United Way Miami, Easterseals South Florida and Volunteers Come Together to Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through a Day of Service
Volunteers to Create Wellness Kits and Beautify Easterseals of South Florida Civic Center
Miami, FL (January 10, 2022) – In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., more than 100 United Way Miami volunteers will come together to celebrate his legacy through a day of service as they rejuvenate an Easterseals South Florida (ESSF) older adult and children’s center on February 26, 2022. The volunteer event, scheduled for Martin Luther King weekend, was rescheduled in an abundance of caution due to the surge in COVID-19 cases. In addition to this event, volunteers also have the opportunity to participate in a remote kit-packing project that consists of putting together DIY Memory Enrichment Kits and Children’s Healthy Snack Packs that will benefit the community at Easterseals South Florida.
For the beautification project, volunteers and their families will cover eight different areas of the ESSF center by cultivating additional edible gardens, painting the interior/exterior of the facilities, revitalizing parking lot perimeters and creating a warmer ambiance by decorating common areas. Within the beautification project, volunteers will also assemble furniture and install TV screens throughout the center.
Additionally, those that wish to volunteer remotely can assist with creating wellness kits for the community at ESSF. Volunteers will need to purchase items for and assemble DIY Memory Enrichment Kits that can include items such as puzzle books, brain teasers, color cubes, maracas, musical instruments, deck of cards, etc.; and/or Children’s Healthy Snack Packs that can include nutritious snacks for children ages 2 – 5 years old such as applesauce, fruit gummies, granola bars, fruit cups and 100% fruit juice. Volunteers participating in this remote volunteer opportunity are asked to drop off their kits at United Way Miami’s Ansin Building on January 21 and 28 at pre-determined time slots. For more information, visit volunteermiami.org.
ESSF has been serving families in the South Florida community for nearly 80 years. They provide exceptional services, education, and outreach for children ages 0 to 22 years old, Head Start and Early Head Start programs, adult daycare and in-home respite for older adults living with Alzheimer’s and other memory disorders and their families. Their mission is to work toward 100% equity, inclusion, and access for people living with disabilities. Support programs include autism spectrum disorder, help with employment & training, medical rehabilitation, recreational activities, etc.
“We are so grateful to United Way Miami for coordinating these efforts and are excited for our participants to enjoy their new and improved center and wellness kits,” said Maurice Woods, President and CEO of Easterseals South Florida. “Thanks to the efforts of these volunteers, we are able to continue serving children, young adults, older adults and families with intellectual and developmental delays in our community,” continued Maurice.
“Our volunteers look forward to celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through a day of service every year,” says TK Owens, Engagement Director at United Way Miami. “This year, we are excited to honor Dr. King by bringing volunteers together to help create wellness kits and improve the facilities of Easterseals South Florida, an incredible partner organization in our community,” continued Owens.
MLK Day of Service is one of many volunteer opportunities organized by United Way Miami that allows volunteers to come together and be a part of solutions that will influence our community. United Way Miami provides volunteer opportunities through VolunteerMiami, a recruitment site for individuals and groups. To learn more about VolunteerMiami and upcoming volunteer opportunities, visit unitedwaymiami.org/volunteer.
Presenting sponsors are L’Oreal and MasTec. Participating sponsors are Bermont Gold Raymond James, Wells Fargo, Bilzin Sumberg, Ryder, and USI Insurance Services.
