Fort Pierce - Friday July 5, 2024: This week on In Focus, from IRSC Public Media, United Against Poverty Development Manager Dawn Knupp is here to talk about the annual Hand-Up Luncheon on Friday August 2.
It's the most important fund raising effort of the year for United Against Poverty, a non-profit whose goal is to break the cycle of poverty for the many struggling families on the Treasure Coast by providing them with services that focus on empowerment rather than entitlement. Their motto is 'A hand-up, not a hand-out,' hence, the Hand-Up Luncheon.
The Assistant General Manager for the St. Lucie Mets, Kasey Blair, is also with us. For the second year in a row the Mets are one of the main sponsors of the fund raiser. They've agreed to host the event, free of charge, which again will be held at the Mets' Clover Park stadium in Port St. Lucie.
100% of the proceeds will go towards supporting United Against Poverty's various empowerment training programs, including STEP, which stands for Success, Training Employment Program. There is still time, and plenty of tickets and sponsorships available for the Hand-Up luncheon to help support these efforts.
Learn more about United Against Poverty and their Hand-Up luncheon on their website at: upslc.org.
Then it's the tasty delights of conch, and the rhythms of Junkanoo, a celebration of the cultural of the Bahamas. The First Annual Treasure Coast Conch Festival takes place next week on Saturday July 13 at Lawnwood Stadium in Fort Pierce.
It's being organized by Sidney Ferguson, President of 'She-is-Unique Ministries', and by the Treasure Coast Bahamian Connection Organization, whose President is Dr. Andy Williams.
Admission is free, but donations and sponsors for the event are still being sought, and funds from the Conch Festival will be devoted to the ongoing recovery efforts from the devastating impact that Hurricane Dorian had on the Bahamas in 2019.