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BGCCF Update | May 22, 2020
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JOLANA MITCHELL
WALT DISNEY WORLD CLUBHOUSE!
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YOUTH OF THE YEAR HONORED IN UNUSUAL, BUT FITTING WAY
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Usually, there's a lot of pomp and circumstance surrounding our Kiwanis Club of Orlando Foundation Youth of the Year. After all, the hard-won award recognizes our most exemplary Club youth, who typically ascends the stage in party finery at our Celebrate the Children Gala, and is handed a crystal award in front of 1,000 community leaders to thunderous applause.
But then COVID threw us a curve ball, which meant that Jolana spent her crowning moment handing out "blessings baskets" full of household necessities to needy families in Pine Hills.
And that suited the teen, who according to Senior Service Director Jose Bastias "has a true heart for service," just fine. In fact, it couldn't have been a more special, and fitting tribute to the young woman, who has overcome a childhood marked by homelessness and poverty to help raise her two younger sisters, hold down two jobs, teach her beloved art skills to younger Club members, and ultimately win a full scholarship to Rollins College.
How did this unusual 'coronation' come about? Longtime board member and financial podcast host Gary Kaltbaum wanted to do something to help families who had been p
articularly hard hit financially by the COVID crisis. When he learned Jolana's story, he thought a perfect way to honor her would be to provide funding for 50 "blessings baskets" full of quarantine supplies -- household cleaners and paper goods, in addition to art sets, games and activities to keep homebound children engaged-- to Club families in Pine Hills, all in honor of Jolana's achievement.
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And the piece de resistance? Every family also received a casserole of Jolana's favorite food -- pasta alfredo with chicken, plus salad--to have dinner at home in her honor.
Jolana's reaction to a decidedly less-fancy Youth of the Year Celebration speaks volumes of the teen's character: "It's made me feel like I'm on top of the world," she said of the basket distribution. "I never dreamed I'd help accomplish something like this."
Watch News 6's inspiring coverage of the event!
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COVID NO MATCH FOR JUNES' DETERMINATION, PHILANTHROPY
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Each year, Jamie and Randy June’s Junebug Foundation holds a fundraiser at Top Golf to benefit our Club operations in West Orange County, where they’ve lived for 20 years, and raised their daughters. But when the COVID crisis put the kibosh on this year’s event, Jamie was undaunted.
“Our Club kids need our support now more than ever,” said Jamie. “Their families were struggling before this all hit, and just because we can’t get together in person doesn’t mean we can’t help out,” she said.
Jamie shifted her fundraising efforts to electronic means, and through social media, phone calls, texts, and emails (she stopped short of smoke signals!), she’s raised more than $15,000 toward her goal of $25,000. “We’ll get together and celebrate when this is all over,” said Jamie. “In the meantime, the Clubs are doing great things with virtual programming and providing food relief for families—and when they reopen this summer, we’ll be there for them.”
Thank you, Jamie and Randy, for your unflagging support of our children!
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Blue Doors Closed, Hearts Wide Open
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OUR RESPONSE TO COVID-19
(Rolling Totals as of 5/20/2020)
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35,615
Individuals Served
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6,140
Snack Packs
Delivered
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4,400+
"Check-in" Calls to
Club Families
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6,104
Cyber Clubhouse
Page Visits
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18 Clubs
Now Offering "Cyber Clubhouse Live!"
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Click on the links below for more information and resources on how you can support Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida.
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HEROES SERVING HEROES:
TUPPERWARE BRANDS CLUB SERVES FIRST RESPONDER FAMILIES
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Did you know that for the last few weeks, we've been serving the children of first responders in Osceola County?
Our Tupperware Brands Branch has been open -- with strict new social distancing protocols in place--to give Osceola's police, fire, and health care workers a nurturing child care alternative while they're at work keeping us safe.
Parent Bethzaida Garcia of the Osceola County Sheriff's Department called the program "
a blessing--having a place, a safe place, knowing that she’ll be in a fun place, it was great when I heard the news."
Watch WESH 2 News' story
HERE
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Deepest gratitude to the following generous donors who have already joined our Club Heroes campaign. You are ensuring that our organization, and our families, stay strong through this crisis, and that we will emerge with renewed purpose to create great futures for our Club members!
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Phillip & Jennifer Anderson
Anonymous
Atlantic Culvert Company, Inc.
Kim Beattie
The Cocoa Rotary Foundation, Inc.
Ray & Lydia DiSanza
Hans & Cay Jacobsen Foundation
Heathrow Women's Club Charities Inc.
Drew & Paula Madsen
Space Coast Realtors Charitable Foundation
Jim & Jonnie Swann
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Brian Baker
Chepenik Financial
The Duke Energy Foundation
Mark & Maureen Filburn – Providence Construction, LLC
GolfNow
Kevin & Denise Habicht
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David & Linda Hughes
Humana
IDEX Foundation
Jonathan Ledden
Office Depot
N. Christine Sylvester
Winter Park Health Foundation
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Steven & Jean Allender
AIT Engineering
Steve & Patty Appel
Kathleen Benham
David & Lyn Berelsman
Tom & Ann Brooks
Wes & Paula Brumback
Keith & Lila Buescher
Gary & Louise Cain
John & Dede Caron
Derrick Chandler
Jeffrey & Cheryl Chudnow
James & Allison Clark
Vivek & Tejal Desai
Les & Jill Eiserman
Equity Partners, Inc.
Jim & Jennifer Etscorn
FAME Group, Inc.
Robert & Mary Frantz
Georgianna United Methodist Church
Dr. Nathan Hill
Graff Holdings
Kevin R. Hill & Nicholas F. Farinella
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Esther Johnston
Kelly Family Cuidiu Foundation
Steve & Judith Kirby
Cheryl Mall
Paul & Stacey Manos
Kyle Maryanski & Patti Tuey-Maryanski
Steve & Cheryl Miller
Mike & Marybeth Morsberger
Nextera Enery Foundation, Inc
OUC- The Reliable One
Renaissance Charitable Foundation
The Rotary Club of Lake Mary
Russ & Mazie Salerno
Scan Design
Shutts & Bowen LLP
Sidhu Family Foundation Inc.
SIMS Crane & Equipment Co.
James Stroz
Tampa Orlando Pinellas Jewish Foundation, Inc.
The Villages Theater Company
Stan & Kim Van Gundy
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Allender & Allender, P.A.
Jennifer Ashton
Camelot Properties Referral Group, LLC
CCH Marketing & Events, Inc.
Nancy Conicella
Kristin Davis
Phillip C. DeLong
Duke Energy Florida, LLC
Dr. Steven & Suzanne Dukes
Michael & Layne Fess
Cami C. Leech Florio
Marti Forknervernon
James & Jean Gallagher
Lamont & Lynda Garber
Generator Consulting Service, LLC
Garrett & Laura Jones
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Clark Keator
Jason & Krista Kirk
Allison Krueger
Les Choux Company
Beverly Madison
Drew & Paula Madsen
Diane & John Mahony
Nathan & Ashley Male
William & Rebecca Manuel
Christopher Pirolo
Charles & Shanda Redding
William & Ann Schooley
Star Distributions Systems
Walmart
Wilhelm Construction
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Charla Albury
Christyne Albury
Jay Baker
Brasfield & Gorrie LLC
Nick Brown
Stephen Burns
Kathy Burt
Robert & Caroline Buster
Chad & Elizabeth Cain
Bryan Campbell
Circuit Breaker Sales
Amber Clore
D1 Orlando
Daniel & Sheila DeCiccio
Clara Ewing
Rosanne Firriolo
Stephen Forte
George Ganzenmuller
David Hicks
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Russ Hill
Sue Hoeksema
International Title and Escrow Co, LLC
Sarah Johnston
Ken Keesee
Tim Lambert
Angie Langley
Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis
Morgan Sports Group
Bruce & Shayla Mount
Ashley & Baron Robertson
Steven & Jennifer Sabga
Fiona Shannon
Phillip Smith
Daniel & Heidi Velasquez
John & Betsey West
Lena & Craig Williams
Libby Wingard
Terrence Young, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church
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About Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida
The mission of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those from disadvantaged circumstances, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. At our 36 Clubs, we provide a safe and nurturing Club experience every day after school, and all summer long, for more than 16,000 children.
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