Story and Photos by Larry H. Oskin
Otis Taylor continues to personify the pride and community spirit that we have here in Clermont and Central Florida! By founding the Give A Day Foundation, Otis Taylor has made hundreds of volunteers into everyday heroes who help make a difference! He has now launched South Lake Non-Profit Think Tank to help unite all non-profit agencies and community organizations within our Central Florida community.
The New South Lake Non-Profit Think Tank will begin to work together to come up with innovative solutions for operating and funding to help improve and expand the serves and benefits for each of their organizations. This unified Think Tank group will begin to regularly meet together to collaborate with each other for the mutual benefit of our community.
Similar Challenges! With COVID-19, an ongoing lack of funding as well as a need for more sponsors, donors and volunteers, each organization continues to face many of the same challenges. By uniting together, they will explore solutions to solve these problems as well as to work to share information on many other important demanding issues like community impact, organizational growth, new services, media exposure, special events and grants.
Creative Solutions! Together, they will hold cooperative think tank sessions at least 10 times per year to solve these many challenges, while working closely with city and county agencies. They plan to hold at least 3 educationally-based workshops a year with the City Council to address issues and concerns that they have and to update the City Council on what the non-profit sector is doing in the community. They will also work together to improve their skills with marketing, media exposure, social media, developing a strong website presence and an array of operational issues. They will look for unified solutions to the professional resource challenges of much-needed food banks, affordable housing, financial management, career development, healthcare awareness, cancer treatment services, volunteerism, scholarships, senior citizen programs, youth programming, support for the local arts, healthcare, software development and much more. They will also soon create a new one-stop website, so the public can more easily find all of the available local community resources.
Participating Members: Kathy Smith of the Community Foundation of South Lake, Renee Lowe of the South Lake Business Leaders, Felicia Stewart of Hope 2 Restoration, Sterling and Bonita Reed of Vibrantek Solutions, Geneva Hamilton of the Caribbean Association, Tim Murry of the Christian Men in Action, Chris Tabone of the First United Methodist Church, Trista Fouts of the Moonlight Players, Lavonte Rogers of the Twilight Theatre, Richard Chapman of Automated Clearing House / Oasis for non-profit compliance services, Lisa Harris of the South Lake League, Larry Oskin of Marketing Solutions, Kay Simpson of the Greater Clermont Cancer Foundation, Barbara Hollander from the City of Clermont, Rena and Johnny Lingo of Better Me-Loving Me-Transforming Me, Shannon Herrera of the Find Feed Restore, Keith Whitacre of South Lake Food Provider, Grace Diaz of Warehouse Empowerment Center, Rocco DeStefano and Justin Nichols of Chick-Fil-A, Pat McMasters of the Clermont Police Department, Jacqui of Splash Social Marketing, Sandra Vela of Serenity Spa & Wellness as well as the SLNPTT founders Otis and Sandra Taylor of the Give A Day Foundation have all become he first participating members. Many other government agencies, businesses, non-profit and charitable organizations are expected to join.
National Council of Non-Profit Notes: Coordinated non-profit impact matters! 92% of all non-profits in the USA are small community-based organizations who serve local needs. Non-profits employ more than 10% of America’s private workforce, which is more than the manufacturing, construction or financial industries. Less than 3% of non-profits have the ability to lobby to advance their missions, compared to 100% that have the legal right to do so. See: www.councilofnonprofits.org/
The Give A Day Foundation partners with local area non-profit organizations to support seniors, families, teens, children, animal rescue, arts, culture, Special Olympics sports and recreational activities. Their mission is to help our community through volunteerism. They plan to think out of the box as much as possible to help unite our community through their various services.
New SLNPTT Organizations, Volunteers & Donors Welcome: Everyone is invited to become a partner in the new South Lake Non-Profit Think Tank. You can become a volunteer, sponsor or donor. Those who can make monetary, food, product or equipment donations will be greatly appreciated. You can donate gift cards supplies, tools, equipment and products to help their SLNPTT organizations to better achieve their work.
South Lake Non-Profit Think Tank: To learn more about SLNPTT as well as their upcoming meetings and workshops, visit the GDF website at: https://www.giveadayfoundation.org/. Until SLNPTT launches their new website, visit the GDF Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/GiveADayFoundation/. Call 407-864-3303 or email Otis Taylor at: Otis@GiveADayFoundation.org.
