The Orlando Magic Youth Foundation Distributes Second Set of Grants to Local Nonprofits in Surprise Check Presentations

Orlando, Fla. (February 12, 2026) – As part of the Orlando Magic and DeVos family’s continuing commitment to the Central Florida community, the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation (OMYF) recently awarded $470,000 in grants to 13 local nonprofits during its winter grant cycle. Grants were distributed through surprise visits held January 27–30 across Orange, Seminole, and Lake counties, benefiting organizations that support at-risk youth.
 
Each nonprofit received a commemorative bronze basketball and an OMYF novelty check. The winter grants are part of a larger $1.6 million commitment announced in August, which are being distributed throughout the season via five funding opportunities: summer grants, winter grants, microgrants, the Linda Landman Gonzalez (LLG) Leadership Grant, and professional development opportunities.
 
The OMYF’s 13 winter grantee organizations, program information and amount granted:
 
Commission 127 | Foster & Adoptive Family Support
Commission 127 works to ensure children experience the safety and stability of family by supporting foster and adoptive families caring for children who have experienced trauma. Through practical assistance, relational support, and connection to community resources, the program helps families remain strong, resilient, and equipped to meet complex needs. This support reduces placement disruptions and promotes long-term permanency for children across Central Florida.
Hearts, Hands, and Hope | Hearts, Hands, and Hope Three Phase Program
Hearts, Hands, and Hope’s Three Phase Program addresses food insecurity and family stability by supporting children and youth across 100 families with immediate access to nutritious food, ongoing support, and pathways to long-term self-sufficiency. Through coordinated food distribution, education, and community partnerships, the program helps families meet basic needs while strengthening their ability to remain stable and independent. This approach supports healthier households and more food-secure families throughout Seminole County.
IMPOWER Inc. | Village Transitional Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program
The Village Transitional Housing Program will reduce youth homelessness in the tri-county Orlando area by providing safe, stable transitional housing for a minimum of 25 homeless youth or former foster youth (aged 18-24) for 12 months, ensuring that 100% have access to case management, basic needs, and individualized service plans. As the ONLY transitional housing facility for youth in Seminole County, and one of only two such options in the tri-county Orlando area, the Village is on the frontlines of reducing youth homelessness, providing crucial and life-changing services for our community’s at-risk youth.
OCA, Opportunity Community Ability Inc | OCA’s Therapeutic Recreation Program
OCA’s Therapeutic Recreation Program supports 85 neurodiverse children by providing inclusive, sensory-friendly recreational experiences that build social, emotional, and functional life skills. Through professionally led group activities such as adaptive play, art, and music, participants receive structured, evidence-based engagement that promotes confidence, peer interaction, and developmental growth. The program increases access to timely therapeutic recreation, helping children thrive at home, in school, and within their community while reducing isolation for families.
A Gift For Teaching, Inc. | A Gift for Music
A Gift for Teaching’s A Gift for Music program provides free, high-quality string music education to more than 400 students each year from under-resourced communities. Through after-school classes, Saturday orchestras, and summer instruction, students receive instruments, materials, and performance opportunities at no cost to their families. The program not only builds musical proficiency, but also fosters confidence, discipline, and a lifelong love of learning for children who might otherwise lack access to arts education.
Page 15 | Page 15’s Language Arts & Empowerment Programs
Through year-round literacy coaching, creative writing and poetry workshops, student publishing opportunities, and public literary events, Page 15 will serve over 600 children and teens, many of whom face barriers due to poverty, trauma, or learning differences. With its innovative "low-stakes, high-support" approach, Page 15 programs ignite a love for writing without the pressure of grades or testing, helping students connect with their emotions, develop their creative voices, and engage with their communities through the arts. Its after-school, in-school and community-based programs provide an important intervention for children in grades 3 -12 impacted by poverty, trauma, discrimination, or learning disabilities.
Orlando Family Stage | Theatre for the Very Young: 2026 Shows and Research Project with the University of Central Florida
Orlando Family Stage’s Theatre for the Very Young program provides live, developmentally appropriate theatre experiences to approximately 500 children ages 0–5 each year, many of whom face early literacy and school-readiness challenges. Through mainstage and touring productions, the program strengthens early language, social-emotional development, and creative expression during a critical window of childhood development. By bringing arts-based learning directly into under-resourced communities, the program expands access to early literacy supports and helps prepare young children for long-term academic success. 
The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Inc. | Young People’s Concerts (YPC) Lake County Expansion
The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra (OPO) seeks to expand its highly successful Young People’s Concerts (YPC) to Lake County elementary schools, reaching an additional 19 schools, 11 of which are Title I, and approximately 2,500 underserved students annually. Lake County Title I students currently lag behind state averages by 8.5% in reading proficiency and 10% in math proficiency. Unlike neighboring counties, Lake County offers limited structured music education, leaving many students without access to meaningful arts experiences proven to support academic and personal development. 
Feeding Children Everywhere, Inc. (dba U.S. Hunger) | Full Cart Connect
U.S. Hunger’s Full Cart Connect program supports 600 low-income families, helping ensure that children within those households have consistent access to nutritious food and essential household items. Through partnerships with the City of Orlando, 4Roots, and the Boys & Girls Clubs, families receive regular food deliveries paired with connections to health, employment, and social-service resources. By addressing food insecurity alongside broader family needs, the program strengthens household stability and improves health and well-being outcomes for children across Orange County.
L.O.V.E. Our Youth, Inc. | Rise x Thrive: Preparing Youth for Life After High School
$25,000
Rise x Thrive: Preparing Youth for Life After High School will increase the capacity of 100 youth by equipping Orange County middle and high school students with essential life skills, financial literacy, and career readiness to prepare them for college, entrepreneurship, and the workforce. The program responds to national evidence showing that one-third of students entering college require remedial education and that today’s workforce demands strong 21st-century skills—critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Rise x Thrive provides structured experiences designed to close opportunity gaps and reduce risks associated with economic instability and youth violence.
New Hope For Kids | Youth Grief Support Program
New Hope For Kids’ Children’s Grief Support Program provides compassionate, trauma-informed grief support to approximately 300 grieving children each year, along with parallel support for their families. Through facilitator-led support groups and reflective activities, children are given a safe space to express grief, build coping skills, and process loss in a healthy way. By serving many low-income families facing significant barriers to care, the program promotes emotional stability, resilience, and long-term healing for children navigating the death of a loved one.
SALT Outreach Inc | Healthy, Hot Meals for Homeless Youth
SALT Outreach’s Healthy, Hot Meals for Homeless Youth program provides consistent, nutritious meals and supportive services to more than 225 homeless and at-risk youth each year in Orange County. Through its Youth Drop-In Center and mobile outreach model, the program pairs food access with case management, life-skills support, job readiness, and housing navigation. By meeting immediate needs while addressing long-term barriers, SALT helps young people move toward stability, independence, and lasting success.
Zebra Youth, Inc. | Bridge to Independence: Supporting homeless LGBTQ+ youth toward stability and self-sufficiency
Amid the ongoing housing crisis, Zebra Youth’s Bridge to Independence program addresses the risks facing unsheltered LGBTQ+ youth through trauma-informed transitional housing and a comprehensive continuum of care. Zebra Youth expanded housing capacity in 2024, but demand for safe, affirming spaces still exceeds availability, and a waiting list remains for youth seeking stable housing. With 12 residential units at Zebra’s Central Avenue facility, Bridge to Independence provides housing for up to 30 youth annually, helping them move from crisis to stability and self-sufficiency.
This marks the 18^th time the team has distributed at least $1 million to the community in a single season with the Magic granting more than $31 million over the past 36 years to local nonprofit community organizations through the OMYF. The grantmaking process includes a rigorous multi-phase review and approval by the OMYF Board of Directors.
 
Each year, the Magic gives more than $2 million to Central Florida by way of sponsorships of events, donated tickets, autographed merchandise and grants. At the heart of the Magic’s charitable efforts is the work done by the OMYF.
 
The OMYF is committed to helping children in Central Florida realize their full potential, especially those most at-risk, by supporting nonprofit organizations offering youth-based programs in the areas of education, housing/homelessness, the arts, and health and wellness. The OMYF raises community dollars annually through donations, auctions and events such as the OMYF Open Golf Tournament and the Orlando Wine Festival & Auction.
 
The Orlando Wine Festival & Auction, OMYF’s signature fundraising event since 2019, will take place February 27–March 1, 2026. The weekend includes exclusive vintner dinners, a festival and auction at the Four Seasons Resort Orlando, and a grantee pregame reception on March 1 honoring the foundation’s newest grant recipients at the Magic vs. Pistons matchup.
 
For more information on the OMYF, visit OMYF | Home.