FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Marcia Hope Goodwin 407-246-3107

ORLANDO MAYOR BUDDY DYER TO BECOME FIRST TO USE NEW VOLUNTEER CENTRAL FLORIDA GATEWAY

ORLANDO, FL (June 18, 2003) – Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer Wednesday at 10 a.m. at City Hall will become the first person in Central Florida to use the Heart of Florida United Way’s (HFUW) Volunteer Central Florida Gateway, a Web-based application that changes the way local charities meet their volunteer staffing needs.

The Volunteer Central Florida Gateway was launched by the Volunteer Central Florida (VCF) division of HFUW. Hosted on Heart of Florida United Way’s Web site – www.HFUW.org – the new program makes it easier for charities to post volunteer opportunities and for volunteers to sign up for them. The charities that depend on volunteers to provide their services can access it 24 hours a day, seven days a week to continually update their volunteer listings. Prospective volunteers can use the program to research opportunities, sign up for them and even pick their volunteer schedule – all in the comfort of their home.

The program offers volunteer opportunities ranging from tutoring children and serving meals at homeless shelters to landscaping and performing administrative duties. Currently, more than 25 Central Florida charities and organizations, including the City of Orlando, have volunteer opportunities listed on the Web site, with that number expected to grow as more organizations learn about the program and its benefits. Last year, approximately 17,000 citizens volunteered in City facilities, events and programs.

Additional advantages provided by the program include a community calendar, a page that lists the gifts and donation needs of local charities and the opportunity for schools and businesses that have volunteer programs to track the hours of their students or employees.

Volunteer Central Florida initiated the online program in an effort to increase volunteerism in the community. While more than 2,500 people volunteered through United Way’s programs last year, the need for help at Central Florida’s charities has always outpaced supply.

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