United Against Poverty races to raise funds for roofing fix amid hurricane season

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orange County non-profit is on a tight deadline to raise money for a major repair.

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United Against Poverty in Orlando has had issues with maintenance stemming from Hurricane Ian.

If they can’t fix a caving ceiling the organization’s Executive Director says they could be forced to suspend some services they provide the community.

The non-profit has served Orlando for over 20 years and works specifically with families at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line.

For a family of four, that annual household income amounts to $60,000.

The organization’s campus houses a low-cost member share grocery program, a job skills training program, a crisis stabilization center with in-house case management, plus a health clinic.

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All of the programs at United Against Poverty (Up Orlando) are aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty and helping families become self-sufficient.

However, United Against Poverty’s Executive Director Anjali Vaya said the organization now needs the communities help to continue providing services.

Vaya said about $20,000 worth of roofing repairs are needed to survive another hurricane season.

Vaya told Channel 9, the organization’s in house maintenance has patched the leaking roof since Hurricane Ian, but a larger fix is now needed.

“We’ve just been patching and patching, and now it’s getting to the point where the ceiling is starting to come down,” said Vaya, “We have not forecasted for this so we are looking for that emergency funding to come in.”

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Vaya said the organization has already had to suspend in-person services at their urgent care clinic because the doctor’s rooms are all dealing with leaks.

Now the emergency food pantry is being impacted too.

As insulation starts to fall from the ceiling, Vaya is working to move the food out of that space to a new storage area.

Vaya said computer access for case management and crisis navigation services have been impacted as well.

With the hurricane season just beginning, the Executive Director is scrambling to find alternatives and hoping the community can help them fundraise for the maintenance fix.

“I have a very unsure feeling as the rain just keeps pouring down. What is this looking like for the next 90 days or the next six months? It doesn’t look good,” said Vaya.

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You can donate to United Against Poverty’s Roof Repair Campaign here.

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