Author Archives for Forum for Nonprofits

Gabby Stewart was destined to be a short order cook the rest of her life until someone told her about the Youth Automotive Training Center (YATC) in Deerfield Beach.  She always loved working on cars with her dad and was thrilled by the opportunity to pursue this hobby as a career.  Listen to her tell about her experience as a student at YATC.  Executive Director Terry Routley offers insight into the organization, which was founded by Jim Moran in 1984, and how it provides a wide range of services to disadvantaged youth.  Free tuition, counseling, GED support, college scholarships, daily meals and uniforms are among the benefits offered to YATC students.  For more information on how to support the school or hire their graduates call 954-428-0909, or visit their web site here. To listen to the program in a new window, click here:  Youth Automotive Training Center  11/18/12

South Florida is home to one of the largest wildlife trauma hospitals and rehabilitation facilities in the nation, caring for more than 12,000 animals every year.  Listen to Sherry Schlueter, executive director of the South Florida Wildlife Center, an affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States, talk about the organization’s mission to rescue, rehabilitate and release native wildlife that has been harmed or displaced and to educate the public toward coexistence with all animals. Jerry Madden, one of the SFWC’s 600 volunteers, describes why he spends part of every day  there.  Find out how you can support this worthy organization, by listening to Diane Shawcross, senior director of  development, as she describes what makes this state-of-the-art surgical and treatment center such a vital part of our tri-county culture.  For more information, call 954.524.4302, or visit their website here. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: South Florida Wildlife Center  11/11/12

Just when we thought resources to support the people in need in our community were impossibly scarce, one organization has figured out a way to tap into an existing abundance of support.  Family Promise is a national network that brings together congregations of all faiths to help homeless families.  Tune in to hear Rhonda Clinton, the executive director of the North/Central Palm Beach County chapter, to find out how they do it.   Listen to the story of Begel St. Juste, who found out firsthand what a difference this organization can make.  Family Promise helped him and his two sons get back on their feet. Volunteer Board Chair Peter Jones explains how you can help by joining the $360 Club (only a dollar a day). For further information on how to get your congregation involved, volunteer or make a donation, call  561-318-8864, or visit them online at their website here.  To listen to the program in a new window, click here: Family Promise  11/04/12

The thought of a child being abused is an unbearable thought, yet hundreds of children in our community have been removed from their homes due to abusive situations.  Luckily, a private, not-for-profit organization called ChildNet is focused on providing safety and stability to abused children as well as young people who have aged out of the foster care system.  The organization oversees services in both Broward and Palm Beach Counties under contract with the state of Florida.  Listen as President and CEO of ChildNet Emilio Benitez explains the services and tremendous strides they’ve made in creating a more comfortable and efficient support system.  Also hear from Sarah Thomas, who has grown from foster kid to ChildNet board member and future educator in the Broward School District.  Larry Rein, the new executive director of ChildNet Palm Beach, rounds out the show with an enthusiastic pitch for financial support as well as foster parenting, an important need in both counties. For information about how to become a foster parent, call the recruitment hotline at 954-414-6001 in Broward, or 561-352-2501 in Palm Beach, or visit their web site here.  To listen to the program in a new window, click here: ChildNet   10/14/12

Imagine an intimate theatre where you can enjoy a New York-level stage production while reclining in a soft chair and sipping a glass of wine.  The Island City Stage in Fort Lauderdale offers that homelike setting and more.  With only 56 seats, this new community theatre offers an LBGT flavor that is open to anyone who enjoys edgy entertainment and high caliber acting.  Listen as Artistic Director Andy Rogow and Resident Director Michael Leeds, both of whom bring New York experience to South Florida, discuss this exciting new venture and their plans to grow the Island City Stage.  Their success depends on community support, so call 954-600-7113, or visit their web site here. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: Island City Stage  10/07/12

In 1992, Aggie Pappas, executive director of PACE Broward, and her then-volunteer Judy Joffe, met on card tables to plan events to support the program for girls, ages 12 to 18, whose needs were not met in traditional school environments.   Listen to find out how Aggie has grow the program into a beautiful campus in Wilton Manors, where middle and high school age girls can learn academic and life skills.  Identified as “dependent, truant, runaway, delinquent, or in need of academic skills,” the PACE girls receive the help they need to be successful.  Judy talks about her more than 15-year reign as a volunteer and board member and how she involves her colleagues at NCCI in fundraising efforts to support PACE.  To find out more, call 954-561-6939, or visit their web site here. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: Pace Center Broward  09/23/12

Baby Boomers are one of the fast growing groups of people suffering from addiction diseases, according to John Dyben, the executive director of treatment services at the West Palm Beach-based Hanley Center.  Now part of the national Caron Treatment Centers network, the facility prides itself on individualized treatment based on age and gender, says Dyben.  Listen as he and his colleague Juan Harris, program director, Center for Older Adult Recovery, talk about the “accidental addicts” who unwittingly get hooked on prescription medications.  They also describe the treatment options available for adolescents through seniors.  Rachel Docekal, CEO of the Hanley Center Foundation, describes how scholarships help individuals, who would not otherwise be able to experience the Hanley Center, get the help they need.  For more information on how to support the organization’s treatment and prevention education programs, call 1-800-4-Hanley, the Foundation directly at 561-841-1211, or visit their web site here. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: Hanley Center  09/09/12

Listen as Hope South Florida’s Eddie Copeland and Pery Canan outline their unique approach to helping individuals have hope and, as a result, overcome homelessness.  Organized by more than 50 churches, the organization provides both food and housing to more than 150 families a year.   Find out more about their goal to build hope, housing and community for families and individuals facing homelessness.  Hope South Florida organizes daily buses to take people to “sharing” meals at existing facilities, often a church.   Their goal is to be able to provide meals 365 days a year to people facing homelessness.  To find out more about Hope South Florida and how you can support their efforts, call 954-566-2311, or visit their web site at www.hopesouthflorida.org. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: Hope South Florida  06/03/12

Two dedicated and compassionate women, Debbie Ellman and Donna Biase, join the show to talk about how their personal experiences with teenagers about to “age out” of the foster care system inspired them to start the Best Foot Forward Foundation. Together with West Boca High School Principal Mark Stenner, this organization, which was formed in 2010, provides critical individualized support to foster kids in the eighth grade and above. By donating everything from a simple birthday gift to college scholarships, Best Food Forward has enabled many young people to better themselves and avoid falling through the cracks of society. Both funding and volunteer support is needed to run this program, so call 561-470-8300, or visit www.bestfoot.org, to discover how you can help. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: Best Foot Forward Foundation  05/27/12

 Light of the World Clinic, founded by the late Dr. Erwin Vasquez, has provided free care to medically disadvantaged families in Broward County for more than 20 years. Each year, as many as 1,000 people are treated with respect and dignity by 40 or more volunteer medical professionals from the clinic’s 2,000-square-foot facility in Oakland Park.  Hear Sandy Lozano Barry, the clinic’s director for the past 12 years, talk about the program and the Board of Director’s vision for the future. Ana Maria Martinez and Pam Byrne share their experiences as clinic patients, while soon-to-be medical student Andrew Barry tells how his volunteer efforts have helped to shape his future.  For more information, please call (954) 563-9876, or visit their website. To listen to the program in a new window, click here: Light of the World Clinic.  05/20/12