Article and pictures by Chuck Seaver, South Lake Tablet
United Women in Faith, a ministry of the First United Methodist Church of Clermont, held its annual Spring Fashion Show and Luncheon on Saturday, March 18th at the Wesley Center in Clermont. United Women in Faith is the largest denominational faith organization for women with approximately 800,000 members. United Women in Faith believe deeply in responding to Jesus’ mandate to “care for the least of the these.”
This year’s event proceeds benefit The Neighborhood Center of South Lake and Find, Feed & Restore. Both not-for-profit organizations provide needs to the South Lake Community that range from food emergencies to domestic violence victim assistance and homeless families with children. Each organization is dependent upon the generosity of individuals, churches, local churches, local organizations, businesses and volunteers.
The Fashion Show and fashions were presented by Natalie Galligan of Shoo-Shoo Baby Boutique, 117 South Boyd Street, Winter Garden. Models paraded with elegance and fun, a variety of springtime clothing ensembles for the 300+ that were in attendance. The luncheon is the fourteenth such show that supports ongoing efforts to help women and children in South Lake County.
The models: Sue Friend, Brenda Mayer, Candice Weppner, Sheila Jones, Jill Swidler, Paul Wold, Cheryl Hernandez.
Additional organizations that the United Women in Faith support are the Anointed Community Services, International Episcopal Children’s Services South Lake-Headstart, Families in Transition-LCSB, Forward Paths, LovExtension, Inc., Well of Hope and Word Keepers of Clermont.
Trish Kry, Executive Director of The Neighborhood Center of South Lake (TNCSL) emphasized the appreciation of the United Women in Faith’s (UWF) support. As an example, TNCSL planned and budgeted for five hundred participants last year in its annual summer feeding program, a program that lasts for 10 weeks and helps feed children while school is in summer recess. The UWF stepped up and provided enough food for nine hundred fifty-two children. This assistance helped ensure that no child would have to be turned away due to a lack of food for distribution.
Brian Broadway, Founder of Find, Feed & Restore expressed appreciation of the UWF’s ongoing support of Broadway’s efforts to provide no-cost housing to homeless families with children. Broadway pointed out that of the 50 states, Florida is now ranked 3rd for the greatest number of homeless families with children and 8th with the most amount of food insecurities. Together, the TNCSL and Find, Feed & Restore are facing and fighting these facts. Combined, their no-cost housing program with mental health counseling and food pantry programs are changing lives in the South Lake Community.
Visit fumc-clermont.org/connect/uwf for a full listing of organization events, information and contact information.
