By David Triana

United for a Good Cause Inc. was founded with a very specific mission “to promote the SPIRIT OF SERVICE, GIVING and UNITY among the youth in our region for the benefit of our Emerald Coast community.

The year 2019 was a very successful year for the organization and it is safe to say “Mission Accomplished for 2019” as the organization has become a leader in the entire region for the variety of events it has created and continues to grow, and its support to other entities. ALL the organizations’ events are open to everyone in the community regardless of race, creed, or ethnicity. For more information on this exemplary 501c3 tax-exempt charitable organization, go to www.unitedforgoodcause.org

Here is a recap of some of the organization’s activities in 2019:

The organization started the year by participating in the continuation of a project called “Emerald Coast Amigos UNITED”. With this activity, it joined hands with entities like the Boricuas de Corazon Inc. (Tampa) and Giselle Marie Foundation (Tallahassee) to provide hot meals and relief supplies to the victims of Hurricane Michael. This effort led to the organization receiving a $5,000 grant from the NY Life Foundation. In turn, U4aGC took that grant and in March 2019, donated $4,000 to Jinks Middle School in Panama City and $1,000 to Food for Thought Outreach’s Backpack program, so that more hurricane Michael affected families with children could be helped.

During the late Spring, leaders of the organization started conversations with others in the area about the teen suicide crisis affecting our area and nation in general. This led to the organization’s decision to look at ways to “do something about it.” In partnership with Peggy Brockman, research was conducted and the Hope Squad program, a peer to peer teen suicide prevention program was selected as the one that the organization, with Mrs. Brockman and others’ help, would be the program to try and get implemented in this area. This also led to the organization hosting the first annual “National Suicide Prevention Week” kick-off event at the Santa Rosa Mall. The event was held on September 7^th and it was a huge success. Hundreds of people attended and several related entities participated with information booths. Gulf Power and Gulf Coast Immediate Care Center were sponsors of this event. The Hope Squad program was then briefed to the leadership of the Okaloosa County School District and it is currently in the process of being implemented.

Eglin Federal Credit Union stepped forward to lead the way in supporting the implementation of Hope Squad and made a donation of $50,000 towards it. U4aGC was awarded the Cox Charities Community Investment Grant of $5,000 for Hope Squad during a presentation in late December.

U4aGC will lead the way in helping implement Hope Squad in as many schools in the North and NW Florida region as possible.

15^th ANNUAL EMERALD COAST CHRISTMAS MIRACLE CHILDREN’S FIESTA

15 December 2019: Held at the Santa Rosa Mall for the second year in a row, the 2019 Fiesta hosted several hundred needy kids and their families, including special needs families. More than 1,000 toys and 25 bikes were part of the items that brought great joy to young and old. It was a spectacular event with great entertainment, food and activity stations provided by the Early Learning Coalition, Biker’s Against Drunk Driving, The Healing Impact, Shelter House, AmeriCorps and others. Santa arrived in style aboard a 654 LIMO donated by the company. Once again, the support of Toys for Tots in donating most of the toys and the United Way’s Coats for Kids program was integral to the success of the event, as well as the continued support of sponsors like Gulf Power, K2 Media, Gulf Coast Immediate Care Center, Freedom Self-Storage, and others.

7^th ANNUAL SANTA’S 4-COUNTY SLEIGH RUN:

22 December 2019: The organization took gifts to families in Defuniak Springs, Crestview, Santa Rosa Beach, Destin, Niceville, Fort Walton Beach, and Valparaiso. They also once again extended the sleigh run to Panama City and participated in the Have Hope You Matter / Boricuas de Corazon Inc. Toy giveaway for families affected by Hurricane Michael. Several dozen families and more than 300 kids were served overall.

FREE BIKE GIVEAWAY:

24 December 2019: Another first took place this year. U4aGC received 67 brand new bikes from Harry T’s in Destin to give-away to needy families. Immediately, the organization coordinated with supporters and other entities to organize a way to do it. The activity was hosted by the Rock Ministries in Fort Walton Beach. U4aGC donated bikes to S4P SYNERGY, the community service arm of Striving for Perfection Ministries, as well as to Have Hope You Matter Inc. The rest of the bikes were donated to needy families who responded to the publicity for this activity. A huge thanks to the owners and staff of Harry T’s for this generous gesture on behalf of the community.

In summary, the year 2019 was a year of firsts for U4aGC and the organization’s leaders and members continue to work hard to serve the region’s youth and the community at large. In 2019, they can proudly say “Mission Accomplished.”