Dr. Katie Nall, Rena Romano and Meredith Egan. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

Community and business leaders, philanthropists, and representatives of the United Way of Indian River County partner agencies were recently welcomed by UWIRC board chair Katie Nall to their annual Community Leaders’ Breakfast, held this year at Celebration Grove.

The event highlights the many ways the United Way mobilizes the community to help those in need by funding programs focused on education, financial stability and health.

Nall introduced this year’s guest speaker, Rena Romano, as an actor, political activist, author and lifelong survivor of incest, who has spent the last 30 years speaking up for those who “haven’t found their voices yet.”

Romano authored the memoir “His Puppet No More,” and has testified at the Florida State Capitol in support of Donna’s Law and Gail’s Law, which assist rape victims.

She shared that she had been the victim of years of sexual abuse and had contemplated suicide, before she called a hotline number, a pivotal point in her journey. The gentleman who answered her call that day gave her information about a support group, which became a safe space in which to share stories with other survivors. The program was funded by the United Way of Tampa.

“I’m sure you don’t see firsthand how your contributions positively affect those in your community. You may hear secondhand stories or read statistics. I wanted to thank you and show you what United Way did for me and how together we have changed the world,” said Romano, adding that her own healing process began through that UW-funded program.

“I grew tired of being ashamed of crimes that I didn’t commit,” said Romano, describing herself as a “sur-thriver” who has now dedicated her life to helping others like her.

“When we join forces, we rise. Every day, we strive to empower families to give them the freedom to rise. Whether it’s boosting kindergarten readiness, providing access to legal services, or delivering free tax preparation, our goal is to enhance the quality of life for our neighbors,” said Meredith Egan, UWIRC CEO.

“We understand that the United Way’s power lies in the caring individuals who can make a difference. We’re here because of you and your unwavering support. It allows us to declare, ‘United we rise, United we win,’” Egan added.

The breakfast also serves as an occasion for the United Way to present awards to business supporters and partner agencies. This year, Richardson Spirit of Indian River County Workplace Awards were presented to Schlitt Services, Indian River County Healthy Start Coalition and United Against Poverty.

The Richardson Spirit Award of Special Recognition was presented to Jeffrey Pickering, Indian River Community Foundation president and CEO. Egan called him “a remarkable community change maker who consistently sits at the table with us; engages in problem-solving and brainstorming as we tackle these pressing issues.”

The prestigious Ralph T. King Award, which recognizes an individual whose extraordinary service and unwavering commitment to United Way has profoundly affected the community, was presented to Egan’s predecessor, Michael Kint, who she called “a true embodiment of what it means to live United.”

Egan said King was a visionary who envisioned a community where everyone could thrive and dedicated his life to making that vision a reality.

Likewise, she said, Kint left a legacy of unwavering service to others, all while maintaining a clear focus on what truly matters – providing basic human needs to our neighbors with dignity and respect.

“As we embark on our 64th year of impact in Indian River, we remain true to our mission – creating and investing in programs that tackle systemic issues affecting too many of our neighbors. With innovation woven into our approach, we are steadily making progress in serving our allied population in new and effective ways,” said Egan.

The United Way Day of Caring is Oct. 26. For more information, visit UnitedWayIRC.org.