Winter 2013 Phone: 954-420-5030 Fax: 954-420-5034 www.sosflorida.com Giving our Kids the Gift of Play One of the greatest gifts a friend of SOS can give our boys and girls is the chance to be a kid again. Childhood should be a happy time. A time for fun, laughter and learning. Our children haven’t always had that wonderful experience in their short lives. But then they join our family. Recreation and activities are just as important to our children’s lives as food and shelter. Creating a place to play on our SOS campus has been an important dream for many at the Village, including SOS Board Member Kristina Stein, who spearheaded an effort to build our very own playground. This fall, that dream was made a reality as volunteers from Barry University, Coastal Community Church, FAU, FIU, Florida Campus Compact, Miami Dade College, Palm Beach State College, Tijanua Flats Just In Queso Foundation and the University of Miami came together to build a “natural” playground on our Village cul de sac. Sponsored by the Austrian-American Council North America, Alice Schonberg and Kristina and her friends, the new play areas include a tower to climb and play on, musical elements, a therapeutic labyrinth, fitness stations such as a balance log and post walk, and several areas to sit, talk and visit with friends, staff and family. The natural elements blend seamlessly with our lush Village surroundings and epitomize the green city we live in. Our children are already enjoying this new addition to our campus and we can’t wait to share it with you the next time you visit. What Our Kids Are Doing Now? Chris G grew up at SOS with a brother and two sisters. The first of his family to graduate in 2010, this Horatio Alger Scholarship winner moved to Tampa to attend USF. He currently carries a 3.4 GPA and is graduating this May with a degree in engineering. Keeping family ties is important to Chris and he continues to return to south Florida to visit his siblings. Chris during his first week on the USF campus in 2010.
Welcome message from author
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
Winter 2013
Phone: 954-420-5030 Fax: 954-420-5034 www.sosflorida.com
Giving our Kids the Gift of PlayOne of the greatest gifts a friend of SOS can give our boys and girls is the chance to be a kid again. Childhood should be a happy time. A time for fun, laughter and learning. Our children haven’t always had that wonderful experience in their short lives. But then they join our family.
Recreation and activities are just as important to our children’s lives as food and shelter. Creating a place to play on our SOS campus has been an important dream for many at the Village, including SOS Board Member Kristina Stein, who spearheaded an effort to build our very own playground.
This fall, that dream was made a reality as volunteers from Barry University, Coastal Community Church, FAU, FIU, Florida Campus Compact, Miami Dade College, Palm Beach State College, Tijanua Flats Just In Queso Foundation and the University of Miami came together to build a “natural” playground on our Village cul de sac.
Sponsored by the Austrian-American Council North America, Alice Schonberg and Kristina and her friends, the new play areas include a tower to climb and play on, musical elements, a therapeutic labyrinth, fitness stations such as a balance log and post walk, and several areas to sit, talk and visit with friends, staff and family.
The natural elements blend seamlessly with our lush Village surroundings and epitomize the green city we live in.
Our children are already enjoying this new addition to our campus and we can’t wait to share it with you the next time you visit.
What Our Kids Are Doing Now?Chris G grew up at SOS with a brother and two sisters. The first of his family to graduate in 2010, this Horatio Alger Scholarship winner moved to Tampa to attend USF. He currently carries a 3.4 GPA and is graduating this May with a degree in engineering. Keeping family ties is important to Chris and he continues to return to south Florida to visit his siblings.
Chris during his first week on the USF campus in 2010.
You Can Make a Difference at Work Too!
Save These Dates In 2014
4
April 26, 2014Boca West Country Club
September 18, 2014Boca West Country Club
November 8, 2014Tradewinds Park
SOS Gets A Cool New Update
The Village continues to update our aging homes to keep our campus beautiful, our families comfortable and our costs down. This summer, Art Plumbing & Air Conditioning partnered with SOS to update the air conditioning in all of our buildings. The massive job included the purchase and installation of 23 units and was truly a labor of love and a cool gift to our families.
Art Plumbing has been serving our community since 1983. And, by serving, we don’t just mean servicing local residents and businesses. The family-owned business has a long reputation of strong values and support for employees, customers and the community where they live and work.
When Gregory Frazier, Art’s lead AC Comfort Consultant (aka The House Whisperer), showed up to survey the Village’s needs he knew what he had to do. Gregory immediately contacted the owner of the company, Gregg D’Attile, and apprised him of the situation, “Gregory told Gregg we need to take care of the kids!”
From there Art’s employees sprang into action seeking out special pricing on new units and staff to volunteer their personal time for the installations.
The project culminated on October 26th, when their staff and families completed installation and hosted a barbecue with the SOS kids to celebrate.
Special thanks to the D’Attile family, all the Art’s employees, and their partners Barnett and Goodman Manufacturing who provided the new units for their time, effort and compassion for our kids and community.
Art Plumbing & AC proved this summer that a good day’s work can change the world - and make it cool!
Picture: Top Left - Gregory Grazier & SOS Finance Director Michael Klein; Top Right - Christopher & Lee; Bottom Left - Greg D’Attile, SOS CEO Keith DuVernay & Gregory Frazier ; Bottom Right - Victor & Eric
Every day, friends of SOS and their coworkers support of our kids. What can you do?
• Start a drive or collection for holiday gifts, personal toiletries or any one of our inexpensive wish list items.
• Host a volunteer project. Coordinate a few hours sometime to help at the Village.
• Follow Art’s example and donate your services - we’re often looking for special skills to help with Village maintenance or teaching our kids.
Call 954-420-5030 to for ideas to get started.
An Afternoon With
Keaton Simons A Benefit Concert for SOS Kids
Sunday, January 12, 2 - 5 pmHosted at the Home of Michael & Wendy Schatzberg in Delray Beach (address will be released to ticket holders only)
Festivities include gourmet food, raffles and a live auction.
Purchase Advance Tickets $25 adults • $15 under 18
limited tickets available at the door
954-420-5033 or sosflorida.com
Delray Beach business owners Gregory & Mary Ann Fried donate much of their time and hearts supporting SOS Florida and many other South Florida charities. They are always looking for new ways to help and to get their friends and neighbors involved. It’s this passion and drive that sparked an idea to join Mary Ann’s love for the SOS kids with her love of music.
The result an exclusive benefit concert on January 12th by one of her favorite artists, Keaton Simons. The Best Revenge Records artist will play a show at the private home of Mary Ann’s friends Michael & Wendy Schatzberg.
The couple was introduced to Simons through a friend and was moved by his bluesy brand of both acoustic and electric guitar along with his compelling and soul-baring songs.
“His music touched us,” says Mary Ann. “He has a depth and richness similar to some of the best songwriters like John Lennon and Bob Dylan and a voice as authentic as Ray Charles. How could we not be inspired?”
Inviting Simons back to south Florida, Mary Ann hopes guests will be inspired by his music as well. The Frieds are looking forward to the sharing this special performance which will include music from Simons’ sophomore album Beautiful Pain released earlier this year.
Tickets are on sale now. Contact SOS at 954-420-5033 or visit sosflorida.com to reserve seats.
Presented by
One Inspired Idea Can Do So Much For SOS Kids
Pictured: Concert Hosts Greg & Mary Ann Fried with Wendy & Michael Schatzberg
Sponsored by
October 12th marked our first annual Steps for SOS Walk at Tradewinds Park. More than 300 neighbors came out to share this fun-filled family event and support our foster children.
Every day we help our kids gain confidence, strength and the skills they need to be successful and happy when they grow up. The thousands of steps we took together in October is helping our kids step closer to that bright future.
Our walkers raised more than $15,000 for our boys and girls and each dollar supports their basic necessities school activities, family recreation and the vital services the Village continues to provide.
Special thanks to our sponsors Wheelabrator Technologies, CruiseOne, Calvin Giordano & Associates, Brinkley Morgan, New Times, Games on the Go, Make a Tee Online, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Whole Foods, Rick Dutkiewicz at NCS&V Coffee, and Mark Nichols at BC Coffee for making our first year a great success.
Your Steps Make Our Kids Stronger
Pictured bottom row: Photo 1 - Superstar walkers Robin Tartarkin and Amy Berg; Photo 2: volunteers Rose Ducanis, Emily Freeman, Joeseph Ducanis, Eva Ducanis; Photo 3: Dennis Shuman and top-fundraiser Robin Cohen
Gala Gifts Provide New Vans For The Entire SOS FamilyHow many miles do you put on your car each week? There’s driving to work, shopping, dropping kids off and picking them up at activities and the hundreds of errands and appointments we have to run.
Our family travels more than 300,000 miles a year to get our children where they need to go in life. And after a few years, that’s a lot of wear and tear (not to mention repairs) on our vehicles.
This past spring, our Hope and Home Gala focused on raising extra funds to replace all twelve of our family vans. The replacements would offer more comfort to our families, better gas mileage and a lot of money saved on repairs.
Gala Guests rallied to the cause and, with the help of a $20,000 donation from long-time Village supporters from the Club Managers Association of American Seminole Region, this past summer thirteen new vans rolled into the Village.
Each family was ecstatic to pick out their new vehicle from our fleet. The kids explored the new features and enjoyed new radios and extra cool air conditioning.
The fleet included an extra administrative van dedicated to the Club Managers. The extra vehicle is helping take children to medical and court appointments and pick up donations from friends in the community.
Pictured: Top Photo - Miss Linda from house 3670 selected her family’s new red van; Bottom Photo - SOS Chief Development Officer Debbie Levine, Jay DiPietro and SOS Chief Executive Officer Keith DuVernay celebrate the dedication of our admin van to the CMAA for their support.
Related Documents
