About Us
Our Story
Once upon a time - in fact, more than 50 years ago -- a child needed help. Soon, more children needed help. Wanting to offer hope to these children with special needs, a group of parents in Central Florida got together and began to dream.
Like all great stories, the story of United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Central Florida began with a simple goal: offering hope to kids. Discovering that very few options outside of institutions existed for children with cerebral palsy, this group of parents began a small program. In a remodeled house on Colonial Drive, this program provided an Early Intervention classroom and therapy services for children. The dream of offering hope to kids began to take shape and form. And it started to grow.
In 1980, thanks to the generosity of Jack Holloway (founder of ABC Fine Wine and Spirits) and some of his friends, UCP moved to a larger facility on South Orange Avenue and began serving children with all disabilities and developmental delays, including Down syndrome, autism, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, speech and hearing delays, and many others.
In the 1990s, to meet the growing needs of the Central Florida community, UCP continued to expand its locations. In 1999, a UCP capital campaign raised money from the community to build and furnish a 20,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art children's center which was designed pro bono by the architect firm SCHENKELSHULTZ.
Today, UCP is the expert for children with special needs. Unlike similar organizations, UCP provides a comprehensive SET of services -Support, Education and Therapy -- for more than 2,300 children up to age 21, in their homes as well at six locations throughout Central Florida: Downtown Orlando, Lake Mary, East Orange, West Orange, Pine Hills, and Kissimmee.
The UCP story has provided countless happy endings to tens of thousands of children and their families; however, it will never be over. Like the way one candle lights many others, the hope of one child enlightens the community, inspiring all of us to reach higher; indeed, as depicted in the UCP logo, to reach for the sun.
Although independently owned and operated, UCP of Central Florida is an affiliate of the national United Cerebral Palsy Associates (UCPA) and is responsible for a four county service area, including Orange, Seminole, Osceola, and Lake Counties. We are a 501 (c) (3) non-profit agency.
