Cleft of the Rock Foundation, Inc. wishes you and your family a

Voices of the Village

Wisdom is defined as the ability to think and act using knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense and insight. "Voices of the Village" is utilized to showcase wisdom from wise and wonderful parents.



Invest your life in loving and training your children, then you will see your adult children thrive and walk uprightly. Additionally, work rigorously to break generational curses. - Dr. Sandra Sherman

Only 29 days Until Our Hoedown Throwdown!

Don't miss our second Annual Friendsgiving Celebration. This year our theme is a Hoedown Throwdown. We look forward to seeing you all there. We will feature the following:

Line and Square dancing

Hayrides

Farm animal experiences

Pony rides (for the little ones)

Face painting

Cornhole Tournament

Tire Flipping Contest

Live Auction

Twighlight Bonfire – and much more!

Advanced tickets are $40 for adults - $20 for children under 12 and that covers everything above plus country fixin's and country soft drinks.

Please support by coming and inviting friends and family. If you can’t come, buying a ticket to sponsor a parent or adult who can’t afford it for their own family would be awesome too!

The Git Up Line Dance

Click on the video below to start practicing one of the line dances that we will be doing at our Hoedown Throwdown Event.

I was Raised by the Village!

Lamorn Rolle

University of the Bahamas

Cleft of the Rock Foundation, Inc. is   #BahamasStrong

Cleft of the Rock Foundation, Inc. would like to thank everyone who has made donations or helped in any other way towards our hurricane Dorian relief efforts for Freeport, Grand Bahama Island. We continue to support the Bahamas in any way possible. On October 19th, 2019 YnG DNA hosted a basketball clinic, where they held a raffle, sold merchandise and collected nonperishable items for the Bahamas. A portion of their proceeds from that event were donated to Cleft of the Rock Foundation, Inc. Below are photos from the event.

YngDna has collaborated with Cleft of The Rock Foundation to create this exclusive Bahamas line 50% of the proceeds will be donated to help our neighbors in the Bahamas. 

Welcome our Newest Intern: Brandon Hansraj



We look forward to having you on board with us, here at Cleft of the Rock Foundation, Inc.

I am a first generation Interdisciplinary Social Science student with a wide array of professional and personal experiences. My purpose is to strive to make impactful growth in every field of human endeavor. I am passionate and also have experience in teaching, graphic design, photography, video editing, writing, and social media (marketing and public relations). I look forward to furthering my skills and knowledge in a growing company, to help make lasting impacts. 

9-Week Parenting on Purpose Video Series by Dr. Bob Barnes

 

 

We all know that children don’t come with instruction manuals, and with today’s barrage of seemingly opposing information and uncharted societal issues, parenting can seem overwhelming. The 9-week Parenting on Purpose Video Series seeks to help parents make sense of all the information, through proven and practical parenting solutions created by Dr. Bob Barnes. Dr. Barnes has a doctorate in counseling and received his education at Maryville College and Florida Atlantic University and he presents seminars and conferences on Parenting and Marriage throughout North America.

Parenting on Purpose Weekend Retreat

We are looking forward to hosting the Parenting on Purpose Video Series in a weekend retreat. It will be an opportunity for parents to immerse themselves in the series and connect with other parents. It will be hosted just a short drive away, so it's easy to get to. Childcare will be available so we encourage parents to bring their children and make this a fun family get away. We will also be offering surprise give-aways. The retreat will be Friday- Sunday. We look forward to seeing you there. More information coming soon.

9- Week Video Series



Location: Deerfield Beach, FL

Date: September 9th, 2019- November 4th, 2019

Every Monday at 6:30 PM

(Wrapping up)

*Virtual Parenting on Purpose Series*

Date: January 6- March 2, 2020

Location: Online- Video Conference

Time: 8:00 PM

Weekend Retreat Parenting on Purpose Series

Date: July 17-19, 2020

Location: Naples, Florida

Click on the link below to register

Parenting on Purpose Support Sessions

Cleft of The Rock is committed to supporting each family we encounter. We recognize that in these times, it’s incredibly difficult to plan ahead or fit self-improvement as parents into our already jam-packed schedules. From hour-long commutes, to our kids’ extra-curricular activities, to overtime, or a million other time-consumers, it can seem impossible to keep your head above water much less commit to getting somewhere, even if you will leave that somewhere fulfilled, refreshed and better equipped to parent deliberately. 

We have good news! We’re introducing our Parenting On Purpose Support sessions (POPS), every Sunday afternoon. The great news is you can join by Video chat from wherever you are! Jump in to let off steam, chime in, or just listen to the topic of the week...whatever you need.

POP or COP Alumni please click on the link below to register:

POP Support Sessions Registration

Conversations on Parenting 

If you would be interested in hosting a Conversations on Parenting meeting with a group of your friends and family please reach out to us. We would love to have one of our board members facilitate a meeting and continue to grow the awareness of the importance of parent education.

Click on the form below to register for an upcoming Conversations on Parenting meeting.

SPACE IS LIMITED, SO REGISTER TODAY!

Conversations on Parenting Registration Form

Calling All Volunteers

Helping doesn't have to be complicated. Just use what you know how to do to help. That's called volunteering! We are always in need of new volunteers and would greatly appreciate your time, in any way that you can contribute. If you have teenagers and they need hours for school, any time they volunteer with us can count towards their goal. You can volunteer by lending a hand at an upcoming event, like our Friendsgiving Hoedown Event, collecting donations on our behalf, or helping us pack/prepare donations. If you would like to volunteer, simply click on the link below to fill out the form and we will contact you:

Volunteer Form

Thank you for your continued support!

NOW you can order your T-shirt directly on our website and have it shipped to your house. Simply click on the link below, select your size and quantity, make a $20 donation + shipping and receive your "Not Your Basic Parent" t-shirt. Help us spread awareness on who we are and what we do by sporting your t-shirt to work, the grocery store, your children's events, and more.

Partners in Parent Education Program

The Mission of Cleft of the Rock Foundation is to help abused and abandoned children and struggling families improve their circumstances through education, life-coaching, proper shelter, nourishment and work. Through the Partners in Parent Education Program, you can partner with us to raise awareness of the need for parent education, be able to offer more parent education opportunities to more families, and to build communities where families are strong and children are safe through the love and support of deliberate parenting.



We have a Major Gift Society Giving Circle that consists of 5 different levels to meet your budget and your desire to partner. These are yearly amounts that are tax deductible. The end of the year is near, take this time to make a difference and support Cleft of the Rock Foundation, Inc. to help parents and children!

Please click on the link to join your circle, and become our partner. We are excited about the success we are having so far with the initiatives that we are engaged in, and we welcome your partnership. 

Diamond Circle - $10,000.00

Sapphire Circle - $5,000    

Gold Circle - $2,500.00

Silver Circle - $1000.00     

Bronze Circle - $500.00

Grooming: Psychological, Physical and Community

By Paul Ashton, Psy.D., D.Min.

 "The best thing we can do for our children is to love them, support them and keep them safe from harm and abuse. Anything other than that should be considered a failure."        

The Protecting God's Children program highlights three important tactics that child abusers employ to get closer to children so that they can molest them, called grooming techniques. It is important to be aware of grooming so as to avoid situations that place you and the children in your care in danger. We watch and observe the behaviors of child abusers so that we can understand how they operate and what they do to get close to families and children. What we have found includes three categories of grooming: physical, psychological and community grooming.

Grooming is best defined as the "predatory act of maneuvering another individual into a position that makes them more isolated, dependent, likely to trust, and more vulnerable to abusive behavior." 

Victims of grooming can be anyone-children, adults and even the most savvy and sophisticated among us. We all think we are super aware of our surroundings and interactions, but those who employ grooming techniques are highly in tune with tricking us into believing that their intentions are pure. Without training, we don't ` realize what has happened until it is way too late. This article will highlight ways in which you can heighten your awareness and put yourself in a better position to defend against any possible abuser. Keep in mind that it is difficult, and that hindsight is always 20/20. 

Let's look at a non-related, but true example to illustrate what can happen to innocent people: A couple is selling some furniture through a reputable website. They get an offer from someone who calls and says they are out of town, but really want the furniture. They are coming into town in a week, but would you please hold the furniture for them. To solidify the deal, they will send you a bank check for the items. You agree and are enthused that you found a buyer. In a few days, a bank check arrives for a couple of hundred more than the cost of the items. You contact the buyer and inform them, and they tell you how sorry they are to have made an error. They tell you to please deposit the check or cash it and you can give them the cash overpayment when they come to pick up the furniture. You do so, and in a couple of days someone comes, picks up the furniture, and you hand them two-hundred dollars. Successful deal! Until the bank calls and informs you that the very realistic bank check that you deposited into your account is a fraud! It happens all the time. 

We are all vulnerable, because our inclination is to accept the assistance of others and to believe in the good intentions of our fellow human beings. Abusers target anyone and manipulate others into thinking that their seemingly good behavior, is, in fact, good. However, it is bad behavior disguised as good. 

Grooming is an insidious, predatory tactic, utilized by abusers. Grooming is practiced by Narcissists, Antisocial predators, con-artists and sexual aggressors, who target and manipulate vulnerable people for exploitation. Child grooming is the deliberate act of establishing an emotional bond with a child, to lower the child's resistance. Child grooming can result in the minor falling victim to physical, sexual and emotional abuse, or specifically, to manipulate children into participating in slave labor, prostitution, and/or the production of child pornography. 

In the same way, adults are groomed so that perpetrators can have closer access to their children or the children under their care. Perpetrators get into the lives of the people in the targeted child's life and apply the same psychological manipulation to all in the circle.

Physical grooming: Abusers touch in ways that appear innocent at first, and slowly progress to touch the child sexually. They build a bond with the child by gaining trust and a closeness that the child accepts as totally sincere. They manipulate the child to see the touch as harmless, yet it is a totally calculating process engaged by the molester which leads to sexual abuse.

Psychological grooming: The abuser uses all kinds of manipulation to make children feel special: time, attention, flattery, gifts, etc., to name a few. They make the child feel special, chosen and flattered. All the while, the perpetrator moves closer to the goal of molesting the child. Self-disclosures from abusers have denoted that they say what they are doing is helpful, kind and caring and thus, the child often does as well.

Community grooming: Abusers groom the community into believing that their intentions are pure and good. They make themselves present to parents, families and communities by volunteering, donating goods and money, time and any other number of things so that people think they are a wonderful asset. Everyone thinks they have good intentions and no one believes that they would harm a child.

Perpetrators connect with their victims. They forge special connections that create a world where secrets are kept and emotional, intellectual and spiritual boundaries are blurred and confused. Children and the adults in their life are prey to grooming. Everything always appears, looks, seems, sounds and feels good in the beginning. And then, it turns ugly where guilt and shame are operative, and a child has to deal with the wounds that can last for many years. The shame and guilt propel a life of secrecy where it remains in darkness until brought somehow to the light.

Be on guard! Be aware! There certainly may be plenty of folks in your life who are wonderful and helpful. But, be careful of anyone coming into your life who seems too good to be true, because it could be exactly that.

Remember to use Smile.Amazon.com when making purchases on Amazon from your desktop computer. This is an easy way for you to support Cleft of the Rock foundation. Every time you make an eligible purchase, Amazon makes a 5% donation of your total purchase to Cleft of the Rock. Make sure to select us as your organization of choice: Cleft of the Rock Foundation, Inc. in Deerfield Beach, Florida.