The City of Tampa and United Way Suncoast have been partnering together for more than 30 years to provide help and hope to our community. Here on the Suncoast, City of Tampa was #9 last year on our list of Most Generous Workplaces and has been in or near the Top 10 for the last five years. Over the years of our partnership, they have donated nearly $5M to United Way Suncoast.

As part of the annual workplace campaign, employees have participated in a variety of fundraising special events including a silent auction, Columbia Restaurant lunch, a pie sale and push-up contest. In addition, Mayor Jane Castor has been a strong advocate of United Way, even participating in our Tocqueville Society Speakers Series last year.

We cannot thank YOU – the City of Tampa employees, enough! Your generous and heartfelt giving through your annual workplace campaign funds programs that help children and adults rise up and reach their full potential. Programs like:

• Early Literacy – we have a variety of programs designed to ensure children are reading on grade-level by the end of 3^rd grade. Why is this important? Because studies show that children who aren’t reading on grade level by the time they start 4^th grade are four times more likely to fail to graduate high school, impacting their long-term chances of success. From Reading All-Stars to Summer Care to The Big Plan, we are supporting the educational needs of our children.
• Resource Centers – located in Campbell Park (St. Petersburg), North Greenwood (Clearwater) and Sulphur Springs (Tampa) our resource centers help adults reach a more financially stable future for themselves and their families by providing GED classes, job training, help with resumes and interviewing skills, computer access and more. North Greenwood is also home to the Operation Graduate program, a partnership between United Way Suncoast, Pinellas County Schools, the Clearwater Police Department and St. Petersburg College to promote on-time high school graduation and prepare students for college or career.
• VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) – our VITA program provides one-on-one and online tax prep assistance to thousands of lower income households, ensuring they receive their maximum refunds. The refunds, along with fees saved from paying for tax prep, go back into the community to pay for housing, childcare and debit, among other things. So far in 2020, over 9K returns have been completed at United Way VITA sites, leading to $12M in total refunds, almost $6M in credits earned and $1.8M in saved tax prep fees.
• 2-1-1 – a strategic community partner of United Way Suncoast, 211 provides assistance to individuals in crisis including help with housing, food access, utilities and mental health issues.
• And so much more

But, City of Tampa employees go beyond donations in giving back to the communities in which you live and work. Each year the city holds a Santa Calling event where children can call in and speak with Santa and his helpers, partnering with United Way Suncoast to provide volunteers to man the phone lines.

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Our sincerest gratitude goes out to all of you who go above and beyond to make our community a better place for all. We are proud to partner with you. Thank you to all our existing United Way Suncoast donors. And, if you haven’t donated before, we hope this small glimpse into the work that you fund will inspire you to join all the wonderful City of Tampa employees who give back through their paycheck. Watch your inbox for your opportunity to make your donation for this year’s campaign.