Florida’s Hometown USA Pageant

Florida's Hometown USA was organized in 1986 as an educational endeavor to instill in the youth of Florida the importance of volunteer service. Students are selected each year to participate in this program. They are from different cities in the state. They are active in volunteer programs in their hometown and also throughout the state. The focus on the volunteer work is with children and the elderly. Our program inspires, encourages and empowers students to become leaders through volunteerism and community involvement. We support students who are making a difference in the state of Florida through their selfless acts of giving.

The students visit, entertain, and take gifts to Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital in Orlando, Shriner Children's Hospital in Tampa, All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Ronald McDonald House of Tampa Bay and Orlando, and the Wolfson Children's Hospital in Jacksonville. A special project each year at Christmas is collecting gifts for the Santa program at the hospitals.

We are partnered with over 30 facilities where volunteer programs are set up.

Terra Vista Rehab & Health Center
Westminster Towers Assisted Living
Brookdale Retirement Center - 2 locations
Head Start /Early Head Start Daycare programs
Children’s, Women’s and Men’s Shelters
Pregnancy Care Center
The Taylor Home Assisted Living Center
River Garden Nursing Center
PACE Center for Girls
Daniel residential home for children
Wolfson Childrens Hospital
Children's Home Society
James A. Haley Veterans Hospital
St. John Knox Village Retirement Center
Shriners Hospitals for Children
Arnold Palmer Childrens Hospital
Ronald McDonald House - Tamp Bay and Orlando
American Heart Association
Social Services Adopt a Family Program
Give Kids the World
Make a Wish Walk-a-thon
All Children's Hospital - St. Petersburg
Relay for Life – American Cancer Society
House of Hope for Teenagers
Life Care Center
Heart Gallery of Central Florida (Foster Children)
American Heart Association
Needy Family Assistance Network through churches and schools
Children’s Miracle Network
Salvation Army
House of Hope
WESH TV Share Your Christmas Food Drive
Local schools Mentoring Program
Adopt a Grandparent Program throughout Florida
Kids of Distinction Day Care Center
Florida's Hometown USA has been involved with some of the above facilities for 30 years. We also collect food, toys, make baskets for needy families and collect food for Leesburg Food Bank and other food drives. We also have a School Supply Drive and a Diaper/Baby Items Drive for needy babies and Moms. We have organized an Adopt a Grandparent Program in each hometown at a local nursing home. Each student is assigned an elderly person to visit monthly who has no family nearby or needs special attention. This is just some of the many things they do each year.

The focus in the educational area is to work closely with our Legislators focusing on youth volunteers. Each year the students go to the state capitol in Tallahassee and to Washington, DC or New York City to learn more about the importance of giving back to their state and nation. The students are recognized by our state and national leaders for their service work and as future leaders of tomorrow. One year, on the trip to Washington, DC the group visited and entertained at a Retirement Center while there. This was a great opportunity to represent Florida.

Another educational outreach is the Scholarship Program that awards ten thousand dollars each year to high school students. Our desire is to add to this fund and award more scholarships. The scholarships are paid directly to the college and must be used within one year of graduation. The same focus of community involvement is stressed in the scholarship program.

Since 1986, we have had hundreds of students who have given many hours of volunteer service to our state. These young people have shown the commitment of values such as kindness, helpfulness, personal responsibility and respect for others – qualities that we believe are essential to leading productive lives in our society.

Florida's Hometown U.S.A. Program is a 501 (c) (3) non profit organization.