My Nonprofit Reviews

I love to volunteer. Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Orlando is right at the top of the organizations I just LOVE to be involved with at every opportunity.

The work my hubby and I have been involved with at Habitat most recently have been with events which involve the generosity of different trade shows/conventions that come to Orlando and so graciously offer to leave BRAND NEW items they have presented at conventions for Habitat to use in building houses for those in need.

I cannot possibly explain how much FUN it is to collect these items from generous vendors! It makes the vendor happy and it helps so many people almost all of us will never meet.

You may ask yourself 'how is this 'fun?'' Let me explain. Habitat leaders put us together in teams, most of us whom have never met each other before, and send us off to collect items from the vendors that donate. The 'fun' begins when we try to compete with another team to get our items back to the Habitat collection area the fastest. Actually, as each team is assembled and assigned a task, teams are all quick to stop and help out another team that might be struggling, so we do not actually 'compete' against anything but time, as Habitat has a limited window of time to get things dissembled and placed on pallets.

Habitat does so much for our local community in need! But what I don't know that there is a secondary need that is met at these events: building volunteer bonds across across all generations, genders and such, of like-minded volunteers with a passion to serve. At my first event, I may have shown up as a stranger, but at the end of the day, left with volunteer friends and hugs that will last a lifetime.

We are already planning to meet up as volunteer friends for our next big Habitat event next month!

Thank you Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando for all you do everyday to serve our community.

You are AWESOME!

We love volunteering with UCP. While we have been blessed with two wonderful [now adult] children, both healthy, we know that this is not the case for every family. My nephew was born with CP and has gone on to lead a great life as an adult through the help he received through UCP in Los Angeles.

We volunteer with UCP in Central Florida as our way to 'pay it forward' for all that UCP has done for my nephew.

UCP instills confidence and a 'you can do it' value to those impacted with CP. Locally in Central Florida, UCP reaches out to people with a range of challenges, and seeing the work they do is nothing short of amazing.

We so GREATLY look forward to our next volunteer event with UCP.

While we volunteer to help and make a difference, at the end of each event, we find that it is us that are truly enriched through the event[s]. UCP always makes the volunteers feel welcomed and valued as part of a volunteer event. We have new friendships with people we might never have met but for volunteering with UCP! As volunteers, we all have the goal to make a difference in our community, so with that like-minded passion, as a team of volunteers across all generations and backgrounds, we find we have so much in common, it's something that defies words....I guess maybe 'passion to help others' is about as close to describing as I can come.

Please consider coming out and getting involved with this great organization. When I volunteered for my first event, alone and knowing no one, what I left with was fulfillment and joy of doing something wonderful, and enrichment of a great new group of volunteer friends.

UCP you do SO much GOOD for those you serve in Central Florida, but what you may not know is that there is a secondary need you meet by allowing us to bond as passionate volunteers, like-minded and committed to completing a successful event, and through this, forging lasting friendships in the volunteer community.

THANK YOU UCP! You are awesome!

There is nothing that comes close to the JOY of volunteering to give back to the community. Over the past year or so, it has been my great honor to volunteer at a multitude of diverse opportunities with VCI. It's never the same thing twice, which means change and excitement! VCI makes each volunteer feel included and valued for the help each provides on a project. I often end up as a single volunteer, not with a team from work, etc, but I am not single for long as VCI welcomes and matches up volunteers so well that no one ever feels alone. This has led to many new friendships, all through this volunteer community. I thoroughly enjoy volunteering with VCI and the work this group does for the community, in so many different ways! I volunteer to help and give back, pay it forward, yet, at the end of each event, it is me that feels ENRICHED by the experience we have shared as a team. Love you VCI!