by Katie Becker and Jessica Maxon-Berrier, United Way Suncoast

At United Way Suncoast, we fight for the education and financial stability of everyone in our community. One of the ways we do that is through mobilizing caring people in our community to volunteer. Volunteering not only helps build our communities, but helps to strengthen our character and challenges us to better understand how we can each make a difference. Joe Calinski, United Way Suncoast HandsOn volunteer leader, noted that “we really embodied the Girl Scout Law in the service projects at Camp Honi Hanta last month.”

Joe helped lead a team for United Way’s Day of Caring, a day when United Way Suncoast launches business teams across the region to give back to our community through direct volunteer service. We were proud to partner with Girl Scouts and brought large teams from Publix and other community organizations to give their time at Camp Honi Hanta on October 12. Several volunteers returned throughout the month to complete more technical projects. They spent several days rebuilding an ADA-accessible ramp, so that all our girls have a place that makes them courageous and strong. Volunteers also updated the paint in bath houses that will inspire girls to respect themselves and others by drawing in beauty and strength. As we are constantly asking ourselves how to make a friendly and helpful impact on our community, Day of Caring is one of our opportunities to be responsible for what we say and do and make the world a better place for the youth in our community.

As we continue to envision a future that is bright for our youth, may we always continue to help other people, to live by the Girl Scout Law, and Live United.

The Girl Scout Law:

I will do my best to be
    honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to 
respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.