience rather than just a donation.
Every May, NHL Hall of Famer Phil Esposito and former Major League baseball player Greg Gagne team up with Terry Holland, tournament co-organizer, and United Postal Service (UPS) employees to support United Way at the UPS Golf Tournament. The tournament has been held for 12 years and features 18 holes of golf at the prestigious Belleview Biltmore Golf Club in Clearwater. The tournament also features a one-of-a-kind silent auction with NHL memorabilia leading the list of items up for bid.
Pricewaterhousecoopers (PWC) runs a United Way benefit tournament in July. The tournament brings together PWC employees, senior VPs and vendors to the Westchase Golf Resort in Tampa.
Due to a successful 2009 golf tournament, Healthplan Services is bringing back their tournament in August. Held at the Eagles Golf Club on Odessa, the tournament raised nearly $8,000 in 2009.
And in September, PCL Civil Constructors, Inc. will be holding their first tournament at Tampa Palms in Tampa.
The tournaments provide quality golf, four-star food, networking opportunities and a sporty way to LIVE UNITED for United Way.
For more information on these tournaments, how to participate, or run your own tournament for United Way, contact United Way’s Business Development Manager Melinda Persuitte at 813.274.0947.
