Harbor House of Central Florida
Year Created/Founded: 1976
Mission: Prevent and eliminate domestic abuse in Central Florida through services for survivors, improved practices and community education.
Who it helps: Survivors of domestic abuse in Orange County, including children and pets.
Website: harborhousefl.com
Harbor House works to prevent and eliminate domestic abuse in Central Florida by providing critical life-saving services to survivors, implementing and advancing best practices, and educating and engaging the community in a united front.
In 1976, Harbor House was a single home where someone experiencing domestic violence could knock on the door and find safety. Fifty years later, it is Orange County’s only state-certified domestic violence organization. Its work begins with immediate protection, but a survivor may also need legal help, counseling, housing or a plan for keeping children safe.
In the past year, Harbor House assisted 6,819 survivors through nonresidential services, including courthouse advocacy and legal assistance, and answered 8,454 hotline calls. Its emergency shelter housed 969 survivors, 463 of them children, for 39,483 nights. The Paws for Peace Kennel sheltered 64 pets. That last number matters: Leaving a pet behind can be one more barrier for someone trying to escape abuse.
“Fifty years later, Harbor House continues to look for new ways to remove barriers and make it easier for survivors and their families to find safety and move forward.”—Michelle Sperzel, Ceo Harbor House
Harbor House is also building options for what happens after a shelter stay. Phase I of Our Grove, a housing community designed for survivors and their families, will include nine pet-friendly homes. Orlando committed $4 million in HOME-ARP funding, AdventHealth gave $1 million, and community supporters contributed another $500,000. With partners across Orange County, Harbor House is developing a Family Justice Center intended to bring several services together in one place. The center is still taking shape.
These projects recognize that a safe night is the beginning of a much longer process. Stable housing and easier access to help can give families room to make decisions about work, school and their future.
How to help: Donate to support shelter and advocacy, volunteer, contribute needed items or learn how to connect someone with help. Survivors can call or text Harbor House’s confidential 24-hour hotline at 407-886-2856.
Lift Orlando
Year Created/Founded: 2013
Mission: Strengthen neighborhoods so people can thrive by investing in residents, places and partnerships.
Who it helps: Residents and families in Orlando’s 32805 ZIP code, particularly the historic neighborhoods around Camping World Stadium.
Website: hmrec.org
Lift Scholarship recipients! This program offers students in the 32805 ZIP Code a unique opportunity to fund their education and acquire the essential tools needed for success.
A student’s prospects can depend on more than what happens in a classroom. Housing stability, family health, transportation and the cost of college all affect the choices available after graduation. Lift Orlando works with residents, schools, businesses and other partners across those connected needs in Orlando’s 32805 community.
More than $150 million has been invested through Lift Orlando’s work and partnerships over the past decade. Projects include mixed-income housing, early learning, health care, workforce development and education. The organization says its approach starts with the strengths and leadership already present in the neighborhoods it serves.
“Families do not experience these issues separately, so we cannot address them that way.”
In January 2026, Lift Orlando announced Lift Scholars with the Valencia College Foundation. Every Jones High School graduate in the classes of 2026 through 2029 is eligible to have tuition and fees covered at Valencia College, whether the student chooses an associate degree, technical certificate or career training program. Tuition, however, is only one college expense. Lift Orlando’s EmpowerEd Scholars Program provides eligible graduating seniors from 32805 with last-dollar scholarships of up to $10,000 per academic year for costs that can include books, technology, food, housing and transportation. Students can also receive mentoring, college visits and practical support as they prepare to leave home.
At the other end of the school journey, Orange Center Elementary became Orange Center STEAM Academy in 2026 through a partnership involving Lift Orlando, Neighborhood Schools Initiative and Orange County Public Schools. It pairs schooling with support for students and families. Taken together, these programs build a route from the early years through training, college and work.
How to help: Volunteer, support a student scholarship, attend a community event or participate in the We Lift Orlando campaign as a business partner. Learning about the history and residents of 32805 is another place to begin.
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
Year Created/Founded: 1983
Mission Statement: End hunger in Central Florida by increasing access to nutritious food, supporting healthy choices and helping neighbors build financial stability.
Who it helps: People facing hunger in Brevard, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole and Volusia counties.
Website: feedhopenow.org
Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida provides over 300,000 meals daily with an operational efficiency of 95.55 percent.
Food insecurity can show up after a job loss, a rent increase or a medical bill. Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida responds at a scale few individual pantries could manage alone. It collects and distributes food through a network of more than 800 feeding partners in seven counties. Farmers, manufacturers, grocers and other suppliers provide food; community partners help get it to households.
The food bank’s work reaches beyond its warehouse. Its Benefits Connection team helps people apply for food assistance, and nutrition classes teach practical skills such as reading labels and preparing meals. Second Harvest also offers job training. Its culinary program has helped more than 535 adults begin food-service careers since 2013, according to the organization. In 2026, it announced an expanded Career Pathways program to connect free skills training with local employers.
Groceries can relieve an urgent problem today, while a steady paycheck may help a household buy them next month. Both are part of the food bank’s work.
For readers deciding how to get involved, the range of options is wide. A food donation can become part of a family’s next meal. A shift sorting or packing helps the food bank handle the volume required to serve seven counties. Financial gifts give Second Harvest flexibility to move food and support programs that a can drive alone cannot cover. Businesses and neighborhood groups can organize collections or volunteer together.
The organization also provides emergency food and supplies after hurricanes, floods and other crises. That work depends on the same distribution network it maintains throughout the year.
How to help: Give money, donate food, register for a volunteer shift or organize a drive. People seeking assistance can use the food bank’s website to find nearby food and benefits help.
The Epilepsy Association of Central Florida
Year Created/Founded: 1962
Mission Statement: Serve the Central Florida epilepsy community through medical care, education, advocacy and support that improve quality of life for individuals and families.
Who it helps: People affected by epilepsy, including uninsured and economically disadvantaged residents who need epilepsy-related care.
Website: epilepsyassociation.com
A seizure diagnosis often brings questions that reach well beyond a doctor’s appointment. Families may need to learn what to do when a seizure occurs, explain the condition at school or work, and find affordable follow-up care. The Epilepsy Association of Central Florida has been a local source of help for more than six decades.
Its clinic provides epilepsy-related medical care and follow-up appointments for people who might otherwise struggle to obtain them. Case management helps patients navigate care, while information and referrals connect them with other agencies when a need falls outside the association’s services. The organization also offers education and prevention presentations to community groups and professionals. Better understanding can make a difference in the minutes when someone witnesses a seizure and has to respond.
The association’s work also extends to advocacy and support for people living with epilepsy and those close to them. For a parent, that might mean finding reliable information to share with a child’s school. For an adult, it may mean getting help navigating care and the daily decisions that come with a condition that can be unpredictable. Its website describes discounted or free health care services for eligible Central Florida residents and an educational support program for people affected by epilepsy.
Donations help sustain this mix of clinical and community work. Readers can also make use of the organization’s educational resources: Accurate information passed to a teacher, employer, coach or family member can make the environment safer and less isolating for someone with seizures.
How to help: Donate, volunteer, request an educational presentation or share the association’s resources. Anyone experiencing a seizure for the first time should seek medical advice; the organization’s site offers guidance on finding support.