FLORIDA PAINTS AND 8 WAVES ANNOUNCE NEW PARTNERSHIP

On South Dillard Street in Winter Garden, kids show up most afternoons to a room that has heard a thousand homework questions and just as many pep talks. The walls are plain. The lighting is the kind you forget the second you walk out. It is not the kind of room that matches the work happening inside it, at least not yet. Florida Paints and 8 Waves have announced a new partnership, and the plan starts with something as simple as color.

The two organizations are practically neighbors, based less than a quarter mile apart in Winter Garden. That proximity turned into a shared project. Florida Paints is donating paint for several 8 Waves initiatives, starting with the nonprofit’s after-school programming space and extending to its future community thrift store. It is part of Florida Paints’ Paint a Brighter Day program, which has put more than 8,000 gallons of donated paint into local buildings, homes, and community spaces across the state. The first way to take part happens fast: starting September 1, customers at Greater Orlando Florida Paints stores can add a dollar or five to their total at checkout for 8 Waves.

Meet 8 Waves: Supporting Students Across Orange and Lake County

8 Waves was founded in 2019 to meet a need its founders saw up close in east Winter Garden. Today, the nonprofit supports close to 2,000 elementary, middle, and high school students a year across Orange and Lake counties through academic support, mentorship, mental health resources, family assistance, and workforce development.

That work happens through hands-on programs rather than one-size-fits-all services. Students get tutoring and reading support to help close academic gaps, mentors who show up consistently, and access to mental health resources when a hard week at home threatens to undo progress made at school.

What Is Club Vision?

For older students, 8 Waves runs Club Vision, a workforce development program that prepares high schoolers for careers in the skilled trades, giving them hands-on exposure to career paths many would not otherwise encounter.

You can learn more about 8 Waves’ programs at 8waves.org, or follow their work on Instagram @8wavesorg.

Starting This Week: A Dollar That Adds Up

The first way to get involved does not require driving to Winter Garden or picking a paint color. Starting September 1, every Florida Paints store in the Greater Orlando area is running a round-up campaign for 8 Waves. Add $1 or $5 to your total at checkout, any time in September, and it goes straight to 8 Waves, supporting the tutoring, academic support, and wrap-around care that nearly 2,000 students and families rely on each year.

It is a small ask with real reach. A cashier ringing up a gallon of paint might ask if you want to add a dollar or five. Saying yes means a student in Orange or Lake County gets one more meal, one more hygiene kit, or one more mentor showing up consistently. Look for in-store signage at participating Greater Orlando locations, or just ask at the register.

The Florida Paints and 8 Waves Partnership Starts With Paint

The first project focuses on 8 Waves’ after-school programming space, the same room where students do homework, meet with mentors, and take part in Club Vision sessions. Florida Paints is donating thoughtfully selected colors to turn that space into the kind of room where vision feels possible..

“At Florida Paints, we believe being a good neighbor means investing in the communities where we live and work,” said Santiago Quintero, Director of Marketing for Florida Paints. “8 Waves is making a tremendous difference for local students and families, and we’re proud to support that mission. Whether we’re helping create welcoming learning environments, providing materials for community spaces, or exploring future workforce opportunities, we’re excited to build something meaningful together.”

Future projects are already taking shape, including paint donations for 8 Waves’ planned community thrift store and continued support for neighborhood revitalization efforts around Winter Garden. It is a natural fit for a program built around exactly this kind of work. Since Paint a Brighter Day launched, Florida Paints, a second-generation, family-owned paint manufacturer with more than 120 million gallons produced to date, has donated paint to restore homes, community centers, and gathering spaces throughout the state.

Building Something Meaningful Together

“This partnership is about so much more than paint,” said Mike Benn, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for 8 Waves. “It’s about creating places where students feel welcomed, supported, and inspired while opening doors to new opportunities. Florida Paints immediately understood our mission, and we’re excited to build something meaningful together.”

Florida Paints and 8 Waves are already exploring how Club Vision could connect students with mentorship and internship experiences tied to careers in the skilled trades, giving high schoolers a real look at what comes after graduation. Neither organization is treating this as a one-time gift. The plan is for the partnership to grow over time, adding new projects as both organizations find more ways to serve Winter Garden students and families.

For families and volunteers who want to get involved directly, 8 Waves welcomes new support at 8waves.org, and their Instagram @8wavesorg is the best place to follow along as the after-school space comes together. The easiest first step is the round-up campaign: stop by any Greater Orlando Florida Paints store this September and add $1 or $5 to your total at checkout. To see more of how Florida Paints shows up for communities across the state, visit our community blog.