City of Pensacola staff, mayor and mayor-elect team up for United Way Day of Caring
Nearly 70 city of Pensacola employees, Mayor Grover Robinson and Mayor-elect D.C. Reeves recently joined volunteers throughout the community to support the United Way Day of Caring, an annual community service effort coordinated by United Way of West Florida.
City employees worked on a variety of projects to support several local nonprofit organizations, including Health & Hope Clinic, Manna Food Pantries, Project GreenShores, Scenic Heights Elementary School, Waterfront Rescue Mission and Workman Middle School.
Volunteers from the city worked on painting and pressure washing at Health & Hope Clinic, a community garden at Workman Middle School, landscaping and yard work at Scenic Heights Elementary School, and litter cleanup along the bayfront with project GreenShores. City employees also sorted and packed food at Manna, along with sweeping and mopping, exterior cleanup and more. Several Public Works & Facilities employees spent the afternoon sorting donations at Waterfront Rescue Mission Thrift Store as part of Day of Caring.
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Day of Caring is a community-wide initiative that connects volunteers and resources with local agencies and schools in need of support. Since the initiative was introduced in 1993, United Way of West Florida has coordinated nearly 28,026 volunteers to complete 2,572 projects across Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
Visit uwwf.org/dayofcaring for details.
SRMC hosts Thanksgiving food drive and wreath lighting
The Santa Rosa Medical Center is hosting a Thanksgiving food drive for Feeding the Gulf Coast from Monday through Nov. 18.
Participants are invited to help collect items to help families at Thanksgiving. There will be a collection bin available for donations and suggested items include canned cranberry sauce, cream of mushroom soup, canned sweet peas, canned yams, canned pie filling and boxed stuffing.
The center is also hosting its annual Wreath Lighting Ceremony at 6 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17 in front of the main hospital visitor entrance. The ceremony will feature hot chocolate and cookies, plus a visit from Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus.
Visit srmcfl.com for details.
Animal Welfare offers "Home for the Holidays" adoption special
The Escambia County Department of Animal Welfare is offering a "Home for the Holidays" adoption special now through Dec. 31.
Anyone looking to adopt will be able to take home a cat or kitten for $10, or a dog or puppy for $25. Escambia County residents are required to pay a separate $11 licensing fee at the time of adoption. Adoption fees include spay or neutering services, microchips, heartworm tests and the initial vaccinations including rabies vaccinations.
The Escambia County Animal Welfare and Adoption Center, located at 200 W. Fairfield Drive, is open from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Follow the center on Facebook to learn more about adoption events, featured pets and more.
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To learn more about becoming a foster or volunteer, visit MyEscambia.com/animalwelfare.
Farm Share hosting food distribution event in Cantonment
Farm Share, one of Florida’s leading food nonprofits and the state’s largest food bank, is distributing food to food-insecure Floridians from 8 a.m. until supplies last Saturday at 2026 Pauline St., in Cantonment.
Recipients will receive fresh produce and non-perishable canned goods. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, distributions are drive-thru only to minimize contact and to help ensure the safety of all parties. Attendees must arrive in a vehicle with a trunk or cargo bed.
With more than 3.9 million families suffering from food insecurity throughout Florida, Farm Share meets the everyday hunger needs of Floridians by working hand-in-hand with local farmers to recover and redistribute produce that would otherwise be thrown away due to aesthetic imperfections.
Visit FarmShare.org for details.
WFPL serves nearly 4,000 meals through summer meals program
West Florida Public Libraries recently announced another successful summer for the “Meals for Youth” program. From May 25 through Aug. 9, library staff distributed a total of 3,719 meals at seven WFPL locations across Escambia County.
Held during the summer months, “Meals for Youths” offers free lunch for youths 18 years of age or younger. Disabled individuals 19 years of age or older who participate in a public or private nonprofit school program during the school year are also eligible to receive meals. The program is sponsored by Feeding the Gulf Coast, a Feeding America-affiliated food bank serving 24 counties throughout southern Alabama, southern Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle.
Visit mywfpl.com/locations for details.
Take part: To make a Causes submission, email giving@pnj.com.
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This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: City staff, mayor and mayor-elect team up for United Way Day of Caring
