Community Spotlight: EDWARDS Detection & Alarm Volunteers at The Children

BRADENTON – A team of more than 40 engineers and other professionals from EDWARDS Detection & Alarm swarmed The Children’s Academy, a pre-school and daycare serving low income families with children from birth to age 12, late last week. Armed with know-how, sledge hammers, crow bars, drills, shovels, rakes, gloves and a deep commitment they attacked numerous projects. The men and women of EDWARDS Detection & Alarm recreated an arbor, tore out ceilings in two buildings, erected decorative fencing and much more.

This team accomplished great things in just a few hours to help The Children’s Academy advance its plans to extend much needed services to a deserving, yet struggling sector of our community. All of the families at The Children’s Academy have working parents that could not otherwise afford care in order to be able to retain their jobs. The giving of their time to provide important volunteer services makes EDWARDS Detection & Alarm a stellar example of what is at the heart of HandsOn Manatee.

The effort, one of many recently developed by United Way of Manatee County in collaboration with its business partners, serves a very specific purpose: to make a measureable difference in the lives of local people, and, to stimulate the community through volunteerism that focuses on improving our Education, Income and Health. The core of the initiative is the caring people of Manatee in relationship with United Way.

Aided by modern technology United Way of Manatee now makes the powerful HandsOn web-portal available so that community volunteers are empowered to LIVE UNITED by participating in the three foundational pillars of United Way – Give. Advocate. Volunteer. To volunteer, log on to www.HandsOnManatee.org or call United Way of Manatee County at (941) 748-1313.