Summer 2016
Summer of Success and Strategy

The summer of 2016 has been one for the record books here at CORA. We held the 8th annual CORA for KIDS Golf Classic on June 27th at Philmont Country Club on a gorgeous and sun soaked day. We welcomed the return of a CAMP CORA alum, Rob McElhenney, and our new friends from the cast of  It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and the Preston & Steve Show on WMMR. I had the pleasure of personally greeting 216 golfers - nearly a 145% increase over 2015 - which comprised our largest attendance ever! 

On behalf of the entire CORA team, THANK YOU to everyone who joined us as a sponsor, vendor, golfer or dinner guest. Through your generosity (and after all expenses), I am pleased to announce that just over $57,000 was raised to support the programs and services that CORA continues to provide to the community. These dollars are integral for our staff who work so diligently to empower clients with the tools they need to be successful in life and relationships. We are so grateful to you all. Be sure to check out the photos from the event below. Stay tuned for information about the 2017 event coming soon! 

I am also very excited to share with you that we have redesigned the CORA Services website! With streamlined navigation and updated information about our programs and services, you can now learn more about CORA wherever you are - on your home desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile device - and whenever you need us. Thank you to our friends at Inverse Paradox for guiding us through this process and creating a fresh platform for CORA to share its story with the community! 

Finally, as we move into the fall and anticipate the return to school and regular schedules, a team of core CORA staff and the Board of Directors are embarking on a strategic planning process.  This is a critical time of growth and transition for CORA, and strategic planning will allow us to collectively chart a path forward that leverages CORA's strengths. We have enlisted the help of a facilitator who will lead the core team through an Appreciative Inquiry Process, which includes the feedback of internal and external stakeholders, especially the community we serve through peer to peer interviews. We will share updates as the process moves forward. 

This is a very exciting time for CORA. While we soak up the last few days of summer and the warm sunshine, we are hopeful for the future of our dedicated services to the community.

As always, your support fuels our work and dedication to children and families in communities throughout the greater Philadelphia area. Thank you! 
 
AnnMarie Schultz
President & Chief Executive Officer 
CORA Kids Collage
Having fun and making memories are the hallmarks of summer. 

 

CORA Early Years Programs at FoxChase and LaSalle stay cool with water play. Spots available for Fall 2016. Register Here!
The Step Team Clubs at CORA 
promote confidence, leadership and creativity among young girls. Learn more about CORA's OST Program.
Building strong friendships is one of the core memories of CORA Campers. Read more about our impact in the community.

School Services: Early Intervention Summer Program
Getting ahead of the summer brain drain, CORA makes learning fun!

An Indoor Camping Experience
For the past five years, CORA Services has contracted with Elywn to provide Early Intervention services to children ages three to five through Speech, OT and Special Instruction. Children in need of Early Intervention services are assessed by Elwyn and an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is developed to help the children meet developmental milestones. Throughout the school year, CORA's team of therapists visit local preschools and Head Start programs to provide Early Intervention services to the children.

When school is out, CORA offers a six week Early Intervention Summer Group at CORA's main building on Verree Road to children who attend a 10-month Head Start program.  The children meet for an hour and a half once a week and work in small groups with a team of therapists.   

The CORA team of therapists includes Cecelia Nagele and Susan Miller (Special Instructors), Natalia Moore (Speech Therapist) as well as Kristy Kulak and Donna Bullard (Occupational Therapists). In the groups, therapists collaborate to create fun and engaging Summer-themed activities to address the individualized goals of each child. Through play, the children have the opportunity to continue to learn and grow while working towards meeting their IEP-related goals. Parents are kept informed of their child's progress and play a key role in their child's success. 

Early Intervention is a major component of CORA's mission to support families and create opportunities for sustainable growth and development. 
Community Service Division
Howdy, Campers! CORA continues a tradition of summer fun for children

Loesche Campers visit the Rocky Statue, July 2016 
Over the past twenty years, the CAMP CORA summer program has evolved to better serve the community. Instead of one camp located at our main site, CORA has focused on the needs of families we serve throughout the year. 

During the summer of 2016, multiple programs are being offered throughout the Philadelphia area. Our Early Years programs for ages three to five continues at Fox Chase and LaSalle. For children in grades K-6, CORA manages three camps located in various parts of the Northeast. Kyle Rouse, Afterschool Services Supervisor, oversees these programs and comments,"We provide a fun, safe and engaging summer for all youth in our programs."

At Thurgood Marshall, students are engaged and encouraged about secondary education with a CORA University theme camp. Students are assigned a major and minors as their activities throughout the day. Science instructor Zana Johnson facilitates experiments daily which have included solar system models, volcano explosions and electricity explorations with cell phones and lemons.

Loeshe Elementary is the newest addition to the CORA family of partners and we welcomed Angela Stevens, Program Coordinator, to the OST team. This year's summer theme included the "Philly Fever" and "Read by Four" campaigns. Families appreciate the budget-friendly cost of the six week camp while enjoying the curriculum that involves reading, project based learning and field trips around the city of brotherly love.

With over 100 students enrolled for the summer, the Northwood Charter camp is one of CORA's largest Out-of-School Time programs. Focused on the arts, students experience the spirit of collaborative activities such as singing, dancing, costumes and scenery to produce CORA's version of the Little Mermaid.

In the fall, these camp programs morph into CORA's OST program (Out-of-School Time) to support children and families throughout the year with homework help and school motivation. We strive to provide diverse  enrichment activities to promote youth development. To register your child for CORA's programs for the 2016-2017 academic year, please contact Kyle Rouse at Krouse@coraservices.org .
 
The 8th Anual CORA for KIDS Golf Classic 
Always a Sunny Success!




On Monday, June 27th, more than 200 golfers took to the links of Philmont Country Club to enjoy - as advertised - an afternoon of fun, friends and most certainly shenanigans. 
 
The day began with a special VIP Reception for top tier supporters, including Presenting Sponsor NFP, to enjoy a private meet and greet with the cast of  It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. 

As the clock struck noon, participants made their way to load up carts with water, shake hands with old friends and head out on the pristinely manicured North and South Courses at Philmont. 

While Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton demonstrated their athletic abilities around the greens and stopped to pose for photos with fans, the lovely Kaitlin Olson and ever charming Danny DeVito took their role as "Ambassadors of Fun" very seriously. From delivering cool beverages from to golfers to chatting with fans under the shade of a tree, the cast was delightful and gracious. The weather for the day was perfect and the golfers welcomed the refreshments from our Iron Hill Brewery, our beverage sponsors.

As day turned to night, guests joined golfers in the recently renovated ballroom at Philmont for dinner and the LIVE auction festivities. After a brief welcome and remarks from AnnMarie Schultz, Rob McElhenney took to the podium and shared his personal story of connection to CORA, including its lasting impact on the person he is today. He encouraged those in attendance to learn more about the organization and consider a meaningful way to become involved and support CORA. 

Hilarity ensued with the LIVE auction emceed by Kaitlin Olson and Preston Elliot of The Preston & Steve Show weekday mornings on WMMR. Items up for bid included two tickets to The Ellen Show in LA, a chance to golf with Rob and Charlie in LA, and onset visits to  Sunny  and Kaitlin's new show premiering this fall on FOX called The Mick. In order to spur increased bidding, Charlie Day took control of the microphone and had the room in a fit of laughter and inspiring generosity.  

After all the laughs, nearly $15,000 had been raised on a matter of minutes for CORA's programs. These dollars helped toward the net raised of over $57,000! 

We are so grateful to all of our supporters, vendors, volunteers,and of course, the Preston & Steve Show and cast of  It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Thank you to our expert photographers, including our own Mary Doherty, documented the memorable day in photos.  Check out the entire album here.

You were all the bright spot in this event and reinforced our dedication to Sister Charity's vision and the true mission of CORA Services.  We hope to see you all back at Philmonth Country Club in 2017!