Adopt-A-Family 2015 Spring Newsletter

ADOPT-A-FAMILY

SPRING 2015

of the Palm Beaches, Inc.

ADOPT-A-FAMILY’S

BOARD OF DIR ECTO RS

Lynda M. Murphy, Esq., President

LE WI S CE NTE R TE AM The Senator Philip D. Lewis Center, a collaborative effort between several Palm Beach County homeless service providers, is the centralized point of entry for our county’s individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Adopt-A-Family’s Lewis Center team manages the family component. Through the use of the Service Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool (SPDAT), Lewis Center staff are able to assist those families who are most in need while collecting data that is meaningful to address homelessness in our community.

Michael G. St. Jacques II, Esq., First Vice President Penny Heller, Second Vice President John C. Castronuovo, Secretary Garth E. Rosenkrance, Treasurer Matthew Constantine, LCSW, Chief Executive Officer Cristina Araujo Sean P. Bresnan Heather B. Ferguson Mari Frankel Karen Johnson-Young James E. Larschan James Llende John P. Marasco Jay R. Marcus Christine Oberlink William B. Peterson

Adopt-A-Family is a 501 (C)(3) notfor-profit, charitable organization established in 1983. Our mission is to strengthen families with children in their efforts to achieve stability and self-sufficiency by providing access to all-encompassing services.

Adopt-A-Family’s Lewis Center team is comprised of Navigators, Housing Specialists, Family Advocates, and Mental Health support staff.

NAVIGATION TEAM The Navigation Team is made up of the frontline staff conducting initial interviews and assessments to determine which services best meet the families’ needs. Depending on availability, families may be placed in an emergency shelter/ hotel, reunited with family members, or referred to community-based organizations.

If a family scores a six or higher on the initial screening, the family will come in person to meet with a navigator to provide documentation showing identity, income and members of household information. If someone is close to scoring a six (eligibility threshold for Rapid Re-Housing), navigators will ensure the families are answering all questions as diligently and truthfully as possible so they may receive the services they deserve.

If a family meets the criteria to be assisted with housing, they next meet with a Housing Specialist to work toward this goal. The team receives 30 to 50 calls each day from families in need.

HOUSING SPECIALIST TEAM Housing that is both safe and affordable is a rarity in Palm Beach County. The primary goal of the Housing Specialist is to work with families, landlords, and community partners to identify safe and affordable housing. When a family is suc-

cessfully housed, the Housing Specialist provides a landlord/tenant rights book as well as guidance on how to be a good tenant.

FAMILY ADVOCATE TEAM All families who qualify for services at the Lewis Center receive case management from a Family Advocate. The Family Advocate addresses barriers to housing. They also assist families with resume building, budgeting, and identifying stable employment. One of the major barriers families face falls within the area of mental wellness. Family Advocates work with mental health providers in the county to coordinate referrals for our families in need.

MENTAL HEALTH TEAM Additionally, we have a Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHC) who is trained to perform assessments and mental health evaluations for our families to ensure they are properly addressing mental health barriers. The LMHC meets with families after the navigation process is completed. The Family Clinical Supervisor and Director of Clinical Services are also available to provide mental health assessments and support.

We want to say, “Thank you!” to our Lewis Center team for all you do in our Palm Beach County Community!

TH E GREAT CHARIT Y CHALL ENGE 2 015 RECAP On Saturday, February 7, over 100 costumed equestrian riders teamed up with 34 local charities to compete for a share of the $1.5 million prize money. The Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments®, was held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. Adopt-A-Family’s sponsor team, Newstead Farm, finished in 11th place, earning our agency a $30,000 donation to help Palm Beach County families in need.

BA L L E N I S L E S CHA R I T I E S FO UNDATION H E L P S 2 0 0 HO ME LE S S CHI LDREN BallenIsles Charities Foundation awarded Adopt-A-Family $20,000 to help 200 homeless children. This generous grant will allow Adopt-A-Family to give personal hygiene items, paper products, school supplies, and school uniforms to children experiencing homelessness when they accompany their families to the Lewis Center.

Nydia Sabugo-Marrou, the Family Clinical Supervisor at the Lewis Center, commented, “With this grant, our Case Managers are able to go shopping with the families to purchase the necessities. There is nothing like experiencing a child’s joy at picking out her own backpack, one that ‘looks just like my friend’s backpack at school’.”

This grant not only gives children important school supplies, it allows them to attend school with pride and dignity. We are so grateful to everyone at the BallenIsles Charities Foundation.

2014

S A N TA S HO PPE

Santa Shoppe is a unique Adopt-A-Family holiday event in which children are not only given a gift from Santa, but they also get to go shopping for gifts to give their siblings and parents. They are very excited to personally select gifts for their family members, wrap the gifts themselves, and put them under their tree at home.

This year’s event helped more than 240 children from AAF programs and 80 volunteers (including 40 from the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County) assisted these children on their shopping adventure.

We’d like to thank AAF’s Santa Shoppe Co-Chairs, Lisa Raymond and Leandra Silfa, who made it yet another special year.

HO L I DAY A D O PT ER

PRO GRAM

Holiday Adopter 2014 was one of our most successful years in the program’s history. Our adopters generously donated nearly $30,000, with an additional $2,800 in holiday gift cards, to our families in need. In total, 292 children from 139 families benefitted from the program this year. Our donors came from as far south as Boca Raton and as far north as St. Augustine. Our families received bikes, beds, clothing, and gift cards that enabled them to have a special holiday this year. We want to thank all of our generous donors for making this year a special one.

Kim Pyle, Holiday Adopter Coordinator.

PA L M B E AC H C O U N T Y POINT-IN-TIME COUNT

The Point-In-Time Count is conducted once every two years to identify the prevalence of homelessness in Palm Beach County. The voluntary surveys conducted during the count provide valuable information that helps to identify unmet needs of Palm Beach County’s homeless population. The results of the Point-In-Time count are integral to ongoing efforts in our county to advocate for additional funding and resources for homeless families and individuals.

Adopt-A-Family has historically played a meaningful role in executing the Point-In-Time Count in Palm Beach County. Housing Stabilization Program Manager, Shayene Weatherspoon, administered Adopt-A-Family’s volunteer efforts during the count. We are pleased to report that over half of Adopt-A-Family employees volunteered to participate in this year’s count.

A candid shot of Adopt-A-Family staff volunteers at a Point-In-Time designated site at the Caring Kitchen in Delray Beach.

DUCKY DERBY RECAP On March 8, 2015, over 300 people gathered for our 3rd Annual Ducky Derby at CityPlace. Adopt-A-Family sold nearly 6,000 ducks to benefit Palm Beach County families in need. We want to thank our sponsors who made this event a success: RBC Wealth Management, Publix Supermarkets Charities, Edgewater Enterprises, LLC, Sue and Dale Cliff, Smith Barney, Stuart and Shelby Development, Valley National, Ron and Debbie Parr, Novak Druce Connolly Bove + Quigg LLP, Tauber Real Estate Services, LLC, Diva Duck, and Alice and Jim Scanlon.

We also want to thank CityPlace for hosting us and West Palm Beach Fire Rescue Station #4 for filling our giant duck pond.

The incredible work of our volunteers that day allowed us to sell an additional 1,100 ducks. Finally, we want to thank everyone who purchased ducks and helped support Adopt-A-Family’s efforts to strengthen families with children in their efforts to achieve self-sufficiency.

Last but not least, we must thank our Special Events committee and Adopt-A-Family’s Layren Espi-

nosa. We could not have done this without you. Thank you for making it a tremendous success.

TREE LIGHTING

2014

More than 250 guests attended the 30th Annual Tree Lighting Celebration this past December 2nd at the beautiful Sailfish Club of Florida. The hard work of the 2014 Tree Lighting Committee with Co-chairmen Beth Hennessy and Didi Smith brought in more than $400,000 to support Adopt-A-Family’s programs and services. Guests were greeted by holiday carols sung by The King’s Academy Choir. Famous for its astonishing display of orchids, themed baskets, and holiday décor, the silent auction room left everyone in awe. The evening also featured a delectable seated dinner and an exciting live auction. Miss Hennessy and Mrs. Smith, as well as the board and staff of Adopt-A-Family, are grateful to all the committee members who made this event a continued success. We are also very appreciative of the many donors who contributed and bid on items for the auctions. The night was filled with great energy and generosity that successfully kicked off the 2014 Holiday Season.

SAVE THE DATE: GREAT GIVE PALM BEACH & MARTIN COUNTIES

MAY 5–6

Great Give Palm Beach & Martin Counties is a 24-hour online giving event led by the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, United Way of Palm Beach County, and United Way of Martin County. This event is designed to raise as much money as possible for local nonprofits in a single day. Last year, Adopt-A-Family earned a 7th place finish for total unique gifts. With your help, we can make 2015 even better. Follow Adopt-A-Family on our social media channels to participate in contests and to receive special event information.

5PM–5PM

follow us on social media with the hashtag #giveaaf15 for up to date information. www.facebook.com/AAFPBC Twitter @aafpbc

4TH ANNUAL BETTER BALL I N V I TAT I O N A L

CORNER

IMPACT

The 4th Annual Better Ball Invitational will be taking place on May 1, 2015 at the prestigious Pine Tree Golf Club in Boynton Beach, FL. The cost to participate is $500 per player or $2,000 per

foursome. The event will begin with a 12:00 PM lunch followed by a shotgun start at 1:30 PM. For sponsorship or tournament information, please contact Matt Constantine at 561.253.1361 x104/ email: mconstantine@adoptafamilypbc.org or Sean Dollard at 561.253.1361 x139/email: sdollard@adoptafamilypbc.org.

M O R E T H A N 300 FAMILIES & their children were served by Adopt-A-Family Holiday Programs this year.

OV E R $ 4 0 0,0 0 0 WAS

RASIED FOR TREE LIGHTING 2014.

This is the most raised on a single night in our agency’s history.

In the past year at the Lewis Center, 228 CHILDREN FROM 112 HOUSEHOLDS

received childcare through community- based referrals.

Since November 2013,

P ROJ ECT G R OW

has offered a total of

18 STEAM speaker presentations

to the students in Project Grow. The speakers ranged from mechanical and civil engineers to a dentist, nurse & cryptologist.

Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches, Inc. 1712 Second Avenue North Lake Worth, FL 33460-3210 Phone: (561) 253-1361 www.adoptafamilypbc.org

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. Postage

PAID

West Palm Bch., FL Permit No. 529

Please remember Adopt-A-Family in your will.

PLEASE

HELP OUR FAMILIES

YES! $25

$50

Who We Help

• Homeless families • Income–challenged, working families at risk of becoming homeless • Children ages Kindergarten–5th grade in need of quality after–school activities

I would like to make a difference in the lives of homeless families and their children by contributing the following:

$100

$500

Donor’s Choice $

Make your tax-deductible contribution to Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches Please mail to: 1712 Second Avenue North Lake Worth, FL 33460 Give online at www.adoptafamilypbc.org

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A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. REGISTRATION #CH2076