United Way of Collier and the Keys leads a community-wide partnership with a diverse set of vetted, volunteer-selected nonprofit agencies in Monroe County, Florida. UWCK supports programs that improve early childhood education and provide access to quality, nutritious food in support of healthy lifestyles. Nonprofit partner agencies supported by UWCK include education programs, food pantries, and transitional living shelters, among others. Through their good work, we seek to enact our mission to be the leader in community caring by mobilizing the power of our community to advance the common good.
Our 2022-23 Monroe County Community Partners
Boys and Girls Club of the Keys Area
The Boys and Girls Club is a safe place for youth grades K-12 to grow and learn. Their mission is to inspire and enable young people, especially those in need, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens. At the Boys and Girls Club, UWCK funds summer scholarships for children of families who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford care.
Burton Memorial United Methodist Church
Burton serves many in our community by offering a food pantry and a free weekly community dinner, a child development center, as well as free meeting and training space to community organizations. With a student to teacher ratio maintained well below state required maximums, the development center's program includes supervised study time to perform homework as well as educational programs focus on developing responsibility by involving the child in work and chores with others in a manner that is a positive and rewarding experience.
Dolphins to Stop Domestic Violence
The mission of Dolphins to Stop Domestic Violence is to inspire our clients to create and live out Different Options for Living Playing and Hoping In Nonviolence and Safety. (D.O.L.P.H.I.N.S.). UWCK helps support the 'Living Waters Rx Program,' which provides funding to Upper Keys residents for their medical needs.
The Domestic Abuse Shelter is a county-wide agency with direct services provisions in all areas, aimed at both lifesaving interventions and prevention through education on the development of healthy relationship skills. The services provided include two emergency shelters, 24 hour crisis hotline, individual supportive counseling & advocacy, assessment of children, information & referral, case management, community education, professional training, primary prevention, court house advocacy, outreach services and safety planning.
Florida Keys Area Health Education Center
With clinics in schools in each Keys location, AHEC provides a dental health program, mental health assessments, and no-cost primary care services for Monroe County children.
Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition
The Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition unites people and resources to improve the health and well-being of pregnant women, children, and their families in Monroe County. At Healthy Start, UWCK funds a food program for needy families which also serves to educate mothers about proper nutrition.
Florida Keys Outreach Coalition
Florida Keys Outreach Coalition provides homeless outreach and shelter with essential supportive services in Monroe County, Florida. They offer a solution-oriented, multi-stage program based on self-sufficiency, stability, and opportunity. At FKOC, UWCK funds the Loaves and Fish food pantry, feeding those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. UWFK also funds a safety net program through the Upper Keys FKOC office which helps keep working families from homelessness.
This center has been caring for the children of hard-working families in the Florida Keys since 1957 when Grace Jones, a Bahamian immigrant, recognized the lack of services available for minority families in our then racially segregated society. Recognized with the State of Florida's Gold Seal Committee, Grace Jones operates five days per week, providing nutritious meals and early-learning educational programs for newborns to age six, as well as boys and girls, up to age 14, that attend their after-school and summer break programs.
Independence Cay is an agency under the KAIR program that serves the homeless population in Marathon, FL. Every day of the week, they welcome the homeless for a hot lunch, showers, and laundry. It is also open to all during inclement or cold weather. At Independence Cay, UWCK funds the soup kitchen, providing hot meals for those in need.
Keys Area Interdenominational Resources (KAIR)
Keys Area Interdenominational Resources is a USDA certified food pantry. KAIR offers "Meals to Go" - pre-made meals for the homeless and transients and bags of groceries are distributed for those who have cooking facilities. At KAIR, UWCK funds the food pantry, providing pre-made meals for the homeless and transients and bags of groceries for those who have cooking facilities.
Marathon Recreation Center
Marathon Recreation Center provides after school care and academic tutoring to children in the city of Marathon, FL. Although many of the activities are sports based, the goal of the MRC is to offer a safe and structured educational environment for the children of hard-working parents during after-school hours. Programs include supervised homework periods, youth education, dance, drama, art, games, athletic activities and a leadership program. During the summer, a full-day-camp program offers weekly field trips to Jacobs Aquatic Center, where many have learned to swim, and an array of attractions and museums.
MCC Key West is renowned for its commitment of service to those in need. Their calling is to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, welcome the marginalized, uplift the oppressed, and visit the imprisoned. MCC Key West offers opportunities for leadership, education, community service, and social activism, as well as fellowship and fun. At MCC, UWCK funds their weekly meal program for homebound seniors.
Monroe Association for ReMARCable Citizens (MARC)
The Monroe Association for ReMARCable Citizens is a non-profit agency that serves adult clients within Monroe County who have developmental disabilities that include mental retardation (I.Q. 69 or below), cerebral palsy, spina bifida, Prader-Willi Syndrome, and traumatic brain injury sustained prior to age 18. At MARC House, UWFK funds a meal program for current clients.
Star of the Sea Mission is one of the largest food pantries in all of South Florida. Their services are provided at no cost to clients, distributing up to 1,200,000 pounds of food per year to individuals and families in need. At SOS, UWCK funds the food distribution program, helping to transport goods from other parts of the Keys.
St Columba Episcopal Church, Hammock House
The Hammock House is a free after school and free summer camp program. They offer all school age children within the Middle Keys community safe, secure, fun, recreational and educational experiences, to help each child develop to the best of their individual abilities and to provide an atmosphere where children can learn, share and become supportive members of the community.
The Y is a leading nonprofit and powerful association of men, women and children joined together by a shared commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility. UWCK support the Upper Keys Y Afterschool Program, which provides a safe and affordable afterschool care option for parents working in the Upper Florida Keys.
