Giving Back - Community Connections during the Holiday Season #SimplyHealthy

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Something I do not talk enough about on this blog is my personal and professional involvement with the communities I work and live in. I co-lead an initiative at work to promote and encourage volunteerism among our co-workers. I also project manage an international day where all of our offices throughout the world give back to their community. Volunteerism is something I am passionate about and my goal in 2015 is to become even more involved.

I was first introduced to the New Image Youth Center through our annual Day of Giving Back at work. It was one of two charities our Orlando office volunteered at.  New Image Youth Center aims to improve the lives of youth by providing an environment where students feel safe to dream, and to support the realization of dreams through programs designed to foster academic, social, and physical well-being.

New Image is located in Parramore, one of the worst communities in Orlando. In most recent studies, of the 73% of Parramores 2,000 children lived in poverty and 84% were in single parent households. 47% of Parramore adults had neither a high school diploma nor GED and the median household income was $13,613. Parramore had the City's highest rate of reported child abuse and neglect, a juvenile arrest rate 2½ times that of Orlando's citywide rate and a teen birth rate nearly six times the rate of the surrounding county.

Since the new Image Youth Center was founded, they have had a 100% success rate with their students graduating high school Six of whom have gone onto college. None of the kids who attend New Image Youth Center have been in the juvenile system and teenage pregnancy is down. They help in the community and have grown up to become amazing young adults.

While doing my bi-weekly Sam's shopping trip, I found myself picking up a few extra items after reading the Healthy Living Made Simple article on volunteering. You can download the interactive magazine by clicking here. We decided to do a two month food and clothing drive at work for New Image. The items below are what I purchased from Sam's.

During this trip, I grabbed multiple canned vegetables, canned soup, 12 boxes of macaroni and cheese and 3 boxes of cereal.  If you are able to pick up one item during every shopping trip to donate to a local food bank or shelter, it would really help. 

How do you give back to your community?