Council on Aging benefactor of Orlando Giving Machines
This past Christmas season, the Orlando Giving Machines provided the community with a fun and memorable way to help those in need, locally and worldwide. With the push of a button and the swipe of a card, much-needed food, clothing, beds, pet care, educational opportunities, and much more were donated this year through the “vending” machine located at the Altamonte Mall. More than $100,000 was contributed this past season through, and more than $18 million was donated worldwide in 107 cities and 13 countries.
This year, the Orlando Giving Machines featured items from our own Osceola Council on Aging, which received a charitable contribution. (Photo on left).
“Every donation we received through the Light the World Giving Machine regardless of the amount, whether it’s a meal, pet care kit or medical alert system will help meet the needs of the seniors, disabled adults, the disadvantaged and families in poverty we serve,” said Osceola Council on Aging CEO Wendy Ford.
Local Rotary clubs sponsor Youth Leadership Academy
Over 100 local high school-age students experienced the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA) in February. On March 27, area Rotary clubs in District 6980—Kissimmee West, Kissimmee, Kissimmee Bay, Celebration, and St. Cloud—to celebrate the students who attended for five days at the Elks Lodge in Umatilla.
Of the 109 RYLA attendees, 32 high school students from Osceola attended, and 21 of them attended the reception and shared their experiences and what this meant to them.
RYLA is an intensive leadership experience organized by District 6980 leadership, where young people develop skills to be leaders in their community, their schools, their future careers, and in everyday life, all while having fun and making connections. RYLA provides them with leadership, presentation, team building, and social skills, so when they are out and about in the community, they can practice the Rotary motto of “Service Above Self ”.
The Rotary Clubs along with Commissioner Brandon Arrington provided scholarship assistance that allowed the students to attend RYLA at no cost to them or their family. The Rotary Clubs also work with the School District of Osceola County to help recruit students, sophomores and juniors specifically, to attend RYLA.
According to the Rotary, students sharing their RYLA experience mentioned, “RYLA was better than one month of school,” or, “I didn’t talk much, but now I can talk and interact with people with more confidence.” Others noted, “This has prepared me to ‘Keep it Real,’” and, “I really enjoyed the Ropes Course and the Walk of Courage at RYLA. These gave me more confidence and that we are all different, and that’s okay!”
Council on Aging receives $40,000 Duke Energy grant
The Osceola Council on Aging was one of seven nonprofit organizations statewide to receive a portion of $125,000 in Duke Energy grants to help get food on the table for those in need.
The Duke Energy Foundation supports individuals and families having access to healthy meals as a critical measure to support the success of communities. Locally, OCOA received $40,000 to support its drive-through food pantries, as well as mobile food pantries for those with transportation challenges.
Jehovah’s Witnesses invite public to 2 April events
Jehovah’s Witnesses recently launched a month-long campaign to invite Kissimmee residents to two special events in April 2025.
On the evening of Saturday, April 12, Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world will gather for their annual commemoration of the death of Jesus Christ. In previous years, the event has drawn some 20 million people globally.
“Every year, millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses invite others to join us in remembering Jesus Christ,” said St. Cloud’s Keith Barros, spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “The purpose of our month-long campaign is to extend the invitation to this very special event to as many residents in our community as possible.”
The annual observance of the Lord’s Evening Meal will feature a talk highlighting the importance of Jesus’ death and how all mankind benefits from his sacrifice.
The event is one hour in duration and is free and open to the public. For more information about how Jehovah’s Witnesses observe the Lord’s Supper, please visit www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/ memorial.
In addition, a special talk titled “Can Truth Be Found?” will be delivered at local Kingdom Halls on the weekend of April 5- 6. The 30-minute, Bible-based public talk will highlight what Jesus said about truth and where it can be found in this time of increasing misinformation. The talk will be followed by a one-hour discussion of a scriptural topic featuring audience participation.
