SWFL nonprofit groups in the news
BeCause They Care: Nonprofits in the news
SWFL nonprofit groups in the news BeCause They Care: Nonprofits in the news Check out this story on news-press.com: http://newspr.es/1RvYvpU
Published 8:59 a.m. ET Jan. 18, 2016
Angela Melvin(Photo: Special to The News-Press)
Valerie's House for Grieving Families opens
Valerie's House for Grieving Families, a new not-for-profit organization devoted to helping children and families work through grief following the death of a loved one is now enrolling children in its 2016 program. Support groups and activities are held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Valerie's House located at 1618 Avalon Place in Fort Myers' historic Dean Park. Online participant pre-registration is now open at valerieshouseswfl.org/our-programs/.
Valerie's House is a safe, comfortable place for families to share, grieve and heal together after a death in their family. Bi-weekly sessions begin with a potluck dinner, followed by small breakout groups, engaging children in age-appropriate activities to help them learn to talk about their grief, heal and bond with other children going through similar kinds of losses. Caregivers of the children also meet together. Activities include monthly family outings and group events to help participants support one another. Personal, one-on-one weekday support is also available, as needed.
Founded by Angela Melvin, Valerie's House is named after her mother, Valerie Melvin, a 31-year old nurse and mother of two daughters who was killed in a car accident in 1987 as she drove to pick up her girls from summer camp. Angela founded Valerie's House in Southwest Florida to help grieving children heal together and go on to lead fulfilling lives.
Valerie's House is supported through donations from the community.
For information, visit valerieshouseswfl.org, call 478-6734 or email angela@valerieshouseswfl.org
Community Cooperative announces board updates
Community Cooperative has announced it's 2016-2017 officers to serve for the coming year: Board President, Wayne Kirkwood, Kirkwood Electric Inc.; Board Vice President, Jordi Tejero, CRS Technology Consultants; Treasurer, Joe Catti, FineMark National Bank & Trust; and Secretary, Katie Haas, Boston Red Sox. The executive committee will serve a two year term.
Community Cooperative announced Charlotte Miller and Betsy Alderman have been elected to the nonprofit's board of directors.
Miller is an area external affairs manager of Florida Power & Light Company. Alderman is currently a wealth strategist and investment consultant for Northern Trust.
Community Cooperative is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization made up of social service entrepreneurs fighting to end homelessness and hunger in our community. The agency provides more than 14,000 meals each month through its Community Cafés and Marketplace and Meals on Wheels programs. Community Cooperative offers homeless and comprehensive case management services through its Social & Education Resource Centers and oversees emergency mobile food pantries as well as Healthy School Pantries and Food Literacy in Preschool (FLIP) through its Growing Health Kids Programs.
For information, call 332-7687 or visit CommunityCooperative.com.
Hodges names Alan Korest 'Humanitarian of the Year'
Hodges University named Alan R. Korest, Naples civic leader and philanthropist, as its 2016 Humanitarian of the Year. The award will be presented at the 20th Annual Humanitarian of the Year Luncheon on March 22.
Korest and his late wife, Marilyn, moved to Naples in 1983. He said, "In moving to Naples, I discovered that I wanted to do beneficial things in the community." Over the past 30 years, Korest has served in countless civic capacities. For the City of Naples, he was planning advisory board member, councilman and vice mayor. "
Additional commitments include having served as chairman of the Board of Moorings Park, Inc., board member of the Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation, co-founder and president of the Forum Club, member of the Collier County Tourist Development Council, Big Cypress Basin and the Metropolitan Planning Organization, director of the Education Foundation - Champions for Learning and more.
The Korests envisioned and oversaw the creation of the Bower Chapel at Moorings Park, which was donated to the community by his late father-in-law, Edwin Bower.
In 2006, the Korests founded the Bower School of Music (now the Bower School of Music and the Arts) at FGCU, donating $2.5 million to its creation and naming it in honor of the late Mr. Bower.
Korest continues to support MusicScores!, a Pre-K program that uses violin training and has proved highly effective in increasing kindergarten readiness. Other programs in which he has been actively involved include Take Stock in Children, a scholarship and mentoring program of The Education Foundation - Champions for Learning, and Music in America, for which he served as founding chair.
Korest will be formally recognized at an award luncheon at 11:30 a.m. on March 22, 2016, at the Naples Grande Beach Resort.
Tickets for the event are $175 per person. For more information on ticket reservations or sponsorship opportunities, call April May at 598-6153 or visit hodges.edu.
Savvy Caregiver program to be offered
The Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer's Resource Center, in conjunction with Grace Church and Choices in Living Adult Day Care, will be hosting the Savvy Caregiver Program for Cape Coral community residents. These sessions will be held on Wednesdays, starting Jan. 27 thru March 3 from 2-4 p.m. at Grace Church and also from 6 to 8 p.m. at Choices in Living Adult Day Care.
This educational program is designed to train family caregivers in the basic knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to handle the challenges of caring for a family member with Alzheimer's disease or related dementia. Sessions are delivered in two-hour sessions over a six-week period. There is no charge for this program and seating is limited. RSVP by Jan. 20 by calling the Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer's Resource Center at 437-3007. This program is made possible through a grant from the Cape Coral Community Foundation.
The Alvin A. Dubin Alzheimer's Resource Center, a United Way partner agency, provides information, support, and education for individuals with Alzheimer's disease or related memory impairment and their caregivers in Lee, Hendry and Charlotte Counties.
Ooh La La Jewels Du Jour's holds jingle contest
Ooh La La Jewels Du Jour will be holding a 'Jingle Challenge' contest during the month of January. The jingle challenge is being presented to bring awareness and recognition to local non-profits through social media. The winning entries will be featured in the Ooh La La Jewels Du Jour television commercials.
Individuals, groups, teams and businesses are asked to record a seven second or less video of themselves singing the Ooh La La Jewels Du Jour jingle and post it to Facebook.
Entries may be submitted on Ooh La La Jewels Du Jour's Facebook page starting immediately. The last day to post an entry will be Feb. 15. Entries need to include the name of your favorite charity in the written portion of your Facebook post.
The winner of the 'Jingle Challenge' will be selected by popular vote (the most likes), with collaboration and final decision by the judges at Ooh La La Jewels Du Jour, and notified by Feb. 20.
If 50 total entries are received, a charity donation of $250 will be presented to the winning entry's favorite charity; if 100 entries or more are received the donation will be $500.
The Ooh La La jingle and rules may be found online at oohlalanaples.com or on the Oh La La Jewels Du Jour Facebook page.
Dress for Success to host open house
Dress for Success SW Florida is kicking off the New Year with an open house on Thursday from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Dress for Success SW Florida Career Center, 12995 S. Cleveland Ave., Suite 153 in Fort Myers. The organization's Professional Women's Group will host this networking event.
Potential volunteers and clients will have the opportunity to learn about Dress for Success SW Florida and the services it offers, network with the women involved in the program and enjoy complimentary refreshments.
Dress for Success SW Florida relies on donations and volunteers from the Southwest Florida community to help continue its life-changing mission of providing wardrobes, employment counseling and career development tools to disadvantaged women in the area.
For information, call 689-4992 or visit dfsswflorida.org.
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