Embrace Families Seeking Elves to Help Spread Holiday Magic to Youth in Foster Care
The lead nonprofit agency overseeing child welfare in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties needs hundreds of elves to help spread holiday magic to youth in foster care. Each year, Embrace Families invites the community to contribute to its Holiday Magic initiative, which collects meals, toys and other gifts that are given to children, young adults and families served by the organization. For many of them, this time of year can be a heavy reminder of the instability in their lives. There are two
Thanks, Central Florida — Love, Kids in Foster Care
Fresh-cooked family meals. Long-awaited reunions with loved ones. Keeping old traditions alive while starting new ones. Counting our blessings from the year gone by. No matter what “the holidays” look like in your family, this season is all about the things that bring us together. It’s about setting aside distractions and spending time with the people we care about most. And above all, it’s a reminder to be thankful for what we have – and to share what we can with others. In the wake of COVID-19 and
2022 Fore Our Kids Golf Tournament Most Successful to Date
Embrace Families wants to thank community supporters for making its fifth annual golf outing the most successful tournament to date. More than $85,000 was raised at the “Fore Our Kids” tournament, which was held at Hawk’s Landing Golf Club in Orlando on October 21. Funds raised will support critical services for vulnerable Central Florida children and families, including those experiencing homelessness and foster care. As the leading nonprofit agency overseeing child welfare in Orange, Osceola and
Embrace Families Foundation Receives Grant from South Seminole Rotary
Embrace Families, the lead nonprofit agency overseeing child welfare in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, was one of 12 organizations to recently receive a grant from the South Seminole Rotary. The funding was designated to support the EmbraceCommunity campaign, which focuses on immediate and urgent needs of Central Florida children and families that are not covered by other resources. The Rotary grant contributed to the “Back to School in Style” initiative, which helped Embrace Families provide
AT&T Foundation Awards $25,000 Grant To Embrace Families Community Based Care
ORLANDO, Fla. – Embrace Families Community Based Care, a nonprofit overseeing the local child welfare system, received a $25,000 grant from AT&T Foundation. The grant supports the agency’s Career Builder summer internship program, which provides on-the-job career experience for teens in foster care. A total of 31 Central Florida teens completed the program during their 2022 summer break.The Career Builder program is designed to help overcome barriers and challenges to
Embrace Families Hosts Special Brunch to Honor Grandparent & Relative Caregivers
Local child welfare leaders recently hosted a special brunch to honor grandparent and relative caregivers. Guests of Embrace Families and Children’s Home Network were treated to brunch by Bless My Soul Catering & More before receiving nutrition and exercise tips from HIIT Fit Group’s Master Trainer, Coach Curtis Huggins. Neika Berry, Children’s Home Network Director, and MaryEtta Clarkson, Embrace Families’ Kinship Program Director, thanked caregivers for all they do. This message of
Universal Orlando Foundation Provides $25,000 Grant To Help Address Crisis Of Family Homelessness
ORLANDO, Fla. (September 15, 2022) – Universal Orlando Foundation recently awarded a $25,000 grant to Embrace Families Solutions to help address the crisis of family homelessness. The grant supports Pathways to Home, a program that helps to quickly connect local homeless families with children to services that place them in stable housing and help them remain there. Philanthropic contributors, like Universal Orlando Foundation, are instrumental in helping the Pathways program end family homelessness in
Community Supports Vulnerable Families by Donating to Embrace Families’ School Drive
Embrace Families wants to thank the Central Florida community for helping meet the back-to-school needs of 70 children served by the organization’s family stabilization programs. The average out-of-pocket cost for uniforms is $90. To off-set some of the financial stress many families are experiencing, the team at Embrace Families launched the “Embrace Community Back to School in Style” drive. As the lead nonprofit agency overseeing child welfare in Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties, Embrace Families
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Former Foster Youths Say Greater Access To A Driver’s License Changed Their Lives For The Better
ORLANDO, Fla. – Child welfare advocates, including three young adults who grew up in foster care, recently met with U.S. Congressional leaders to present new data on Florida’s “Keys to Independence” program, an initiative developed in Orlando by Embrace Families to help youth in foster care earn driver’s licenses.Since its initial pilot in 2013, the Keys to Independence project has helped thousands of teens and young adults in foster care earn driver’s licenses by reimbursing costs associated with
Congratulations Seminole Business Awards Nominees!
Congratulations to the 70 companies who were nominated for our annual Seminole Business Awards, the time when we recognize those firms who are making a difference in growing the economy of Seminole County and our region. These companies represent a wide range of businesses in all types of industries. We're looking forward to what our judges think and the final results of their decisions. Remember, our nominees will be judged by people outside of the Orlando metropolitan area. If you're on the list, please
“Dance, Dream & Inspire” Competition Raises More Than $200,000 To Help Local Children At Risk Of Abu
Sarah Hohman Wins Ninth Annual Dance Competition;Chassity Vega Wins “Most Popular” Fundraising Award ORLANDO, Fla. (May 20, 2022) – Sarah Hohman and her partner, Romney Reyes, danced their way to victory at the “Dance, Dream & Inspire” charity competition; while Chassity Vega and her partner, Jose Perez, captured the spirit of the night, leading all others on the fundraising board. All together the high-spirited event raised more than $200,000 for a local charity that serves vulnerable children and their
It’s Okay Not to Feel Okay: Kids and Mental Health
By Dr. Corrie Kindyl, PhD., LMHC, LMFT, NCC, ACS From economic instability to at-home isolation, the COVID-19 pandemic took a heavy toll on America’s collective mental health. But for children and young adults, a steady rise in mental illnesses like anxiety and depression has been in the works for much longer. In a trend so marked that The New York Times dubbed it the “Inner Pandemic,” incidences of depressive episodes in adolescents rose 60% from 2007 to 2019. Similar sharp increases were observed for
Embrace Families’ “Dance Dream & Inspire” Returns To Raise Funds, Awareness For Youth In Foster Care
ORLANDO, Fla. (April 20, 2022) – One of Central Florida’s most entertaining dance competitions will return to the main stage at Hard Rock Live on Saturday, May 7 with a goal of raising $100,000 to support programs that help youth in foster care. Dance, Dream & Inspire matches five local celebrities with professional ballroom dancers to perform live, choreographed routines ranging from the Viennese waltz to the Argentine tango. The annual gala benefits Embrace Families, the tri-county area’s leading
Embrace Families To Mark Child Abuse Prevention Month With Manicure Movement And Web Series
More than one billion children worldwide are exposed to violence every year. To call attention to this staggering statistic, April is recognized as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Embrace Families, the lead nonprofit agency overseeing child welfare in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, is hosting a number of educational events to raise awareness and promote advocacy. On Friday, April 1, the nonprofit will kick off its 6th annual MANicure Movement® – a grassroots effort designed to start serious
Embrace Families give youth in foster care a special Teen Break
A group of 10 teenagers in foster care spent their spring break preparing for the future by exploring potential career interests. As the lead nonprofit agency overseeing child welfare in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties, Embrace Families strives to provide youth in foster care with the same experiences that peers in traditional families have – which ultimately led to the creation of the Teen Break program. During Spring Break 2022, Embrace Families took the group of 15-to-17-year-olds on a
Summer Apprentice Program Opens Doors for Youth in Foster Care
Are you looking for extra help this summer and want to help young adults in foster care at the same time? If so, please consider hosting an apprentice (at no cost to you, other than your time!) with Embrace Families’ Career Builder Summer Apprenticeship Program. Embrace Families’ Career Builder program works to introduce working age young adults in the foster care system to a variety of career options, and to open doors to help them achieve their career goals. The goal of the program is to introduce
Now Is Our Chance to Invest in Florida’s Future
As Florida’s legislature deliberates how best to use a nearly $4 billion budget surplus – the product of unexpected tax revenue combined with an influx of federal aid during the pandemic – our state is faced with a big question: What can we do today to solve the problems of tomorrow? The Florida Coalition for Children (FCC) has an answer: Let’s invest in Florida’s families. With just a small fraction of the billions available, we can keep more families out of the child welfare system, bolster essential
Embrace Families Drives National Change for Youth in Foster Care
ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb 11, 2022) – Designed to give children in foster care the same opportunities as their peers, a transformative program pioneered by Central Florida-based Embrace Families has now become an example for other jurisdictions across the country. On behalf of the Children’s Bureau and in partnership with ICF, Embrace Families (overseeing child welfare in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties) and Treehouse (an organization providing similar services in the state of Washington) have come
Keys To Independence Enables 1,000 Foster Kids In Florida Get Driver’s Licenses
Embrace Families to Help Other States Introduce Similar Programs ORLANDO, Fla. (Jan. 26, 2022) – Keys to Independence (K2I), a statewide program which started in Central Florida as a pilot project eight years ago, recently reached an impressive milestone: awarding its 1,000th driver’s license to a youth in foster care. Funded by the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) and managed by Embrace Families, the lead agency overseeing child welfare in Orange, Osceola and Seminole
As an Ally, As a Leader: The Modern Civil Rights Legacy
By Tykeem McCord, 2021-2022 Public Allies Central Florida participant “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability,” as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “but comes through continuous struggle.” In recent years, more and more Americans have been recognizing that legacy by using Martin Luther King, Jr. Day not as a “day off,” but a “day on” – a chance to start a conversation about challenges in our community, work together to share solutions, and further Dr. King’s conviction in building
