042122 SWB DIGITAL EDITION

n Winter Garden Little Free
Library opens
To celebrate her bookstore's first anniversary
in historic downtown Winter
Garden, Lauren Zimmerman,
owner of Writer’s Block Bookstore,
donated a Little Free Library to the
community to provide an opportunity
to share books and encourage reading.
It is located at 207 W. Plant St. in
front of the post office. The library is
a free book-sharing box that is open
24/7 for residents and visitors to take
and/or leave books. It is not required
to leave a book in order to take one.
Donated books should be appropriate
for all ages with an emphasis on kidfriendly
topics.
Downtown’s Little Free Library is a
registered unit of the worldwide network
of more than 100,000 Little Free
Libraries. Little Free Library is a nonprofit
organization that serves as a
catalyst for building community, inspiring
readers and expanding book access
for all through a global network
of volunteer-led Little Free Libraries.
For additional information about
the organization, visit www.
littlefreelibrary.org.
n United Arts to raise funds
for local foundation
The 2022 Collaborative Campaign
for the Arts has begun, and United
Arts of Central Florida is asking
for help to raise funds for the Winter
Garden Heritage Foundation.
Donations will be matched 15%
by UA. The mission of the Winter
Garden Foundation is “to preserve
our heritage and architecture while
creating new cultural experiences.”
Each donation helps the organization
gather, archive and exhibit photographs,
documents and artifacts
that tell the stories of the people, places
and things that formed the legacy
of west Orange County; maintain its
two museums and history research,
education and Visitors’ Center; and
continue to foster its education programs,
which reach thousands of students
and adults each year.
The Collaborative Campaign
gives the Foundation an opportunity
NEWS & BUSINESS BRIEFS
to work with United Arts in raising
funds to keep the arts alive, providing
critical support where it is
most needed, particularly among
the area youth. UA’s goal is, along
with two dozen arts organizations,
to raise $4.38 million by April
30 to unlock this year’s Orange
County $500,000 Challenge Grant.
To donate, visit unitedarts.cc/
collaborativecampaign.
n Southwest resident
continues charitable work
Ann Varkey, a Realtor and
philanthropist residing in Phillips
Landing, has made great strides
with her charitable organization,
Varkey Charitable Foundation
Inc. In 2021, the foundation received
approval as a 501(c)(3), making all
contributions tax-deductible. It sponsors
the distribution of food and clothing,
conducts educational classes and
seminars, and provides assistance
with educational and medical costs to
better the lives of those in need.
The current focus of the foundation
in the U.S. is food distribution, local
YMCAs and helping those in the
blind and disabled communities. In
India, the foundation is focused on
helping those with leprosy, feeding
programs and with Gospel outreach.
www.SouthwestOrlandoBulletin.com x April 21— May 4, 2022 x 19
compiled by Lauren Salinero
For more information about the
foundation and how to contribute,
visit www.varkeycharities.com.
n Developments ahead for
east Winter Garden
The Orange County Board of
County Commissioners unanimously
voted to extend the Winter
Garden Community Redevelopment
Agency (CRA) for 10 years. The city
of Winter Garden had approved the
extension one month earlier at a city
commission meeting.
The 10-year extension will allow
the Winter Garden CRA to leverage
the redevelopment success in
The Varkey Charitable Foundation Inc. makes a difference to those in the deaf
community.
downtown Winter Garden to benefit
east Winter Garden. It is estimated
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that more than $20 million will be
generated during this time frame,
and at least 75% of these funds will
be spent in east Winter Garden to
revitalize the community.
“The time has come for us to build
up our community and continue to
thrive here in east Winter Garden for
the next 20 years and beyond,” said
Jamie Holley, east Winter Garden
resident; CRA Advisory Board member;
and president of One Winter
Garden, an organization created
to advocate for east Winter Garden
and work within the community to
bring everyone together.
In 2018, the city approved the east
Winter Garden plan with the hope
of obtaining the CRA extension to
pay for many of the improvements
envisioned in the plan. At that time,
the city of Winter Garden hired
Dover Kohl & Partners out of Coral
Gables to work with the community
to develop the plan. The firm is being
brought back to assist in fine-tuning
the east Winter Garden plan.
n Exhibit featuring Oakland’s
history opens
Discover Oakland during its
heyday as the headquarters of the
Orange Belt Railroad with a thriving
business district and opera house,
and learn about the repercussions
the Great Freeze of 1895 had on the
town’s progress in becoming a major
city in Florida.
Est. 1887, the new exhibit at the
Healthy West Orange Arts
and Heritage Center, explores
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