Amy Paterson with JoAnne and Trip Snelson and Annabel Robertson [Photo: Denise Ritchie]

Love was in the air at the seventh annual United Against Poverty Valentine Ball, held recently at the Oak Harbor Club, which was beautifully adorned with a sophisticated décor and gorgeous floral arrangements.

Elegant guests sipped champagne as they navigated a new electronic bidding system, using cellphones to select from an assortment of silent-auction items. The party moved to the dining room for a gourmet dinner, followed by a live auction presided over by Eric Behymer. The Street Talk Band entertained with quietly romantic songs during dinner, before cranking things up for more dancing.

“It’s been an exciting year with the opening of the new UP Center and tonight we will celebrate all of your generosity and everything that you supporters of United Against Poverty have done to serve the over 7,700 families that we were able to help through our Up Center last year,” said Annabel Robertson, executive director.

A short video reminded guests that the goal of the nonprofit is to inspire and empower struggling families to lift themselves into economic self-sufficiency.

Pam Harmon was recognized with “gratitude and appreciation” by Robertson with the Hand UP Award. Harmon and husband Tim Muris have been committed supporters of the new UP Center and its programs, and Harmon has been a valued volunteer, serving eight years on the board, currently as co-chair.

“A brilliant financial mind, she has brought strong leadership, great wisdom and valued insight,” said Robertson, adding that Harmon was the force behind the first Valentines Ball. “She’s impacted the organization in immeasurable ways and has changed thousands of lives.”

The recent opening of a new 46,000-square-foot facility will enable UP to serve even more people. The Member Share Grocery alone will help an estimated 1,000 families per day to save 70 percent of their food budgets.

“Those of you who have been affiliated with us for the past several years know that we have been committed to serving, in a holistic way, the needs of our community,” said board chair Barbara Lowry. “We know we can’t do it alone. So when we designed our new building, we included space and opportunities for all of the nonprofits that serve the same population in our community.”

Families will have access on-site to: Treasure Coast Community Health, the Access Florida office of the Department of Children and Families, Visiting Nurse Association, AARP Foundation, SECEP Program, St. Helen’s Utility & Rental Assistance, and Career Source.

There is room now to greatly expand their Success Training for Employment Program (STEP), which to date boasts 384 participants working with 167 local employment partners.

Lowry said that they have been putting 100 people a year through the program, but that number was only about 17 percent of the people who qualify. While the new facility will enable them to prepare three times that number, additional funding is needed to staff more classes and ultimately change the dynamics of multi-generational poverty.

Phillip Keeling, UP development manager, said that through the generosity of the record-breaking number of guests, the event raised more than $330,000, bringing the seven-year event total to more than $2 million.

For more information, visit upirc.org.