Thawanna Hurge said it is rewarding to give back and show her community she cares.
Hurge’s dedication to service is what motivated her to spend four hours on a recent Friday morning separating produce and putting it into carts during the United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties’ Day of Caring 2026.
Hurge, director of community impact for United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties, volunteered to assist at The Neighborhood Center of South Lake, a designated nutritious food pantry that services people who live 200% below the national poverty income level.
“I’m here to put my hands to work,” Hurge said. “If people don’t know about these resources or what’s happening in the community, they can’t be a part of the solution. I feel it’s important to be here and share what it feels like to give back. If we push what we are going through to the side and help people, it’s rewarding and a great way to serve the community.”
More than 30 people signed up to volunteer during the two-day service initiative held on April 24 and 25. The United Way Day of Caring is an annual initiative hosted to connect volunteers to local nonprofits that benefit the needs of the community.
Along with having volunteers at The Neighborhood Center of South Lake, participants signed up to assist the community by clearing trails at Girl Scouts Camp Wildwood and assisted in building a house with Habitat for Humanity on April 24.
Scott Dau, The Neighborhood Center of South Lake director, said there have been people who wait in line for two hours during the summer and turn off their car to save money on gas.
“To me, when you come to support a nonprofit or a charity, you are coming to see where the rubber meets the road,” Dau said. “You are meeting the needs of the community where the community is.”
Dau, who uses an old truck that frequently breaks down, said he “has a small window” to collect all the food and drop it off at the center. He welcomes any extra help he can get to meet the needs of the people in the community.
Hurge and Julie Davis, of Tavares, were the extra hands for the day, assisting by sorting fresh produce from potatoes to bananas. A line of more than 15 cars parked along the road, waiting to enter the facility to pick up a few groceries.
“It’s not that these people don’t work. It’s like the harder you work, the less money you make,” Dau said. “If they don’t have to spend $500 on groceries a month by coming here, they can spend that on their light bill.”
Davis, a retired social worker who was looking for a way to give back, didn’t know about The Neighborhood Center of South Lake until she came across the Day of Caring volunteer options.
“I had no idea about this facility,” she said. “It’s such a great resource and I think I’ll be back to help more.”
On the second day of The Day of Caring, volunteers joined staff at the Wildwood Soup Kitchen to help prep food, or they went to Combat Veterans to Careers Thrift Store to sort and hang clothes.
Jeremy Boggs, of Clermont, spent that Saturday morning working at the Wildwood Soup Kitchen with Gail Brown, community programs support coordinator for United Way of Lake and Sumter Counties.
“I have been homeless in the past and have had to use soup kitchens,” Boggs said. “Now that I’m in a position that I can give back to the community, I want to do it.”
Brown said she is hyper-vigilant to connect volunteers to participating nonprofits.
“We at UWLS want to live up to our name and be a reliable resource for the community,” she said.
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
