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United for Families students head back to school with packs full of school suppliesUnited for Families children in St. Lucie County will return to school Monday with backpacks full of school supplies thanks to the United Way of St. Lucie County's School Supplies for Children campaign.
The campaign draws together representatives from various social service groups and businesses to help collect school supplies from throughout the community.
United for Families, which has been a member of the campaign committee since the agency was created in 2002, received about 200 bags of supplies for its part in the drive.
The campaign featured Stuff the Bus, a weekend-long drive that encourages people to bring supplies to busses parked at Wal-Mart stores throughout the county. United for Families hosted a site at the South Federal Highway store in Port St. Lucie. More than 13,000 supplies were collected from all of the project's four sites.
United for Families also collected supplies in Indian River and Martin counties thanks to partnerships in those communities and the Indian River County School District. Okeechobee County children and case managers can get their supplies through the non-profit My Aunt's House.
For the first time this year, United for Families also collected supplies for students in the Road to Success program, which teaches independent living skills to teenage foster children. Those supplies were donated by United for Families staff during a specially coordinated drive.
Altogether, the collection effort served about 250 children.
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Jill Feaster-Poole coordinates the Second Annual Kinship Care Picnic, held June 28 at Indian Riverside Park in Martin County.
Children cool off in the facilities' splash fountain.
Jeandel Georges, United for Families Placement Supervisor, flexes some muscle during the picnic.
More children play in the splash fountain.
Georges volunteers during the event by grilling hamburgers and hotdogs. Caregiver Ida Marie Gilbert waits patiently for her lunch.
Samantha Godwin peeks around her playmate during a game of croquet.
Gilbert shares a quiet lunch with one of the children.
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United for Families News
- John Pierson's Toyota of Stuart Le Bal Masque pre-sale tickets are availble for $100 until Sept. 1, at which time they will increase to $125. Tables of eight can be purchased while available for $650, which will bring individual ticket prices to $80. The formal, masked gala will feature a full-course dinner, live music and a silent and live auction. Auction items include custom diamond jewelry by Diamonds by Terry and a Julia Kelly original water color.
- United for Families will honor its many staff members who volunteer throughout the year Sept. 5, immediately following an all-hands staff meeting. The event will feature grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, sodas and games. Staff contributed nearly 1,000 hours in volunteer time during the 2007-2008 year.
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Caregiver News
- United for Families sent 61 children, including many teenagers, to summer camp this year thanks to grants from the Children's Services Council of St. Lucie County, the Children's Services Council of Okeechobee County, the United Way of Okeechobee County and the Children's Services Advisory Committee of Indian River County.
The number is a drop from previous years and is expected to decrease further in 2009 due to funding cuts.
- Kinship caregivers are invited to attend an informational networking meeting at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Martin County Service Center, on Willoughby Boulevard. The event speaker will be announced in the September edition of the United Family.
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Community News
- United for Families will host a day-long health fair Dec. 5 at Indian Riverside Park, in Martin County. The event will feature mini lectures and presentations by top professionals in health care for the mind, body and soul. The event is free to case managers and United for Families staff, and $5 for the community. Tickets are available online.www.unitedforfamilies.org
- The next in-service and community training is scheduled 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Port St. Lucie Community Center. The topic is Safety in the Workplace. Lunch is included. Please register on line. www.unitedforfamilies.org
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