Foundation for Foster Children

Thank you to Central Florida’s FAIA Young Agents Council for hosting the 4th Annual SmartStart for kids this year to benefit the Foundation for Foster Children! Over 60 backpacks filled with supplies were donated, along with additional supplies! Thank you to Eidson Insurance , LRA Insurance, Harry Levine Insurance, Hugh Cotton Insurance , Tower Hill Insurance, and Zenith Insurance for participating as drop-off points for the drive. The generous collection of backpacks and school supplies will make the start of a new school year much brighter for local foster children. The Foundation for Foster Children would also like to thankRural Metro Ambulance for their generous donation of backpacks to support the Emergency Duffel Program. Thanks to everyone who participated in making this campaign a big success!

Yama Acoto with Rural Metro Ambulance

Hugh Cotton Insurance agents with, Laura Eidson-Cosgrove, Eidson Insurance.

Zentith Insurance: Rob and Lyndsey

Maitland Middle School Teacher, Stacey Fisher’s art students at got creative and designed cards for the Foundation for Foster Children to use for the Emergency Duffel and Celebration Club programs. Each card is decorated with a picture and includes a hopeful message from the student who designed it. The cards have added a personal touch to the bags they are added to! Thank you Maitland Middle School Students for sharing your creativity and inspiring messages to foster children and showing you care!

Kendall Joseph and McKinley Crone, Maitland Middle School students

Thank you to all of our wonderful volunteers and community members who supported the Foundation for Foster Children with our 2011 Holiday gift drives! It is because of all of you that our gift drives were so successful!

Best Wishes,

The Board and Staff of the Foundation for Foster Children

The Foundation for Foster Children is excited to announce its newest initiative, the BEST program.  BEST stands for Building Educational Support Together.   This pilot project will fund in-home tutoring for children in licensed foster care in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties in the third and sixth grade who are not performing at grade level.

The long term goal of the program is to increase the number of foster children graduating from high school, entering college and finding gainful employment – to move the needle on the appalling current statistics .  Short term goals include having 75% of the enrolled children improve their academic performance, specifically by obtaining a C average and a minimum of a 2 on the FCAT in 2012.

Working with partners such as Dept. of Children and Families, case management organizations, Guardian ad litems, educational liaisons and the juvenile courts, Foundation board members have put together a collaborative program that will begin July 15, 2011 and continue for one year.

The Universal Orlando Foundation recently awarded a $25,000 grant to the BEST program.

The 2nd Annual PANERA BREAD Blue Ribbon Bagel Campaign was held on Friday May 6th.

The reason? To honor National Foster Care Month and help raise money for the Foundation for Foster Children, to help provide for the unmet needs of over 1500 kids in foster care throughout Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. 100 percent of the proceeds from every ribbon bagel sale benefited the Foundation, which helps to bring normalcy to foster kids through everything from birthday presents to part-time jobs, summer camps and tutoring support.

It’s rare for a business to donate all of its proceeds to a cause —but Panera has been one of the biggest supporters of foster kids in the region, often by helping them find employment at one of the Panera stores.

May is National Foster Care Month; a time to shine a light on the growing needs of our youth in foster care. All children deserve a safe, happy life with nurturing adults by their side. But foster youth especially need this love and support as their own families are in crisis and unable to care for them. “This vulnerable population needs our guidance and we are so excited to be able to make a positive impact and perhaps even change the life of a child,” saysAnnette Ford, with the Central Florida Panera franchise.

Almost 6000 blueberry ribbon bagels were sold and all 31 Central Florida and East Coast Panera Bread Market Cafés participated in the ribbon bagel campaign.

“It not only raised financial resources to help us support our community’s youngest victims of abuse and neglect, but much needed awareness”, says FFC President, Michelle Carlton. Through the efforts of the Foundation, Panera is providing training and employment opportunities for foster youth and building brighter futures. “Panera is a great advocate and supporter of these youth!” says Carlton.

Sincere appreciation to Panera Bread, our collaborators and WFTV 9, Clear Channel Outdoor, Winter Park Magazine and several Central Florida radio stations for media awareness in support of Panera Blue Ribbon Bagel Day.  And our many thanks to all of you and the community who supported the Foundation and our mission through the purchase of blue ribbon bagels!

Danielle and Melanie – Youth who have been employed with Panera Bread for over 2 years

Winter Park Panera Café – Team members share the spirit of blue selling Blue Ribbon Bagels!

Books! Pandas! and More! Oh My!

The Foundation for Foster Children is grateful for the generous support provided by the Central Florida Christian Chamber and FunSpot International Drive for hosting several hundred foster children and their families recently.

Among the nonprofit child welfare agencies represented, Foundation volunteers were on hand sharing program information, family resources, new reading books, stuffed animals and activities for each child to take home and enjoy.

“It was a touching occasion to those of us who personally enjoyed meeting every child as they chose a new book or snuggled with a stuffed Panda. To see the bright smiles on the kids faces and hear their words of gratitude was priceless” says Heidi Jordan, FFC Executive Director.  “By engaging chamber members, businesses and the public at large the event helped bring awareness to the need for normalcy and nurturing which every child deserves.  This was meaningful experience for all who participated”.

The Foundation continues to look forward to building relationships with Chamber members and the dedicated individuals representing the agencies that were involved and volunteered at such a wonderful family event at FunSpot.  Based upon the high energy and large turn-out of families, the event was a success largely due to generous sponsors such as 4Rivers BBQ, Florida Hospital and FunSpot.

Thanks to everyone in the community who supported us and shared your time, talent and resources with our local foster families and agencies during National Foster Care Month!