LIFT ORLANDO INC

EDUCATION: LIFT ORLANDO'S CRADLE-TO-CAREER GOAL IS TO SUPPORT A HIGH PERFORMING EDUCATIONAL PATHWAY BEGINNING WITH EARLY CHILDHOOD ALL THE WAY TO PROMISING CAREERS. LIFT ORLANDO SUPPORTS THE EDUCATIONAL PATHWAY BY ENGAGING COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND COORDINATING ALIGNMENT BETWEEN COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND BEST IN CLASS NOT-FOR-PROFITS, WHILE MEASURING AND EVALUATING PROGRESS TOWARDS OUR SHARED GOALS. IN 2024, OUR EDUCATION SERVICES IMPACTED 1,028 STUDENTS/CHILDREN, 149 TEACHERS, AND 21 SCHOOLS AND EARLY LEARNING PROVIDERS, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 12 COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. EMPOWERED SCHOLARS, LIFT ORLANDO'S COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS PROGRAM, SUPPORTS 32805 ZIP CODE STUDENTS BY REMOVING BARRIERS TO POST-SECONDARY SUCCESS. THE PROGRAM OFFERS ONE-ON-ONE MENTORSHIP, COLLEGE PREP, CAREER GUIDANCE, AND A FLEXIBLE FINAL-DOLLAR FUNDING SCHOLARSHIP. IN 2024, 20 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED, AND 18 RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS. LIFT'S EDUCATION TEAM EXECUTED ITS THIRD YEAR OF AN EARLY LEARNING PROGRAM, NOW CALLED THE EARLY LEARNING COLLABORATIVE, WHICH SUPPORTS EARLY EDUCATION PROVIDERS IN THE 32805 ZIP CODE BY PROVIDING MISSING RESOURCES NEEDED TO NURTURE YOUNG CHILDREN'S COGNITIVE AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR SUCCESS IN SCHOOL. THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, OUR TEAM INVESTED IN 18 EARLY LEARNING PROVIDERS. THESE FUNDS HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED TO MAKE INFRASTRUCTURE UPDATES, OPERATIONAL AND STAFFING SUPPORT, EARLY LEARNING INTERVENTION SCREENINGS AND ENHANCE CURRICULUM AND TEACHING RESOURCES. OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH EARLY LEARNING PROVIDERS HAS IMPACTED OVER 600 STUDENTS AND 91 TEACHERS WITHIN THE 32805 ZIP CODE. LAUNCHED IN FALL 2024, LIFT ORLANDO'S SENIOR AMBASSADORS PROGRAM CONNECTS TRAINED RESIDENTS FROM PENDANA SENIOR RESIDENCES WITH ORANGE CENTER STUDENTS NEEDING READING SUPPORT. GUIDED BY OUR RESOURCE TEACHER, FOUR SENIOR VOLUNTEERS WORK ONE-ON-ONE WITH 13 FIRST AND SECOND GRADERS SCORING IN THE BOTTOM 30% ON STAR READING ASSESSMENTS. THE PROGRAM RUNS THREE DAYS A WEEK FOR THREE HOURS, USING OCPS LITERACY CURRICULUM AND MEASURABLE OUTCOMES TO TRACK STUDENT PROGRESS. ADDITIONALLY, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE YMCA AND THE JACQUELINE BRADLEY-CLARENCE OTIS BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, LIFT ORLANDO SUPPORTED SWIMMING LESSONS FOR 96 STUDENTS IN 2024. AFTER A SKILLS ASSESSMENT OF 140 YOUTH AT THE PENDANA AT WEST LAKES POOL REVEALED THAT 68% COULD NOT PASS, WE COLLABORATED WITH PARTNERS TO FUND FOUR SWIM LESSONS PER STUDENT FOR THOSE IN NEED. LIFT ORLANDO CONTINUED ITS SUPPORT OF THE WEST LAKES EARLY LEARNING CENTER (ELC) BY PARTICIPATING IN FUNDRAISING, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND PROGRAMMATIC PARTNER COORDINATION. THE ELC PROVIDES HIGH-QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FOR THE CHILDREN OF WEST LAKES. IN 2024, THE ELC ENROLLED 132 CHILDREN AND EMPLOYED 40 TEAM MEMBERS. BY DECEMBER 2024, 57 CHILDREN WERE RECEIVING SPEECH AND LANGUAGE SERVICES, 42 WERE IN OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, 21 IN PHYSICAL THERAPY, 13 IN MUSIC THERAPY, 37 IN FEEDING THERAPY, 12 IN PLAY THERAPY, 6 IN PERSONAL CARE SERVICES, AND 7 IN APPLIED BEHAVIOR THERAPY. ADDITIONALLY, 15 ADULTS PARTICIPATED IN LIFE COUNSELING SERVICES. IN 2024, LIFT CONTINUED TO FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS WITH AND WORK BESIDE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS, PARENTS, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO ACTIVELY DEVELOP SERVICES THAT DISMANTLE BARRIERS THAT PREVENT EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT, WHILE TACKLING HISTORIC GAPS AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT INHIBIT A CHILD'S ACHIEVEMENT POTENTIAL. IN ADDITION TO THIS, LIFT CONTINUED TO PROVIDE FUNDING TOWARD TEACHER APPRECIATION AT THE JACQUELINE BRADLEY & CLARENCE OTIS BOYS & GIRLS CLUB, JONES HIGH SCHOOL, LEGENDS ACADEMY, ROCK LAKE ELEMENTARY, ORANGE CENTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND THE WEST LAKES EARLY LEARNING CENTER-INCLUDING ONGOING ENGAGEMENT AND RESOURCE SUPPORT AT ORANGE CENTER ELEMENTARY.

HOUSING: LIFT ORLANDO'S GOAL FOR MIXED-INCOME HOUSING IS TO DEVELOP HIGH-QUALITY MIXED-INCOME HOMES THAT ARE AFFORDABLE FOR RESIDENTS AND ATTRACT FAMILIES BACK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD. LIFT ORLANDO PARTNERED TO DEVELOP PENDANA, PHASE I OF LIFT ORLANDO'S HOUSING STRATEGY, A MIXED-INCOME MULTIFAMILY APARTMENT COMMUNITY WHICH OPENED IN 2018. LIFT CONTINUES TO BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED WITH THE MANAGEMENT COMPANY OF PENDANA AT WEST LAKES TO FACILITATE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND DESIRED OUTCOMES IN THE COMMUNITY. IN 2024, THE HOUSING TEAM CONTINUED THIS WORK BY EXPLORING NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND MIXED-INCOME HOUSING IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. IN MAY OF 2020, PENDANA SENIOR RESIDENCES (PHASE II) STARTED SAFELY WELCOMING WEST LAKES SENIORS AGE 62 AND OVER. IN 2024, LIFT ORLANDO CONTINUED TO WORK WITH PARTNER COLUMBIA RESIDENTIAL AND SENIORS FIRST TO OFFER WEEKLY ACTIVITIES FOR RESIDENTS AT PENDANA SENIOR RESIDENCES THAT PROVIDE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL SUPPORT TO SENIORS SEEKING ACTIVITIES THAT ARE BENEFICIAL TO THEIR MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT. PROGRAMMING INCLUDED GAMES, MOVIES, PICTIONARY, PUZZLES, ARTS AND CRAFTS, GUESS THE TUNE, CROCHET, GARDENING, EDUCATION SESSIONS, AND WEEKLY SENIOR FITNESS CLASSES FROM A LOCAL PHYSICAL TRAINER, WITH BINGO BECOMING A POPULAR FAVORITE. LIFT ORLANDO FUNDED WEST LAKES PARTNERSHIP (WLP) IN THEIR ONGOING COMMUNITY BEAUTIFICATION PROJECT. THE WEST LAKES RESIDENTIAL PAINT AND BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAM WORKS TO IMPROVE HOUSING STOCK WITHIN THE COMMUNITIES OF WEST LAKES AND PROVIDES MATCHING GRANTS THAT SUPPORT WEST LAKES HOMEOWNERS' BEAUTIFICATION EFFORTS. SEVEN HOMES IN THREE NEIGHBORHOODS WERE COMPLETED AND NEARLY 20 RESIDENTS WERE PROVIDED FLOWERS TO SPRUCE UP THEIR HOMES IN 2024. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ORLANDO HOUSING AUTHORITY AND WITH SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OF ORLANDO, LIFT ORLANDO WAS AWARDED THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT'S (HUD) FY23 CHOICE NEIGHBORHOODS PLANNING GRANT. THE TWO-YEAR PLANNING PROCESS BEGAN IN LATE 2023 WITH PRE-PLANNING AND THE FORMATION OF REQUIRED COMMITTEES AND WORKING GROUPS. IN 2024, EFFORTS FOCUSED ON DIRECT RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT TO IDENTIFY AND DOCUMENT COMMUNITY PRIORITIES. ALONGSIDE OHA, LIFT FACILITATED A RANGE OF ACTIVITIES INCLUDING A DOOR-TO-DOOR SURVEY OF PUBLIC HOUSING RESIDENTS, A COMMUNITY DATA WALK TO REVIEW SURVEY AND MARKET STUDY FINDINGS, VISIONING MEETINGS, DESIGN CHARRETTES, AND A YOUTH ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY WHERE STUDENTS SHARED THEIR HOUSING AND AMENITY PREFERENCES THROUGH DRAWINGS AND LEGO MODELS.