Monthly Archives: April 2020

Encore Palm Beach County

The Encore movement seeks to engage millions of people in later life as a vital source of talent to benefit society.  Its ultimate goal is to create a better future for young people and future generations. Those in, and beyond midlife, represent a powerful source of talent with the accumulated skills, experience and wisdom to tackle some of society’s most urgent challenges…we are the solution. Join us to help people over 50 find new work and volunteer opportunities.

WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MEET THE CHALLENGE?  WE OFFER:
Referrals of people to resources to help find work
Placement of volunteers looking to use skills and experience
Monthly Meet-ups to socialize and hear interesting speakers
Community education programs in communities, clubs, libraries and churches
Weekly emails and monthly newsletter to over 800 people



BENEFITS INCLUDE:
FREE admission to the monthly Encore Meet-ups
Discounted (50% minimum) admission to our Encore major events
VIP admission to pre-parties, private events and book signings for major events
Entry into contests to win special prizes including a resume revision or a one-hour session with a career coach, or a signed copy of Purpose and a Paycheck by Chris Farrell, nationally recognized author on work and retirement
Complimentary copy of the Discovery Journey, a questionnaire to help you figure our your next steps

Become a Member of
Encore PBC!

Sign up to become part of the Encore movement to connect people over 50 with new opportunities for work and volunteering to make a difference in our communities.  And get great benefits, too!The annual membership fee is $20.

Simply click on the PayPal link below and you will receive a copy of the Discovery Journey, the first of your benefits.  The Discovery Journey will help you learn more about what you want for the next stage of your life.  (Hint:  there’s always a next stage!)

For more information, please click here.

Kindness Matters 365

LAURA’S KINDNESS MATTERS 365 STORY
Hi. My name is Laura Reiss and I thank you for reading the Samaritans365 Kindness Matters story.
Back in 2007, I conceived the program upon which The Samaritans365 (S365) Foundation was built. My passion to “give back” and inspire others to do the same was seeded by my kind parents, and fueled by my commitment to raise my three young children with the values of compassion, gratitude, and kindness.
In 2008 I started a Samaritans program at Sunrise Park Elementary in Boca Raton, FL where my children were going to school. It started out as a free, after-school club with 35 children. Every time we got together, I spoke with the children about gratitude, being truly happy for who they were and what they had, and simply giving back where we could. We talked about saving the environment, the many ways to give back, respecting yourself and others, showing kindness to yourself, and about being kind in the home, school, community, and the world…and feeling really good about all of it!
We talked about a day when everyone is simply kind to each other; we talked about a new generation of kind-minded humans; we talked about being able to create that world through our own kind actions and inspiring others to do the same as Samaritans, 365 days a year… “Samaritans365”.
This beautiful concept and the results of Samaritans365 were so profound that we quickly developed a monthly program with an interactive, inspirational, effective format. Each month, a speaker from different philanthropic organizations came and shared who they were and how they found their ways to contribute to our world. We engaged in hands-on projects and school-wide drives to give back to the speakers’ organizations….dog toys for the Humane Society, thank you letters to our Forgotten Soldiers, get-well art for sick children in hospitals, kindness care packages for foster kids and so much more.
The intention was for all participants to listen, learn, interact and do something to give back at each meeting, and it was working! Beyond that, Samaritans365 meetings were always heart-warming, moving, inspiring and educational. I can’t tell you how many times I cried in these meetings, not only because of the amazing speakers sharing their stories but from watching the kids’ reactions. I hold so many beautiful memories and stories in my heart.
I began to put structure around our program and train volunteer “Ambassadors of Kindness” who could run additional Samaritans365 clubs in this same format. Our invaluable Ambassadors invigorated Samaritans365 with new energy and created our clubs in new grades, new schools, and new communities. At this time, I collaborated with local organizations and authorities (police and fire departments) to become involved, get support, and provide speakers. I enrolled and organized children in clubs; managed fundraising drives; collected, sorted and delivered items at all events; furthered parent and school administration involvement; and so much more. It was time to share, train and give it away so that others could implement their own kindness clubs and spread the kindness in their communities.
In 2014, after seeing the transformation of every child that went through the Samaritans365 program and considering the overwhelming positive response from our community,  I decided to create the Samaritans365 Foundation, committed to a kindness conversation in every school and community in the world. I partnered with my dear friend, Jennifer Einhorn, to create a 501(c)3; we created a kindness training manual, trained hundreds of Ambassadors (in my living room!), and put together a dream-team Executive Board. We worked with timeline Video Productions to create a video training course, and partnered with Illuma Studios, our website designer, to put the kindness training course online so we could, in time, reach a  world-wide audience and train Ambassadors to offer the kindness in their communities.
As more and more people heard about Samaritans365, they wanted to be a part of it. Our Foundation responded by modifying our program to include everyone from younger children to teenagers, and by introducing our clubs to all school levels, summer camps, community centers and more. We even created a youth leadership track for teens. Many of our Samaritans began serving as Ambassadors for other clubs, and others found their ways to give back by starting their own foundations! The Super Samaritans, Summer Samaritans, Kindness Givers, Healing Hearts and Hearts of Gold, Kindness Kids Samaritans365 kindness programs got started as well; these clubs are comprised of amazing adults who regularly go to different organizations and Foundations to give back where needed. Every member of our Samaritan family is making a contribution to the world…and there are literally thousands of us!
To date (October, 2017), we have thousands of Samaritan members, over 350 trained Ambassadors, more than 90 kindness clubs in 8 states and we have impacted the lives of tens of thousands. Our Executive Board, community, Ambassadors, and Samaritan members devote countless hours to our mission of spreading global kindness. This is something that I, personally, do all day, every single day: I eat, sleep, breathe, dream and speak the kindness.
My heart is filled with gratitude for our accomplishments so far, and I realize we have so much more to do. This is an exciting point for our Foundation as we have created and are expanding a global kindness movement. This kindness movement is for EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE… all colors, all religions, all ages, all beliefs, all sexual preferences, all genders, all financial situations. Together, we have and we will continue to make a profound, positive impact on the world – one person, one family, one school, one community, one state, one country at a time.
I believe in a world where we celebrate each other and I manifest it every day.
Laura Reiss

BRING KINDNESS MATTERS 365 TO YOUR SCHOOL

Starting a Kindness Matters 365 Club will be a life-changing experience for the kids involved as well as for you! Starting a club takes your kind heart and desire to spread the kindness then, there are two things you need to do:

1 – Become an AmbassadorAll Kindness Matters 365 clubs are lead by certified Ambassadors. This is the most important role in our organization, and as an Ambassador, you will be changing lives and making a difference. We support all Ambassadors with all the resources and tools you will need to run your club. Click here to learn more.2 – Enroll your SchoolObviously, if you are going to spread kindness in a school, you need to work collaboratively with administration and the school’s policies and procedures. If your administration doesn’t already know about this amazing club, you’ll need to introduce them to who we are and what we are all about, and then secure their approval. Click here to learn more.

For more information, please click here.

Boca Helping Hands

WELCOME TO BOCA HELPING HANDS

Boca Helping Hands provides food, medical and financial assistance to meet basic human needs as well as education, job training and guidance to create self-sufficiency.  Our hands reach from Boca Raton to the surrounding Palm Beach County and beyond. See how our services make lasting change in our community!

Boca Helping Hands

Boca Helping Hands (BHH) is a community-based nonprofit that provides food, medical and financial assistance to meet basic human needs as well as education, job training and guidance to create self-sufficiency.  

BHH distributes more than 80,000 pantry bags each year at four Palm Beach County locations and serves over 55,000 hot meals annually, six days per week. The organization expands access to affordable medical, dental and behavioral care through its partnership with Genesis Community Health, serving clients at clinics in Boca Raton and Boynton Beach. BHH sends weekend meals home with food-insecure elementary school students via the BHH Backpacks Program and assists working families with the rising cost of childcare through the Children’s Assistance Program (CAP).

With an increased focus on client self-sufficiency, BHH awards scholarships for qualified candidates to attend accredited vocational training classes that prepare them for careers in the healthcare, information technology, transportation, and hospitality industries. BHH also offers free English as a Second Language (ESOL) classes and courses in nutrition and other life skills. Staff and volunteer mentors counsel the unemployed and underemployed in basic workplace skills and help them polish resumes and search for jobs.

In April, Charity Navigator named Boca Helping Hands a Four-Star Charity for the 14th Consecutive Year. 

Our Mission

Boca Helping Hands provides food, medical and financial assistance to meet basic human needs as well as education, job training and guidance to create self-sufficiency.  

Boca Helping Hands Provides…

Service: Boca Helping Hands provides services to benefit individuals, families, and children during times of need, emergency, or crisis.

Compassion: Boca Helping Hands serves with compassion in assisting people in need to help improve their lives.

Dignity: Boca Helping Hands fosters dignity, self-respect, and self-esteem in everyone who seeks our services.

Self-Sufficiency: Boca Helping Hands offers the resources necessary to help people in need gain self-sufficiency.

Our Vision

By 2020, Boca Helping Hands will be the essential community resource helping people cross the bridge from basic need to independence.

For more information, click here.

Meals on Wheels South Florida

Nutritious Meals

In partnership with the Area Agency on Aging of Broward County and the Dept. of Elder Affairs, we provide South Florida’s seniors healthy meals & nutrition education, allowing them to age with dignity in their own homes.

 Safety Checks

Often times, a Meals on Wheels volunteer may be the only person a senior may see that week. Volunteers provide a safety check and can relay any pertinent safety information back to the Meals on Wheels office.

Friendly Visits

Volunteers offer more than a meal, they offer friendship, companionship and memories that both our seniors and volunteers cherish. The special bond they form with one another is a priceless gift.

Meals on Wheels South Florida is proud to be a member of Meals on Wheels America. Meals on Wheels operates in virtually every community in America through our network of more than 5,000 independently-run local programs.

While the diversity of each program’s services and operations may vary based on the needs and resources of their communities, they are all committed to supporting their senior neighbors to live healthier and more nourished lives in their own homes.

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Together, we galvanize the resources of local community organizations, businesses, donors, sponsors and more than two million volunteers – bolstered by supplemental funding from the Older Americans Act – into a national safety net for our seniors.

For more information, please click here.

CENTER FOR AUTISM & RELATED DISABILITIES AT FAU

FAU CARD is here to support and assist you, during these extraordinarily challenging times. The FAU campuses however, will be closed. In an effort to protect our constituents, families, and community partners, FAU CARD staff will be working remotely providing intakes, trainings, technical assistance and consultative support via phone, email, and through online platforms. We are in the process of developing an online resource to assist parents in working with their children. Your assigned clinician will be reaching out to you, to assess your needs and provide consultative support and assistance.

Please take care of yourself and your family!
FAU CARD Staff
 
 
We Are Florida’s First Choice for Autism Support
FAU Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) provides expert consulting, training and support, at no charge, for all people across all race, ethnic, and gender groups with autism and related disabilities, their families, employers, the professionals and community and governmental agencies serving them.

Vision

CARD provides support and assistance with the goal of optimizing the potential of all people across all race, ethnic, and gender groups with autism and related disabilities.

Call State CARD: 1.800.9.AUTISM

Call FAU CARD: 561.297.2055

Email Us: card@fau.edu  

For more information, please click here.

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