United Against Poverty celebrates 20 years of giving a hand-up

United Against Poverty celebrates 20 years this year in its south downtown location at 150 W. Michigan St.

The registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit’s mission is to “serve those in poverty by providing crisis care, case management, transformative education, food and household subsidy, employment training and active referrals to other collaborative social service providers,” according to their website.

Through a comprehensive hand-up, and not just a handout, UAP, also known as Up Orlando, brings their clients programs that lead to personalized paths to economic self-sufficiency.

“Poverty has no face,” Anjali Vaya, executive director of Up Orlando, said. “I have seen in this past year an increase of 30% after COVID [relief] dollars came to a sharp end in February.” Vaya indicated that inflation and increased housing costs in Central Florida have also impacted the families Up serves, especially in the food desert on the west side of the railroad tracks.