Events

Need a tuxedo for Le Bal Masque?

Cardita Formal Wear is offering special discounting to all Le Bal Masque guests and will also give back 10 percent of those sales. Click the link below to learn more.

Nominations being accepted for KAB Awards

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2012 Kathyrn A. Basile Community Service Award to Stop the Tears. If you know someone in the community who should be publically recongized for his or her support and dedication to the local child-welfare system, please email a nomination to christina.kaiser@uff.us by February 15, 2012. 

Good luck!

Online registration for Le Bal Masque will begin Dec. 1

If you wish to reserve seats before then, please call Christina Kaiser at (772) 528-0362 or email christina.kaiser@uff.us.

Business woman contributes $750, increases awareness of United for Families

 
Stuart – Rebecca Beckett, of David Lerner Associates, this week contributed $750 to the Girls Night Out committee, making it possible for the group to fully educate event participants about United for Families and the program for which they are fundraising.
 
Girls Night Out, organized by a group of women business owners in Martin County, is scheduled from 5:30-9 p.m. November 10 at Indian Riverside Park, in Jensen Beach. Tickets are $15 and include complimentary wine and apple-tinis creative appetizers and an evening of shopping.
 
Beckett, a longtime advocate for women’s and children’s issues, wanted to help the Girls Night Out planning committee orchestrate a pre-event reception that would focus on United for Families.
 
“There’s so much going on the night of the event: Guests are there to shop and have a good time, and the vendors are there to promote their businesses,” Beckett said. “There’s just not a lot of time for mission work, so it was important that we meet beforehand and get everyone on the same page.”
 
It’s a very important process, United for Families’ Community Relations Director Christina Kaiser said.
 
“We want our vendors, committee members and sponsors to go back into the community and be ambassadors for our organization,” Kaiser said. “They can’t do that if they don’t understand the purpose for the event.”
 
Proceeds from ticket sales to Girls Night Out will benefit United for Families’ Road to Success program, which prepares teens for life after foster care. Tickets are available at United for Families in Port St. Lucie and Stuart, and at Grassam Spine & Wellness, in Stuart, and Complete Nutrition, in Jensen Beach.
 
“We are so fortunate and grateful to have such remarkable advocates supporting our teens.  We could not do our job without this community support,” said CEO Christine Demetriades. “Ms. Beckett and the Girls Night Out committee truly understand that although a child might have been in foster care, they are first and foremost our community’s children. They are our children.”
 
This year’s theme is Girls Night Out – Spice Your Night, and sponsors include Berman & Berman, Kohl’s, Lauri Goldstein P.A., David Lerner & Associates, Grassam Spine & Wellness, Complete Nutrition Jensen Beach, Cost Cutters, Seabreeze Publications, Hometown News, Jack FM and Breeze FM.

Visit www.uff.us or call (772) 528-0362 for more information.

Tickets are now available for the fourth annual Girls Night Out – Spice Your Night, a shopping and cocktails extravaganza to benefit United for Families.

Tickets are now available for the fourth annual Girls Night Out – Spice Your Night, a shopping and cocktails extravaganza to benefit United for Families.
 
The event is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Nov. 10, 2011, at Indian Riverside Park, in Jensen Beach. Tickets are $15 and available at the United for Families Stuart office, at 3465 SE Willoughby Blvd., United for Families Headquarters, 10570 S. Federal Hwy, Port St. Lucie; Grassam Chiropractic, 1928 SE Federal Hwy., Stuart; and Complete Nutrition Jensen Beach, 2535 NW Federal Hwy., Stuart.
 
All proceeds will go to United for Families, the non-profit organization responsible for all known abused or neglected children in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. This fourth annual event is described as a sort of “Shopalalooza” by its organizers.
 
“It’s cocktail hour meets shopping extravaganza,” said Co-Chairwoman Lynn Hayden. “We wanted to build our event this year around all those great fall spices – cinnamon, cloves, ginger – all those wonderful smells that put us in the holiday shopping mood.”
 
Guests this year will receive two signature drinks, autumn-inspired appetizers and the opportunity to shop from a variety of women-owned businesses.
 
“From the beginning, that was one of the central themes of the event,” said Tasha Chen, event co-chair. “We wanted to create an event that would help grow business among women business owners and support a great cause at the same time.”
 
The model works. Since the first event, more than 50 women-owned businesses have been featured at the event, which has been sponsored by more than a dozen women business owners. Some of those sponsors include Lauri Goldstein, Donna DeMarchi, and Rebecca Mazza, doing business as David Lerner & Associates.
 
Other longtime sponsors include Berman & Berman, Cost Cutters, Entertainment Connections, Frank, White Boyd, Hometown News and Seabreeze Publications.  
 
“I’m really excited to be part of this event,” said Mazza, whose company will also sponsor a special reception for Girls Night Out sponsors and participating businesses. “Events like this are so important because they are empowering to women, who help shed light on important social issues, like child abuse.
 
For more ticket information, call (772) 398-2920. To learn more about United for Families, visit www.uff.us.

Girls Night Out ~ ticket information here

Girls Night Out is set for 5:30 p.m., Nov. 10, at Indian Riverside Park. Tickets go on sale Sept. 15. Email christina.kaiser@uff.us to reserve tickets.

United for Families names Esther Clark-Moore Case Manager of the Quarter

Esther Clark-Moore, a dependency case manager in St. Lucie County, was awarded the United for Families Case Manager of the Quarter Award Sept. 29, 2011, during a community training about the developmental consequences of child abuse and violence.
 
Clark-Moore, who was nominated by her peers, received a $250 bonus and is now in the running for the 2011 Case Manager of the Year Award, which will be awarded March 3, 2012, during United for Families’ Le Bal Masque ~ Greece.
 
“It is a delight to receive such recognition, but I could not have accomplished it without the tremendous support and dedication of my peers,” Clark-Moore said. “They are a superb group to work with, and I am pleased to be a part of the United for Families/Family Preservation Services family.”
 
United for Families is the community based care agency responsible for every known abused or neglected child in St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. Clark-Moore’s employer, Family Preservation Services, is part of United for Families’ network of providers and provides case-management services in St. Lucie County.
 
The organization created the award as a way to recognize and better support the efforts of dependency case managers, who coordinate services for children in the dependency court system. The award has become the centerpiece of United for Families’ program to train and retain quality social workers and stabilize the child-welfare system for children.
 
United for Families CEO Christine Demetriades presented the award at Thursday’s training.
 
“Ms. Moore has shown great skill and professionalism in her work,” Demetriades said. “She is kind, intelligent and places children in the center of her wonderful case work.”
 
For more information about United for Families, or to contribute, please call Christina Kaiser at 398-2920 Ext. 298, or visit www.uff.us.

United for Families names Lissette Maldonado Case Manager of the Quarter

Port St. Lucie – Lissette Maldonado, a dependency case manager in St. Lucie County, was awarded the United for Families Case Manager of the Quarter Award June 30 during a community training about the impact of prescription drug abuse.
 
United for Families is the community based care agency responsible for every known abused or neglected child in St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. Maldonado’s employer, Family Preservation Services, is part of United for Families’ network of providers and provides case-management services in St. Lucie County.
 
The organization created the award as a way to recognize and better support the efforts of dependency case managers, who coordinate services for children in the dependency court system.  The award has become the centerpiece of United for Families’ program to train and retain quality social workers and stabilize the child-welfare system for children.
 
Maldonado, who was nominated by her peers, received a $250 bonus and is now in the running for the 2011 Case Manager of the Year Award, which will be awarded March 3, 2012, during United for Families’ Le Bal Masque ~ in Greece.
 
“I was completely surprised,” Maldonado said. “It’s a great feeling to be recognized for the hard work you put forth.”
 
Her supervisor, Sherina Johnson, wasn’t surprised at all.
 
“Lissette goes above and beyond her job description to provide quality case-management,” Johnson said. “I’m so proud of her.”
 
For more information about United for Families, or to contribute, please call Christina Kaiser at 398-2920 Ext. 298, or visit www.unitedforfamilies.org.

Register now for the Stop the Tears 10K/5K/Walk

We hope to have online registration available beginning September 1, 2011. If you would like to register early, please print out the brochure and registration form below and mail to 10570 S. Federal Hwy. Ste. 300, Port St. Lucie, FL 34952

Networking event planned for June 30

Stuart – The community is invited to attend a Business Connectors networking reception at 5:30 p.m. June 30 at the Courtyard Marriott, Stuart.
 
Cost is $10 and includes two drink tickets, hors d’oeuvres and dessert. Proceeds from ticket sales will be given to United for Families, the non-profit organization responsible for the care of every known abused or neglected child in St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee counties.
 
The Business Connectors also will present the organization with the proceeds from its June 4 Golf Benefit to Stop the Tears – a name that originates from United for Families’ mantra.
 
Crown Car Care owner Todd Harris is underwriting the June 30 event so that all money from networking fees can be donated to the organization.
 
For more information, call John Carr at (561) 541-0947, or visit www.uff.us

Program staff is VIP in the life of a former foster child

Port St. Lucie – Countless people entered and left Jeremy Wilkins’ young life when he was in foster care, but there was on person who was always there – Derrick Fennell, a Road to Success program specialist for United for Families.
 
Jeremy, who graduated from Treasure Coast High School this spring, gave Fennell his only VIP graduation ticket.
 
“Mr. Derrick has been there for me since I was little,” said Jeremy, who spent weeks trying to secure one of the special-seating tickets. “He’s a father figure for me.”
 
Jeremy is one of 12 former foster children in United for Families’ Road to Success program to graduate high school this year. Like all his fellow graduates, he plans to attend college and pursue a better life than the one begun for him.
 
“We continue to see more children age out of traditional foster care, graduate high school and continue on to college,” said Christina Kaiser, Community Relations Director for United for Families. “That’s no small feat for a population that traditionally has been plagued by homelessness, incarceration, early pregnancy and a host of other social ills that prevent them from becoming successful, productive adults.”
 
United for Families created the Road to Success program to prepare children for life outside foster care and to ease their transition into adulthood, Kaiser said.  
 
Since creating the program three years ago, United for Families has reported an increase in the number of former foster children who do well in school, graduate and attend college. In fact, 77 percent of all students enrolled in the program are pursuing advanced degrees.
 
Consequently, the incidence of homelessness and criminal activity among those young people continues to decline.
 
Road to Success students often credit staff for keeping them focused and on the right track.
 
Fennell, who rescheduled plans with his own children to attend Jeremy’s graduation, said he was surprised and moved that the high-school graduate would give him his only VIP ticket.
 
“The next day he brought me a thank-you card and a framed graduation picture,” Fennell said. “What he said in the card really touched me and made me realize how important it is that these kids who age out of foster care have positive and supportive adults in their lives.”
 
Jeremy’s note to Fennel was the simple expression of a life changed:
 
“Thank you so much, Mr. Derrick, for being there for me.”
 
For more information about United for Families, or to contribute to the Road to Success program, please call Christina Kaiser at 398-2920 Ext. 298, or visit www.unitedforfamilies.org.

Registration closed for the Business Connectors Charity Golf Tournament

STUART – Registration is now closed for the Business Connectors Charity Golf Tournament on Saturday, June 4, at Hammock Creek Golf Club in Palm City.  Sign-in for the tournament, which will benefit United for Families’ Road to Success Program, begins at 7:30 a.m. and the shotgun start begins at 8:30 a.m. at the golf club at 2400 Golden Bear Way, Palm City.  
      United for Families is a not-for-profit organization that oversees the local child-welfare system. It provides some services directly, as it does with Road to Success. The agency’s motto is “Stop the Tears.”
     
United for Families’ Road to Success Program
 
      In the past, older teenagers would “age out” of foster care when they turned 18 and many would not have the life skills or any way to go to college or get technical training so they could get good jobs and support themselves or a family, said Christina Kaiser, Director of Community Relations.
      Foster care was not historically designed to meet those needs, she said. Rather, it was designed to provide a stable but temporary home while a child is not able to live with his or her own family. The goal is to reunite the child with their own family, and if that is not possible, for the child to be adopted. 
      Sometimes the child can never return home, and adoption never comes. But age 18 does.
      That is why the Road to Success program was created and added to the local child-welfare system. It helps children and young adults, age 13 through 23, learn the skills necessary to become financially self-sufficient so they don’t have to depend on public assistance. Some of those skills include living on a budget, writing checks, and making choices based on long-term goals rather than immediate gratification. 
       
      On a bigger scale, the program provides both the financial aid and the moral support these young people lack from parents to obtain college degrees or vocational training so they can support themselves and their families for the rest of their lives.
      “These are the people I would turn to before I would even turn to my biological family,” said Rebecca Morgan, 23, who just graduated from FAU with a B.S.W. (Bachelors degree in Social Work). She worked while in school for United for Families, advising people like herself in the Road to Success program. She was hired as a social worker after she graduated.
      “College is something a foster family could not budget for even if they wanted to.”
      The program provides a monthly stipend, funds for up to four years of college tuition at a state school, medical insurance until age 21 while they are a student, and food stamps. For their part, the recipient must maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average, be a fulltime student with extracurricular school activities or a part-time student and work. They cannot use drugs, get in fights or other kinds of disciplinary or criminal problems.  
      “They taught me the adulthood ABCs,” Rebecca said. “They are helping me succeed now so I can succeed later.”
      In very rare cases, mature students can move out on their own with a stipend to help with living expenses.
      Rebecca’s brother Justin Gorniak, 18, qualified for that program.
      Justin said some people think getting help outside his own family pulls a family apart. He disagreed. 
      “We are actually closer with our family now. We are still around them now, and we help them,” he said.
      Rebecca said she will always be grateful for the help from the Road to Success Program.
      “Every person I went to high school with has kids or is working at the mall,” she said. “That’s what I would have ended up with, without this program.”
 
The Business Connectors
      The Business Connectors is an organization that provides weekly networking, sales training and education meetings for its small business members in Martin and St. Lucie counties. Currently, the organization has two groups that meet in Stuart, one that meets in Indiantown, and one that is starting in Port St. Lucie. For more information about The Business Connectors, contact John Carr at 561-541-0947 or Tami Karol-Nicholas at 772-781-7720 or visit www.thebusinessconnectors.net.

First job leads local businessman to lifelong dream

Palm City – Todd Harris got more than a paycheck from his first job; he got a passion and a direction for his life that has led him to become one of Martin County’s great philanthropists.
 
“I worked for a man who owned a full-service station when I was 15,” said Harris, owner of Crown Car Care in Stuart and Palm City. “From the day I started that job, I knew sometime in my life I was going to do what he did.”
 
Harris earned a masters degree in business, moved to Stuart and eventually opened the first of his three auto repair and body shops. Business was great, and Harris decided it was time to give back to the community he loved.
 
He has sponsored many of Martin County’s most high-profile community events, including last year’s Fourth of July fireworks display, the Stuart Air Show and an upcoming Honor Flight, a program that flies veterans to Washington DC to visit war memorials.
 
His most recent support is for United for Families and the June 4 Business Connector’s Charity Golf Tournament raising money for it. Harris’ Crown Car Care is the event’s largest contributor and lead sponsor.
 
Harris said he jumped at the opportunity to help United for Families, which coordinates and oversees the local child-welfare system.
 
“I was adopted, and my wife and I adopted our oldest son,” he said. “What better fit is there to help?”
 
Harris is always the first to offer a hand, said John Carr, co-founder of the Business Connectors and president of JRC Consulting Group, another golf tournament sponsor.
 
In fact, it was Harris who suggested that the Business Connectors – a networking group he belongs to – work together to raise money and awareness for a local non-profit organization.
 
“He is an incredibly talented business man with a very generous soul,” Carr said. “We’re lucking to have him as a member, and United for Families is lucky to have him as a supporter.”
 
The Business Connectors’ Charity Golf Tournament is, June 4, at Hammock Creek Country Club.  Foursomes are $200, individuals are $65 and those who wish to attend the networking luncheon only can do so for $25.
 
To register, visit www.uff.us. Spots are limited, so register now.

United for Families list of sustaining donors still growing

Port St. Lucie – Despite a poor economy and news of dwindling donations throughout the nation, one local organization continues to experience rising levels in its donor pool.
 
In fact, a sustaining donor program started by United for Families three years ago to buffer special client programs against hard financial times added five new members last week, during the organization’s April 28 Breakfast to Stop the Tears.
 
A sustaining donor is someone who agrees to support the organization at a certain level for multiple years, said Christina Kaiser, United for Families Community Outreach Director.
 
“We now have 23 members in our Superhighway of Excellence Society,” said Kaiser, referring to the sustaining donor program. “Each of those members agrees to contribute every year for three years – so as we add new layers of donors each year, we add to both our total annual contributions and to the overall sustainability of the program.”
 
The approach is similar to the more traditional annual campaign, which asks donors to give during a specified time – usually several months.
 
“We are still a relatively new organization with a growing pool of donors and limited volunteers,” Kaiser said. “It made more sense to focus our efforts on a smaller scale and on donors who were already connected to United for Families through our targeted outreach efforts.”
 
The event was simple and straightforward.
 
Chief Executive Officer Christine Demetriades reminded guests of the organization’s mission and vision, and two young adults – both learning independent-living skills through the agency’s Road to Success program, testified about the impact United for Families has had in their lives.
 
Paul Hiott, a retired Naval officer and director of the St. Lucie County Veteran’s Services Council, was the keynote speaker. Hiott, who entered foster care when he was 5, shared his experiences in the system.
 
Finally, Pat McCoy, chairwoman of the United for Families’ Board of Directors and a foster and adoptive mother, gave an impassioned plea for support.
 
 
For information about United for Families, or to contribute to the Road to Success program, please call Christina Kaiser at 398-2920 Ext. 298, or visit www.unitedforfamilies.org.

TD Foundation Contributes $10,000 to United for Families

Port St. Lucie – The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, made a surprise donation of $10,000, April 8, during United for Families’ annual ribbon pinning ceremony to mark National Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month.
 
“It’s not every day that someone hands us $10,000,” United for Families Community Relations Director Christina Kaiser said. “We are very fortunate to have partners like TD Bank working alongside us in the community to break the cycle of child abuse – that’s what Stop the Tears is all about,” she said, referring to the organization’s annual outreach campaign that begins each year with the ribbon pinning.
 
The contribution will be used to help support United for Families’ Road to Success program, which prepares teens and young adults for life outside the foster-care system.
 
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to provide additional, needed services to our children formerly in foster care,” said Christine Demetriades, United for Families Chief Executive Officer.“We are very grateful to TD Bank for this donation and their partnership.  It will be put to immediate, good use.”
 
Road to Success, which serves children in foster care from age 13 through 23, has been instrumental in bolstering FCAT scores among local school-age children, increasing the number of graduating high-school seniors and encouraging more young people to seek advanced degrees.
 
Road to Success is considered so critical to the success of the foster-care system overall that all United for Families fundraising centers around the program.
 
“The TD Bank contribution is a great start to our campaign,” Kaiser said. “We hope others will see this as a challenge to get more involved and come to our Community Breakfast to Stop the Tears.”
 
The breakfast, which is free and open to the general public, officially ends the 2011 Stop the Tears campaign. Registration and more information are available at www.uff.us.
 
Nearly 100 people attended United for Families’ ribbon pinning ceremony. Guests participated by pinning blue ribbons to a nearby tree in honor of the children and families served by the local foster-care system.
 
About the TD Charitable Foundation
The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank N.A., which operates as TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, and is one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. The Foundation's mission is to serve the individuals, families and businesses in all the communities where TD Bank operates, having made $71.2 million in charitable donations since its inception in 2002. The Foundation’s areas of focus are affordable housing, education and financial literacy, and the environment. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation, including an online grant application, is available at www.TDBank.com.

Business Connectors host charity golf tournament

Palm City– The Treasure Coast Business Connectors will host its first fundraiser, a golf tournament to benefit United for Families, June 4, at Hammock Creek Country Club.
 
John Carr, co-founder of the networking group, said the Business Connectors is proud to partner with United for Families and expects a good turnout from members.
 
“It’s an affordable golf tournament,” Carr said. “We wanted this to be something that any of our members could attend because it offers an excellent networking opportunity.”
 
Response to the tournament has been very good, Carr said. In fact, all but three sponsorships were sold before they were made available to the public.
 
“We’ve done golf tournaments before, but I’ve never seen people respond so quickly,” said Christina Kaiser, community relations director for United for Families. “The membership has really taken an interest in this fundraiser.”
 
Carr credits the group’s intimacy for the tournament’s early success. The Business Connectors, a series of networking groups that meet in various locations and at different times throughout the area, host small, weekly meetings that foster tight business connections.
 
Available sponsorships include three hole-in-one sponsorships and some tee sponsorships.
 
Registration for the tournament also is underway. Foursomes cost $200, and individuals can play for $65. Those who don’t want to play golf but do want to attend the networking awards luncheon can do so for $25.
 
All proceeds benefit United for Families, the non-profit organization that coordinates and oversees the child-welfare system in St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee counties.
 
Email John Carr at jrcarr13@att.net to register or to purchase sponsorships. More information about United for Families is available at www.uff.us.  

Local son Paul Hiott to speak at Third Annual Stop the Tears Breakfast

United for Families invites the community to its Third Annual Community Breakfast to Stop the Tears, at 8:30 a.m., April 28, at the Port St. Lucie Civic Center.
 
The breakfast is complimentary and open to everyone.
 
“This event is vital as an outreach and education tool,” said Christina Kaiser, United for Families Community Relations Director. “That’s why we don’t charge anything; we really want people in the community to come learn about what we do and why it’s so important.”
 
Guests at the breakfast will get an up-close look at the local child-welfare system through a combination of various mediums and speakers.
 
This year’s keynote speaker is Paul Hiott, an Okeechobee native who served 20 years in the Navy and 13 years as the St. Lucie County Director of Veterans’ Services. Hiott, who spent much of his childhood in the local foster-care system, will testify to the potential that all foster children have for success.
 
Ashley Hess, who is currently being served in United for Families’ Road to Success program – which prepares teens for life outside foster care – will also speak about her experiences in the system and the positive impact the Road to Success program has had on her life.
 
“This is a very poignant event; it really gets to the heart of what we do,” Kaiser said.
 
It’s also a significant part of United for Families’ fundraising efforts.
 
“At the end of the breakfast, we’ll ask guests to consider joining our sustained donor program,” Kaiser said. “But we don’t expect everyone to join, or to give at all.
 
“It’s more important to us that people come and learn about our programs. We think we can begin a dialogue that may eventually create a greater connection between the community and United for Families.”
 
To register for this free community breakfast, please visit www.uff.us  

Business Connectors' golf tourney to benefit United for Families

The Treasure Coast Business Connectors will host a charity golf tournament June 4 at Hammock Creek Country Club, in Palm City. 

Foursomes are $200, and individuals can play for $65. 

The group, a business-networking organization, also is looking for one Par and three hole-in-one sponsors. Current sponsors include: Crown Car Care (Eagle), David Lerner Associates (Par), Berman & Berman (Golf Ball), Ildiko Insurance Advisors (Snack), Gordan & Donner (Water Station), and JCM Building Services (Greens).

To register, please print the attached document.

United for Families names Dorsena Johnson Case Manager of the Quarter

Port St. Lucie – Dorsena Johnson, a dependency case manager in Okeechobee County, was awarded the United for Families Case Manager of the Quarter Award March 17 during a community training about the impact of domestic violence on children.
 
United for Families is the community based care agency that coordinates and oversees child-welfare services in St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. Johnson’s employer, Children’s Home Society, is part of United for Families’ network of providers and provides case-management services in Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee counties.
 
United for Families created the award as a way to recognize and better support the efforts of dependency case managers, who coordinate services for children in the dependency court system.  The award has become the centerpiece of United for Families’ program to train and retain quality social workers and stabilize the child-welfare system for children.
 
Johnson, who was nominated by her peers, received a $250 bonus and is now in the running for the 2011 Case Manager of the Year Award.
 
“It’s nice to be recognized for all the hard work that is done to try to ensure the safety of children,” Johnson said. “It’s refreshing to see sometime positive about Case Management instead everything that is wrong with Dependency.”
 
Johnson, who said she enjoys helping families succeed, said she is not alone in her passion for the job.
 
“There are still a lot of case managers who love their jobs and work diligently to ensure children’s safety,” she said. “It makes doing this job worthwhile.”
 
For more information about United for Families, or to contribute, please call Christina Kaiser at 398-2920 Ext. 298, or visit www.unitedforfamilies.org.

Foster a Dream Foundation makes second award to United for Families

Port St. Lucie – The Kathryn A. Basile Foster a Dream Foundation made a second $5,000 award to United for Families March 5, during the organization’s Le Bal Masque.
 
The donation will be combined with an earlier $5,000 contribution made in November to the Road to Success program to help older children in foster care pay for senior-year and graduation-related expenses.
 
Foster a Dream was established last year in memory of Kathy Basile, longtime executive director of the St. Lucie County Children’s Services Council, whose wish was to create a charitable foundation that would serve the needs of children in foster care.
 
United for Families Board Chair Pat McCoy accepted the award from Ms. Basile’s relatives, siblings Lynn Silva and Steve Basile, mother Gloria Geswell and husband, Tom Gonzales.
 
The issues faced by children in foster care, especially older teenagers, were taken very seriously by Kathy, said Gonzalez, president of the foundation. That’s why the foundation has embraced United for Families and its Road to Success program, which teaches independent-living skills to teens in foster care.
 
"I am so thrilled that our children will have this wonderful opportunity to experience the rites of passage other children enjoy,” said Christine Demetriades, United for Families Chief Executive Officer. “The children in foster care truly captured Kathy's heart."
 
Basile, executive director of the St. Lucie County Children’s Services Council until she died in 2009,  was the recipient of many awards for her work with local children, including: the Florida Senate Medallion of Excellence; the Florida Coalition of Children’s Lifetime Achievement Award; the 19th Judicial Circuit Award; Florida’s Children Forum School Readiness Coalition Award; and the Children Home Society’s Dave Thomas Child Advocate of the Year Award.
 
In October 2009, United for Families unveiled the Kathryn A. Basile Community Service Award to Stop the Tears at its Le Bal Masque. Sean Boyle, executive director of the Children’s Services Council of St. Lucie County, accepted the award on behalf of Basile, who was given the honor posthumously.
 
Elizabeth Barbella, policy and operations director for the Martin County Children’s Services Council, was presented with the 2011 award.
 
Donations to the Kathryn A. Basile Foster a Dream Foundation should be sent to: Kathryn A. Basile Foster A Dream Foundation, P.O. Box 7338, Port St. Lucie, FL 34985. For more information about the foundation, email fosteradream@optimum.net.
 
File: basile.JPG

United for Families names Ashley Erickson Case Manager of the year

Port St. Lucie – Ashley Erickson, an adoptions specialist for Children’s Home Society, was awarded the United for Families Case Manager of the Year Award March 5, 2011, during United for Families’ Rio-themed gala, Le Bal Masque ~ Carnaval
 
United for Families is the non-profit organization that coordinates and oversees child-welfare services in St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee counties.
 
 “I love my job because I am giving a child a family, a new start at life, and hopefully a brighter future,” Erickson said. “By receiving this award, it lets me know that my peers and upper management believe in my knowledge and ability to get the job done.
 
“Thank You to United for Families, Children’s Home Society, and Family Preservation for supporting not only myself but the whole adoption unit; we could not do such a wonderful job with out your support. We are a team.”
 
United for Families created the award as a way to recognize and better support the efforts of dependency case managers, who coordinate services for children in the dependency court system.  The award has become the centerpiece of United for Families’ program to train and retain quality social workers and stabilize the child-welfare system for children.
 
Erickson is the fourth winner of the annual award, which comes with a $1,000 bonus contributed in part by United for Families’ supporter Sheet Metal Unlimited.
 
Sheet Metal was the King of Carnaval at the March 5 event, which featured samba dancers, Latin music, a brilliant parade float and all the color and sound of Rio’s famed celebration of Mardi Gras.
 
 
Representatives from Foster a Dream, a foundation established in the memory of the late Kathryn A. Basile, attended the event to participate in United for Families’ Second Annual Kathryn A. Basile Community Service to Stop the Tears Award. Elizabeth Barbella, of the Martin County Children’s Services Council was awarded the honor by a committee of community leaders.
 
Representatives from the foundation, which had previously given United for Families $5,000 to help teens transitioning out of foster care, surprised Chief Executive Officer Christine Demetriades with an additional $5,000 the night of the event.
 
For more information about United for Families, or for reservations to March 3, 2012, Le Bal Masque, please call Christina Kaiser at 398-2920 Ext. 298, or visit www.uff.org.

Elizabeth Barbella awarded United for Families Community Service Award

Stuart – United for Families awarded its 2011 Kathryn A. Basile Community Service Award to Stop the Tears March 5, 2011, to Elizabeth Barbella.
 
Barbella, a longtime advocate of children’s services throughout the Treasure Coast and the director of policy and operations for the Martin County Children’s Services Council, is only the second recipient of the award, established in 2009 and renamed that same year in honor of the late Kathryn A. Basile.
 
“It was an honor to receive the award,” said Barbella, calling it a defining moment in her career. “I once read that the prevention work done in social services is likened to that of Cathedral building.
 
“We are often laying the foundation for something great to come in the future knowing that we may or may not be here to bear witness to it, but we keep showing up because we are committed being a part of something greater,” she said.
 
“That to me is the soul of child advocacy.”
 
The Martin County resident was nominated by Children’s Services Council Director David Heaton and awarded the honor during United for Families’ Le Bal Masque.
 
She served as past chair of the Treasure Coast Advocacy Coalition (formerly TCCC) and facilitated its Legislative Summit. She currently serves as chair of the Shared Services Network Steering Committee, and as a director on the Shared Services Alliance of Okeechobee and the Treasure Coast. As such, she has guided the development of an advocacy effort for early intervention and prevention of youth substance abuse. 
 
“Elizabeth’s efforts can best be described as a determined, focused, long-term perseverance on behalf of children who do not have a place at the table or a voice that is heard,” Heaton said. “Martin County is a better place for children and families because of Elizabeth’s work.”
 
The Kathryn A. Basile Award was created to recognize individuals in the community whose contributions of time, effort or wealth have significantly advanced United for Families’ mission to break the cycle of child abuse.
 
Basile, who spent her life advocating for children, received the award posthumously in 2009.
 
“Ms. Basile would be very happy and proud to know that someone the caliber of Ms. Barbella received this award named in her honor,” said Christine Demetriades, United for Families Chief Executive Officer. “Elizabeth is truly a leader in our community and an advocate for children and families.”

James Crocker gives to United for Families

Port St. Lucie – James Crocker has been the king of water blasting since he graduated high school in 1988. He now has a new title to add to his royal compendium – King of Carnaval.
 
Crocker, founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Stuart-based Waterblasting Technologies and Sheet Metal Unlimited, contributed $5,500 to United for Families’ Le Bal Masque ~ Carnaval. The contribution makes Crocker and Sheet Metal the event’s lead – or King of Carnaval - sponsor.
 
“It’s quite an honor to have someone like Mr. Crocker throw his support behind our organization,” United for Families Community Relations Director Christina Kaiser said. “Le Bal Masque is about helping teenagers in foster care find success, and Mr. Crocker’s life is a story of success that began when he was still a teenager.”
 
Crocker founded Waterblasting Technologies soon after graduating high school in 1988. The company began as a small pressure-cleaning company and eventually grew into a successful residential and commercial painting company, where Crocker noted the importance of high- pressure water jets to remove paint.
 
“The opportunity arose to use those jet pumps to remove road markings,” said Crocker, who eventually patented a tool to remove markings from roads and airport runways at a fraction of the time formerly required.
 
Waterblasting now sells the tool, called the Stripe Hog, which was debuted at the American Traffic Safety Services Association in 2005 and received the Innovation of the Year Award.
 
Crocker now has five patents pending, and Stripe Hog operates in more than 80 countries throughout the world.
 
Crocker’s most recent success is the expansion of a second company, Sheet Metal Unlimited, a general fabrication and machine shop that houses a state-of-the-art laser cutter and sand-blasting booth.
 
This year’s Le Bal Masque is scheduled for March 5, 2011, and will “travel” to Rio de Janeiro. The date coincides with the Brazilian celebration of Carnaval – the world’s largest, loudest and most colorful celebration of Mardi Gras.
 
Like previous Le Bal Masque galas, this year’s event will feature both live and silent auctions and a special display of artwork from renown local artists. This year’s theme, however, lends itself to a special Brazilian dinner of traditional steaks and the national drink, caipirinha.
 
For reservations, visit www.uff.us or call (772) 398-2920.

United for Families welcomes new board member

Port St. Lucie –   Joe Chiarella, an insurance specialist with Brown and Brown Insurance, in Vero Beach, is the latest member to join the United for Families’ Board of Directors.
 
Chiarella, an avid runner, said he decided to join United for Families after becoming familiar with the agency’s mission by participating in its annual Stop the Tears 5K run.
 
United for Families is the local non-profit that coordinates and oversees the child-welfare system in St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. Its mission is to break the cycle of child abuse through a diverse network of community partners and innovative services.
 
“It's the organizations commitment to the welfare of children in difficult family situations that motivated me to join UFF,” Chiarella said. “I learned about the organization from the run and wanted to learn more.”
 
Chiarella, who moved to Vero Beach as a child and attended college at the University of Florida, has been in the insurance industry for the past nine years. He is married to April, and the two are proud “parents” of dogs Harley and Sable.
 
When he is not busy with United for Families matters, Chiarella spends his time directing the Indian River County Enterprise Zone Development Agency and serving on the board of directors for the Samaritan Center of Indian River County. He also is a board member for the Young Professional Network of Indian River County and serves as a loaned executive for the United Way.
For more information about United for Families, or to donate, please call Christina Kaiser at 398-2920 Ext. 298 or visit www.unitedforfamilies.org.

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United for Families (#CH20325)is registered with the state under the Solicitation of Contributions Act. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling 1-800-435-7352. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval or recommendation by the state.

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