Passion makes a difference!  And it is this passion that brought Greg Ammon to the Florida Veteran Support Line.

On December 23rd, a senior citizen contacted 211 Northwest Florida in desperation.

"I have given to food banks and other charities in the past, and now I find myself in need," Helen said. "It is hard to ask for help, but I must do what I can to keep food on the table for my daughter and me."

Getting Away

Rebecca arrived in Pensacola with everything she could fit in her car. A veteran and a single mother of two, she was fleeing a domestic abuse situation in another state.

Rebecca called United Way of West Florida’s Florida Veterans Support Line (FVSL). She told the Care Coordinator she was down to two packets of Ramen noodles. That was all her family had to eat for the next week as they waited for their food stamps to become available. 

Hundreds of volunteers rolled up their sleeves for United Way of West Florida’s 29th Day of Caring. 

Day of Caring is a single-day, community-wide volunteer event organized by United Way of West Florida. United Way connects volunteers with local agencies and schools in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties needing service projects completed. 

More than 600 volunteers tackled more than 60 projects on Friday.

Don’t Let Your Kindness go to Waste: Give Responsibly after a Disaster

While we are thankful that our area escaped the devastating blow from Hurricane Ian, our hearts go out to our fellow Floridians who are dealing with the unfathomable destruction in Ian’s wake. As we watch the news, we’re so overwhelmed with grief and empathy when we see other people hurting that we feel compelled to do something to help – especially when a disaster hits as close to home as Ian did. Here are some tips about how to give responsibility after a disaster: 

211 Northwest Florida makes more than 100,000 referrals every year. That referral is often the first step to a better life.

“I was staying with my brother and his wife,” said Gay.  “I got my third DUI and was in the Escambia County jail for three and a half months.”

When Gay got out of jail, her brother told her she needed to find a program to help her and a place to live. Gay didn’t know where to turn. Her brother told her to call 211.

United Way of West Florida recently awarded $480,000 in grants to 25 local nonprofit agencies in support of 29 programs through the organization’s Community Investment Process. Programs operated by these agencies provide critical services to individuals and families across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties in the areas of education, financial stability, and health. 

Helping veterans find the resources and support they need is personal for UWWF’s Florida Veterans Support Line (FVSL) team. And many times, it takes months of work to improve a person’s life.

An Army Veteran called FVSL in December 2021. He was recently released from prison and had a hard time finding employment. He was running out of money and facing eviction. 

A Veteran Care Coordinator (VCC) provided the Veteran with local resources to help him search for a job and possible housing. The VCC told him to call back anytime he needed more assistance.