Explore ways to give back to your community
Did you know that generosity is tied to increased happiness? The start of the holiday season is the perfect time to lift your spirits through giving, especially as charities, food banks and community organizations see increased demand.
If you’re looking for ways you can give back to your community, we invite you to explore some of the agencies that are currently in need.
Food Assistance
Chop & Chomp (Beat FSU) Food Drive — Leading up to the big rival game, the Field & Fork Pantry will go head-to-head against the FSU Food for Thought Pantry in a friendly food drive competition to raise awareness of campus food insecurity and help stock pantry shelves.
HOPE at HealthStreet — Part of HealthStreet, the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s community engagement program, HOPE is dedicated to improving food security in the community by offering nutritious food to those in need, plus additional resources for comprehensive support.
Feeding America — Feeding America works with a nationwide network of food banks, food pantries and meal programs that provide resources so people facing hunger can put food on the table.
Bread of the Mighty Food Bank — Bread of the Mighty takes a holistic approach to nourishing our community – rescuing surplus food, sharing it through local pantries, and empowering families through education, advocacy and compassionate support to ensure no one goes hungry.
Food4Kids Backpack Program of North Florida — The mission of Food4Kids is to identify chronically hungry children throughout the community and provide them with food and vital resources on a regular basis. With your assistance, every child in our community can have a better chance to reach his or her goals.
Society of St. Andrew — The Society of St. Andrew’s work is nonpartisan and guided by justice, stewardship and compassion. The organization brings people together to harvest and share healthy food, reduce food waste and build caring communities by offering nourishment to hungry neighbors.
Working Food — A nonprofit organization established in 2012 to cultivate and sustain a resilient local food community in North Central Florida through collaboration, economic opportunity, education and seed stewardship. From seed to plate, Working Food aims to grow a robust local food system.
Housing Assistance
Family Promise of Gainesville — Since 1998, Family Promise of Gainesville has provided families experiencing homelessness with compassionate care that includes shelter, case management, education, housing, meals and transportation until they can transition to a home of their own.
GRACE Marketplace — The mission of GRACE Marketplace is to end homelessness. They achieve that goal by removing the typical barriers that keep people from getting help and providing them with safe shelter, effective services and permanent housing solutions.
St. Francis House — Empowers women and families with children to achieve permanent and stable self-sufficiency by providing individualized case management, nutritious meals and access to educational, health and career resources in a safe and secure environment.
Community and Family
Partnership for Strong Families — Partnership for Strong Families provides child welfare services designed to protect local children from abuse, neglect and abandonment and assists in establishing safe and permanent homes with their own families, partner families or adoptive parents.
Child Advocacy Center — A comprehensive, child-friendly facility where professionals from law enforcement, medical, child protection and therapeutic services effectively collaborate to meet the individual needs of child victims and break the cycle of abuse.
Elder Options — Elder Options’ mission is to ensure that communities have a trusted and unbiased place to turn for information, resources and assistance. We advocate for and cooperatively work with communities to strengthen support systems and create new and innovative service options that focus on personal choice and independence.
The University of Florida Child Advocacy Center — Helping kids feel safe. Serving child abuse and neglect victims of Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy, Bradford and Union counties.
Other
American Red Cross of North Florida and Central Florida — Your financial gift helps people affected by disasters big and small, whenever and wherever they occur across the country.
United Way of North Central Florida — United Way of North Central Florida seeks to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities around North Central Florida to advance the common good. From strengthening local resilience to advancing health, youth opportunity and financial security, United Way works towards a future where every person in North Central Florida can reach their full potential.
The Education Foundation — Supporting teachers through grants and professional development. Supporting students through Senior Scholarships and Take Stock In Children mentoring program.
Looking for more agencies to help? From community assistance to conservation, animals, housing, health and more, visit the UF Campaigns for Charities website for an extended list of agencies that are in need of assistance.