Belafonte TACOLCY Center CEO Report 2022

LETTER FROM THE CEO

Dear Board Members, Partners, and Stakeholders,

It’s been a very insightful 2 and a half years as CEO at Belafonte TACOLCY Center In 2020, we were in the midst of COVID-19 where we tried to figure out how to handle the pandemic while still providing services to the children and families we serve: Food insecurity was already an issue which COVID 19 exacerbated We pulled through due to community partnerships and restaurateurs who provided hot meals on a regular basis Local organizations like Chief Press Foundation and Key Biscayne Community Foundation, farm share, Infinite Ways Network, Miami Dade County Police Department, FL Department of Corrections, and local CBOs came together to ensure that families had provisions in the form of meats, starches, fruits and vegetables to sustain them through the weekend. Access to Personal Protective Equipment or PPEs also posed challenges: Who would have thought that there would be a scarcity in obtaining hygiene necessities including sanitizers, masks, gloves, wipes? Again, our stakeholders pulled through to ensure that no one was left fending for themselves without PPE supplies - thanks to Miami Foundation, the Children's Trust, and United Way Because of you, our families were safeguarded against higher infection rates of COVID-19 and influenza

Access to technology proved to be a major challenge during the pandemic. Children were unable to access wi-fi or computers at home to be able to continue their academic progress

TACOLCY stayed open in order to provide access to computers and wi-fi We worked with Internet service providers to increase the bandwidth to support not only the children/students but also the schools. Through generous support from the Key Biscayne Community Foundation, we also launched the Fab Lab, which is open to children and adults of all ages to learn STEAM and how to fabricate anything they want using 3-D printers and laser wood printing creating pathways to careers in STEM and technology.

Fast forward, it’s now 2021 The better part of this year was spent on better understanding our programs and how we can build those capacities, while also listening to the community with regards to their needs. To meet those needs,, the Henderson Baby Closet was launched for mothers and expecting mothers by giving access to necessities like diapers, baby clothes, baby hygiene products, and feminine products Through this initiative, we also held the women accountable for getting regular check-ups for the baby and continuing to build their skills as parents This program also connected women to organizations like WIC, Florida Blue, Simply Mothers learned how to effectively breastfeed Families also sought alternative opportunities for sportsmanship creating collegiate pathways to ivy league universities and the like. The first ever Lacrosse program in Liberty City and more largely a community of color, was conceived. TACOLCY offers a year-round out-of-school program which sets itself apart from other programs by partnering with Mia Fencing Miami to bring fencing, another

pathway for potential scholarships

Common Threads imparted nutrition education and multicultural cuisine Social-emotional skills and competencies were honed in partnership with Mentally Fit where they take a common sport like boxing and create lessons on how to better manage your emotions, practice channeling stress in a productive way, and improving emotional intelligence To laser focus on our middle and high school programs through the ARISE program, funded by the Ounce of Prevention Fund Florida, teaches children and youth how to manage their emotions, etiquette best practices, health and wellness, financial management, and career exploration.

And now, it’s 2022. We’ve been expanding our Care Coordination division whose sole priority is addressing all of the disparities faced by our community members from lack of housing, joblessness, food scarcity, adult education, and reentry The program also focuses on making sure that children and youth are in a safe environment where they can thrive The Care Coordination division was expanded thanks to generous financial support from the Children’s Trust A gang violence partnership with the Liberty City Protecting Youth Partnership was also developed. Through ongoing reflection and analysis, we discovered that food insecurity and scarcity continue to be a problem in our community. Thus, in partnership with Chief Press Foundation, Key Biscayne Community Foundation, and the Himan Brown Charitable Trust, the TACOLCY Center was able to launch the Chief Press Food Pantry, which is open to anyone in need without question.

Oftentimes local and regional corporations and CBOs reach out to find out how they can donate their time, talent, and treasure which has led to Days of Service projects Those have been in partnership with VOUS Church, United Way, Repair the World Miami. They support beautification projects and pro-social services. Wanting to solve the problems not in silos, many organizations that were at the table were asking how they could holistically solve the problems. From these conversations and assessed needs, the WE CARE Collaborative Table was launched Partners from all sectors are invited to join the Collaborative Table and be part of the mission of influencing change as a village

As you can see, the Belafonte TACOLCY Center has done its share of work in the community over these past 2 and half years The goal is to keep doing this work, but we could never do it all alone I invite you to support our mission through joining the WE CARE Collaborative Table, volunteering, or making financial contributions so we can continue our 55+ year legacy.

Yours In Service,

Shownda Pagan

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. LETTER FROM THE CEO

II. FUNDS RAISED 2020-2022

III. HOW MANY LIVES HAVE WE TOUCHED?

IV. ATHLETICS

V. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/STAFF TRAINING

VI. PRO-SOCIAL EVENTS

VII. PARTNERSHIPS STEWARDED 2020-2022

VIII. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

IX. TESTIMONIALS

FUNDS RAISED 2020-2022

HOW MANY LIVES HAVE WE TOUCHED?

TACOLCY Raiders (by Marvina Burden) TACOLCY Lacrosse Team

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/STAFF TRAINING

Over the past 2.5 years, the employees of the Belafonte TACOLCY Center had the opportunity to develop their skills in various areas to ensure they were equipped to work with community members in effective ways.

PRO-SOCIAL EVENTS

JUNETEENTH 2021 & 2022

A day was filled with activities for the community. We had live music, workshops, pop-up shops, and food In 2022, the event became a 3-day event: a basketball y marketplace.

BACK TO SCHOOL BASH

A day filled with fun activities for the kids Our youth are sent home with a book bag full of supplies, a full set of uniforms, and books. 156 kids were served!

A YEAR OF GRATITUDE THANKSGIVING EVENT

An annual Thanksgiving dinner where we have dinner with the community and they are sent home with a turkey and a box of fixings More than 200 families were served!

FARM SHARE

Serving the community on a quarterly basis in partnership with Farm Share. 400 households have been served!

BIn p p , p g poems in memory of the children and families impacted by gun violence

AUTHOR’S CORNER

The program allows us to connect with authors of color who can read their books to our children so that the children see that being an author/illustrator is within their reach We transform the room to the theme of the book, the author joins us in person and reads their book to the children

PARTNERSHIPS STEWARDED 2020-2022

Organization

Affirming YOUth Foundation

VOUS Church

Repair the World Miami

Infinite Ways Networking

Thrive and Blossom

Capacity

Technical assistance/carecoordination

Community engagement/pro-social services

Community engagement/fellowship

Mental Health services

Mental Health services

Citrus Mental Health services/Foster Care

WIC

Key Biscayne Community Foundation

Chief Press Foundation

Vernon Carey Foundation

Up2Us

VISTA

Women and parenting resources

Pro-social services, funder

Pro-social services, funder

Athletics, pro-social services, funder

Capacity Building

Capacity Building

AmeriCorps volunteers

Common Threads

Fab Lab

Nutrition curriculum

STEAM education

Primer Micro Education

Lashawntay Howard Youth Offender Center

Delinquency

AETNA Contributor

Simply Contributor

ViiV Contributor

Florida Blue

Community Care Plan

Public Allies

Contributor

Contributor

Capacity Building

WE CARE COLLABORATIVE TABLE

WE CARE seeks to develop a network of partners and stakeholders who collaborate in order to improve the lives of community members The ultimate goal is a collection of resources that all partners can use to provide effective and consistent services to children, youth and families in need

“We provide comprehensive and individualized support for children, youth and families who are experiencing challenges that limit them from realizing health, social, educational and economic potential” (FNSP, The Children’s Trust, 2022-2023)

We had 56 partners join us to discuss how to collectively and collaboratively work in the community. View the Presentation

BELAFONTE TACOLCY CENTER STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

VISIBILITY

TACOLCY will be a household name and connected to all things Liberty City

FUNDING $5 million will be raised by 2026

PROGRAMMING Programs are effective and holistic; they can be modeled in other communities

COMMUNITY Children and families in the community are equipped with resources needed to be sustainable and self-sufficient.

TESTIMONIALS

For the past few years, I have been a client of Belafonte TACOLCY Center (BTC) and the experience has been nothing short of amazing As a 34-year-old single mother of 5 beautiful children, life can sometimes throw a few curve balls but when there are community resource centers such as BTC this game called life can be filled with victorious moments that have lasting effects

Earlier this year my family had experienced many hardships such as a divorce process, my vehicle constantly breaking down, a loss of employment in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and lack of family support I worked many odd jobs and even received help via government funding to assist with owed rent but unfortunately it was not enough, and my children and I were eventually evicted. Although times were worse than imaginable, I always make it my mission and priority to keep a smile on my children's face So, I took my children to a community Easter event at BTC

While the children were enjoying themselves, I was on the clock, working remotely So, I asked Mr Williams, Office Manager, if I could sit in the front area to complete my work, and he obliged While sitting at the table, a woman that I'd never met before was at the table as well, speaking with a few patrons. Eventually she and I began conversing and by the end of the conversation, she'd given me her mobile contact and she made a few phone calls on my behalf at that very moment. I then realized that this woman is more than just a patron, she was Ms

Shownda Pagan, CEO of BTC

After many phone calls, filling out paperwork, and prayer, within a few days my family was placed at a local homeless shelter for families Ms Moore, my assigned Care Coordinator, made sure that I had adequate toiletries upon entering the shelter and urged me to reach out if there was anything else I needed. Once officially settled in, another issue arose. Because I worked remotely, I needed adequate space to work, which the shelter does not provide So, I quickly decided to just make the closest library to the children's school my workspace That worked for a few weeks and then I began another remote job that came with more equipment Because BTC had already done so much for me already, I didn't want to be a bother, so I decided to call a few people and places to see what would be best for my current situation I'd reached a dead end and finally reached out to Ms Moore asked if there was any space I could use at their center The next day I received an answer and to my surprise the answer was "Yes". I cried in disbelief and relief.

Currently, I am still gainfully employed because I have reliable workspace, the shelter I was placed in has found permanent housing for my family, my children are safe and close to me until we are able to move because they participate in the aftercare school program at BTC

Since being a client of BTC my family and I have personally received a handful of much needed resources such as the above mentioned, after school care( transportation included) , summer school program, food giveaways via their pantry and other outside resources, school uniform assistance, community family fun events, career resources, and much needed health fairs Ms Moore has been more than hands-on and helpful while ensuring my family reap the benefits of every resource the BTC could offer She has been a true beacon of light and I believe it's mostly due to her devotion, commitment, and genuine sympathy The fact that she has treated me with respect and humility is what keeps me connected to BTC, sincerely and truthfully.

As a former foster child, teenage parent, experiencing single parenthood homelessness, a victim physical, verbal, and emotional abuse throughout the majority of life, and lack of support, it can sometimes be a challenge trusting and believing that there are persons who genuinely care for my well-being, yet, in addition to my faith in God, optimism, and the staff of BTC I finally believe there in the hope, love, and care for myself and family I will forever be grateful to BTC and am looking forward to paying it forward someday soon. In the words of Chris Guillebeau, "If you make your business about helping others, you'll always have plenty of work." Belafonte TACOLCY Center has much work to do and it's my hope and prayer that their sources/ resources will not only continue but be multiplied towards their organization for the people of the Liberty City community

Ms. Hyman, parent

During my time at Belafonte TACOLCY Center, Inc I learned a-lot I learned new software, baby clothes sizes, data entry, building things, and how precious kids are My time spent at Belafonte was a wonderful time, if I didn’t intern there I wouldn’t have learned what I learned I am thankful I got the opportunity to intern at such a wonderful organization I wouldn’t have even known about all the opportunities they had to offer I am thankful that I got the chance to be there for the summer and I hope I can continue my journey there I would like to thank all the staff that have welcomed me into their place of business and treated me well.

Jokerra, student/intern Miami Northwestern Senior High School

TACOLCY was an amazing and unforgettable experience in my opinion From the very first minute that I walked in the building I wasn't sure how I was going to like it there, but after meeting Ms Sonia, Ms Thompson, Ms.Moore, Ms. Sandra, Mr. Tony and Ms. Pagan and a lot of others, I was sure my time here would be amazing. And for the most part it was. I had quite a bit of tasks to do. At first I accepted the fact that I may be coming home tired and sore Although I did have that from time to time, overall I had a relatively easy time with the outdoors work It took around 3- 4 hours doing all of it which went by extremely fast Not to mention I have been told that multiple people have told me that it seemed like I enjoy doing the work which actually surprised me I was even compared to Annie Not only did I do outdoor work but I also was doing work to help out other co-workers when needed, which I absolutely enjoyed. Even though all of the good there were some aspects that made me scratch my head at times. For example when I was working outside I expected other people to be there to help clean, but little did I know I would be the only one there doing that job And the amount of work that needed to be done, I was pretty lost but as I worked the amount of trash began to decrease and it became manageable and after a couple of days I was able to make it all fairly easy for me to handle Second it seemed like there was always something new expected to be done even after I had gotten used to the work that was asked previously It is true i should expect to do work relating to outside but it got a bit confusing and a little overwhelming plus the fact i was needed to be of help in the front desk so i needed to work in a timely manner did overwhelm me at first then I managed my time a little better and it also became easy To be honest my biggest concern to all of this was the fact of how things were being done before interns were implanted While I was in the beginning, as I said before, the amount of trash within the parking lots, basketball courts, playground and field was to the point where it seemed like work hadn't been done in a while And the amount of leaves I had to clean and put in bags was atrocious, although that isn't something that can be done about because trees will lose a lot of leaves daily and that isn't something anyone can control so that part isn't something I can really complain to you about. Then in the office or front desk it seemed around 3-4 pm or earlier that no one was around the desk to answer the door or phone calls and even after that sometimes me and another intern would have to take out breaks a little later than usual because it was deemed that only 2/3 intern were cable of answering the phone properly or greeting people at the door which isn't something that can also be controlled because not everyone is fit for the same things but the part that really made me start wonder was during the last week when we were cleaning out the multi purpose room. The amount of work that had to be done in that room alone was something I could not have seen coming in any way. it was divided among the 3 of us even still then it was a lot especially with the work i had to do that i was assigned to do Even after all that we succeeded by the end of the internship which I was happy about But even after all the bad, I still stand by what I said earlier This internship was an amazing experience that I wouldn't take back It had the most amazing co-workers that I could be asked for They all treated me with respect and kindness and saw me as one of them They never asked for too much help and they were very polite.And to top it all off the interns were amazing people that I could work and get along great with. We worked together, ate together and even had fun when it was warranted. They were amazing people who I would work again with 100 percent Personally it felt like this internship gave me a lot of experience in how the real world operates and with different personalities and how they operate and interact with each other And that is something I truly thank everyone at TACOLCY

Regison, 11th Grade, Young Men’s Preparatory Academy

Food Drives

MLK Day of Service

Easter Egg Hunt

Mother's Day Celebration

Juneteenth Celebration

Summer Jam Back to School

A Year of Gratitude Thanksgiving

Winter Wonderland Holiday Event

Out-of-School Program

Year Round (2pm-6pm)

Summer (2pm-6pm)

Spring Break (8pm-4pm)

Teacher Planning Days (8pm-4pm)

Middle & High School Programs

ARISE

Club TACOLCY

Year Round (2pm-6pm)

Summer (8am-6pm)

Spring Break (8pm-4pm)

Care Coordination "WE CARE"

Henderson Baby Closet

Chief Press Food Pantry

Employment Assistance

ACCESS Site

Emergency Assistance & more

Sports Development

Football

Flag Football

Cheerleading

Track & Field

Basketball

Lacrosse

Fencing (during summer)

Days of Service Opportunities

Community Engagement We

Partner with local & state agencies, organizations, churches, universities, and international orgs to support our organization Reach out to learn more on our available packages linking you to share your time, talent and treasures

(305) 751-1295

@tacolcy libertycity