Hello and Happy February, Friends! We hope that you find these newsletters to be informative and will reach out to us with any ideas/feedback.
If you are new to FHF, please find an overview here.
Share this newsletter freely. It takes a village to raise a child and we hope that together, we can make it a bit easier!
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Relocated family gifted car by private donor
ALBEMARLE COUNTY, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- An act of kindness will help one Albemarle County family really settle in.
Tristan Kabesa, the executive director of the nonprofit Come As You Are, says it all started when he received a phone call from a private donor. Check out the full story HERE
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Save the Date!
Upcoming FHF meetings:
Mar 8, 2022 05:30 PM
Apr 12, 2022 05:30 PM
May 10, 2022 05:30 PM
Jun 14, 2022 05:30 PM
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Families Helping Families on the Scene |
Via school representative surveys, we’ve narrowed the focus this year to:
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Funding community needs identified by the Solutions team that aren't supported elsewhere in the community.
- Continuing to raise funds to support a summer camp/enrichment activity fund for students identified as needing assistance and
- Raising funds and coordinating county wide ACPS staff appreciation events
Our focus on staff appreciation has been driven by reports of low morale.
“...the National Association of Secondary School Principals released their findings...which showed that principal morale is at one of its lowest points, perhaps ever."
"Nearly one in four teachers may leave their job by the end of the current school year
Black or African American teachers were particularly likely to plan to leave.
A much higher proportion of teachers reported frequent job-related stress and symptoms of depression than the general adult population."
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A huge thank you to all of the volunteers who made special deliveries to our ACPS nurses!
We are super grateful for Radhika as she shared her time and talents with FHF while putting together the nurse appreciation gifts!
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Nurses have a challenging job in the best of times. But we can all agree that their job has been exponentially more stressful and difficult as a result of the pandemic.
With that being said, FHF was honored to spend some time recognizing Albemarle County Public School nurses.
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Behind the scenes for our FHF Nurses' love bomb! |
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Gnome emergency funds can be accessed by ACPS counselors/family support workers to fill gaps in community resources by submitting a help request on behalf of their families thru our website.
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Thank you to Brownsville Rep Fotini Burns and son for collecting board games and delivering to a local high school teacher in response to unexpected school lockdowns:
“Also, I meant to share this sooner, forgive me for not, but THANK YOU, for the board games. My classroom is in the middle of our hall, and with the last threat, three other teachers who had kids in lockdown were able to find games that their students enjoyed and helped calm the panic. Thank you so so much.”
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“...and the tone in the classrooms was so much different for having them. And it was a fantastic blend of games that were accessible for everyone from my ESOL kiddos and for the AP kiddos! Everyone in our pod was so grateful for their efforts and donations!"
"Instead of anxious typing on phones or anxiously pretending to watch a movie, the kids were laughing. It was so, so good. Please, please thank her from all of us!?
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"We say we're a village, but a lot of us don't even know our neighbors. FHF can help make those relationships visible and effective," said Emily Holmstrom, Agnor-Hurt counselor.
“...In the coming year, we’re hoping to raise even more funds to be able to meet an increasing number of requests for emergency needs,” said FHF co-organizer Amanda Alger. “Mental health and transportation are two key needs that come up again and again.”
FHF's fund is managed by the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation. Donations are tax-deductible.
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CAYA Cville needs clothing racks for their free mobile clothing giveaways. Wheels are super helpful, but they would be grateful for any clothing racks to make these events easier. Contact Zachary to donate or for more information about volunteering to help with these events!
Free Book Bus needs help with storage space
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - A Charlottesville nonprofit is growing and it needs your help sharing stories to people of all ages.
Space is getting tight for the Free Book Bus, but not necessarily on the vehicle. Its founder is looking for someone to return the generosity she’s been giving to the community.
Click HERE for the full story.
Other Volunteer Opportunities
Want to help a refugee family of 7 get settled here? Take a look at the wish list on Amazon and the Go Fund Me page set up to assist with rent.
A team of mentors will work with the family helping them settle for the next six months and they are looking for a couple more. A "move in" team is also being organized for around March 4th. Contact Gail Milligan for more information or to volunteer!
Wildrock is seeking teen interns to assist with summer camps! For more info, click HERE.
Her Sports seeking volunteers, and educators to help assist this summer, a location to provide an academy that is cost efficient as well as donations and sponsorships to help fund academy and scholarships for registrants. Click HERE to connect with them for more information.
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2nd Annual HER SPORTS DAY will be hosted on April 23, 2022 from 10:00am - 5:00pm. Last year, for those who attended, we had an amazing time despite the rain and heat.
Our mission for this event is to provide free sporting clinics for ages 14 & under that are based on fundamentals from local coaches and athletes. Sports included are: basketball, field hockey, football, lacrosse, soccer, track, and volleyball. We also invite local organizations/businesses that align with our mission, to set up a table and provide their product/resources to families that attend.
This year we are including workshops around health & wellness for ALL ages through our partnership with "Beauty Within Girls", a non-profit organization from Richmond VA and their "Healthy Girls Matter" campaign.
One great addition, Maia Chaka, 1st NFL African American Official will be in attendance as a keynote speaker.
If you are interested in participating in this year's event, please fill out this form below by March 15th, 2022. All vendors participating, their logo will be advertised on any marketing materials.
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We have all heard "...you cannot pour from an empty cup."
The physical and emotional demands of day-to-day life nowadays can be exhausting and even lead to burnout.
It's important to maintain your own health and well-being so you can provide the best possible care for yourself and thereby, those around you.
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This month, we would like to introduce you to a local self-care resource that is a Charlottesville-based treatment studio that provides clients with a safe place to be cared for:
"We help our clients remove tension, pain and textured skin. Utilizing postural retraining, decompression, stretching and myoskeletal (increasing the space between joints) techniques."
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A parent connected us recently with One Small Step and we've invited the Project Manager to share at our March meeting.
"We know one conversation can’t change the longstanding challenges our country and our communities must confront, but One Small Step is … one, small step forward."
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Happy Black History Month! |
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Please visit the CDC website for more information about American Heart Month
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