Dear Partners and Friends, 

I hope you and your families are doing well. Over the past few months, the team at Volunteer Florida has continued “getting things done” for Florida.

Volunteer Florida Celebrates 30 Years!

This year marks 30 years of Volunteer Florida serving the Sunshine State! Our partnerships with the private sector and community organizations are the driving force behind our many accomplishments and positive impacts, enabling us to advocate for our mission.

At our January Commission and Foundation meetings, Volunteer Florida hosted a reception at the Governor’s Club in downtown Tallahassee to commemorate the milestone. We look forward to serving the State of Florida for another 30 years and beyond.

Rocky Bayou State Park Clean-Up Service Project 

I kicked off the 30th anniversary statewide tour in January, during which I participated in a clean-up service project at one of Florida State Parks, Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou Park in Niceville. I spent the day with a group of volunteers beautifying the park. Ceded to the War Department by the U.S. Forestry Service in 1940, the 800 square miles of Gulf Coast shoreline and pine forests became a major site for gunnery and bombing practice during World War II. Remnants of test bombs from Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle’s B-25 squadron following the attack on Pearl Harbor are believed to exist in the park. In the late 1950s, Colonel Fred Gannon, Director of Civil Engineering at Eglin Air Force Base, proposed to convert the range into a public area. In 1966, shortly after the road and trail work was completed, the lands were purchased by the state and became part of the Florida State Park system.

Ninth Annual Suits for Session Service Project

Suits for Session has become a tradition at Florida’s Capitol, collecting new or gently used professional clothing items and accessories for Floridians’ employment. In February, Volunteer Florida collected professional attire for two days in the Capitol with a concurrent curbside drop-off in front of City Hall. This service project engages Florida legislators and staff, state agency employees, and other Capitol Region professionals and residents to help prepare job-seekers in need in our state. Since the project’s inception in 2016, Volunteer Florida and its partners have donated tens of thousands of professional attire items to many Sunshine State organizations. This year’s recipient organizations will include CareerSource Tampa Bay, FSU ProfessioNOLE Clothing Closet, and SailFuture Academy.

2024 Black History Month

The Governor and First Lady Casey DeSantis, launched the Black History Month theme, art and essay contests, and educator awards on January 16. The contest theme was “Celebrating Florida’s African American Heroes and Their Contributions to Freedom.” On Tuesday, February 27, the Black History Month contest winners were recognized at a reception hosted at the Governor’s Mansion.

7th Annual Emergency Management Convening

Volunteer Florida’s Emergency Management department hosted the 7th Annual Emergency Management/ESF-15 Convening in Orlando on March 4-5, with a record registration of 150 participants. This no-cost event brought together partners from across the state for emergency management training sessions, networking opportunities, and leadership development.

I had the honor of presenting VF’s Excellence in Volunteerism Award to Katie Barnett, a true inspiration. Katie’s unwavering commitment and passion for disaster recovery and the citizens of Florida are truly commendable. From her humble beginnings as a spontaneous volunteer following Hurricane Ian, Katie has transformed her passion and tenacity into a full-time position in disaster recovery, recently joining the Florida Division of Emergency Management Individual Assistance team.

    

CEO’S LEADERSHIP TOUR HIGHLIGHTS


PHOTO: CEO Tamayo visited the impacted areas in northwest Florida following the tornadoes. During her visit, she assisted volunteers with unloading tools and delivered disaster buckets to residents.


PHOTO: CEO Tamayo visited two elementary schools with the Polk Education Foundation, where she read to students and interacted with them during one-on-one tutoring sessions.


PHOTO: CEO Tamayo, State Attorney General Ashley Moody, and VF Chairman and Secretary of the Florida Lottery John Davis were recognized as champions for education and volunteering at the Take Stock in Children’s Reception.


PHOTO: CEO Tamayo presented VF’s Excellence in Volunteerism Award to Brooke Davis Hiers at The Shrimp Boat restaurant in Horseshoe Beach. Brooke was recognized for her contributions to the town of Horseshoe Beach and her unwavering dedication to the recovery efforts in her community following Hurricane Idalia.


CEO Tamayo presented VF’s Excellence in Volunteerism Award to Tim Keith-Lucas with the Franklin County Florida Emergency Management.

Thank you for your continued support of Volunteer Florida and our mission to #ServeFL. If there is anything we can do for you, or your organization, please reach out to me or my team.

Yours in Service,

Josefina Tamayo Chief Executive OfficerVolunteer Florida