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Providing Mentorship to Children & Youth
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Soccer for Success participants cheering on the program's official launch. |
The Children's Trust held a news conference to formally announce Soccer for Success (SfS) Miami, a unique, national, free coach-mentor program now bringing the game - and more - to 1,000 underserved children and youth in Miami-Dade.
Made possible through the efforts of The Trust and program creator the U.S. Soccer Foundation, SfS Miami is supported by funding partners the City of North Miami and the City of Miami, and program partners FLIPANY, Liberty City Optimist Club, City of North Miami Parks and Recreation, FAB Sports, 93rd Street Community Baptist Church, Greater Love Full Gospel Baptist Church and New Providence Missionary Baptist Church. The program has been implemented in Liberty City, Little Havana and North Miami; sites in Homestead and Sweetwater are being developed.
"Creating a safe, fun space where children can learn and engage and grow is so important," said Ed Foster-Simeon, president and CEO of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. "Too often children in underserved areas like these get left behind."
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Breaking Bread - And Barriers
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| Supporting Connect Miami's 10 Day Challenge with a 130+ person potluck lunch. |
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The Trust dove headfirst into Connect Miami's 10 days of Connection Challenge with a potluck lunch attended by more than 130 people.
Hosted by the United Way of Miami-Dade - one of five Connect Miami founding partners, along with The Children's Trust, MCCJ, the Miami Foundation and the Miami Herald - at United's Batchelor office campus, the event embodied Connect Miami's goal of bringing together people of diverse backgrounds and experiences to forge empathy and familiarity, and to discover common ground.
"Historically, sharing a meal with people outside your family, clan or kinship circle has held great significance, across all cultures," said Trust President and CEO James R. Haj. "Events like this can be equally impactful, and go a long way toward fostering a greater sense of community and, ultimately, social responsibility."
Visit Connect Miami to find out about Challenge events in your neighborhood.
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Pushing Back Against Youth Violence
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| Children's Trust YAC members address the crowd at "Stop the Silence, End the Violence." |
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"When the whole world is silent, even one voice becomes powerful."
Quoting teen-age activist and Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai, Alejandra Gomez, president of The Children's Trust central
Youth Advisory Committee
(YAC), opened "Stop the Silence, End the Violence," an anti-youth violence peace rally conceived, implemented and hosted by YAC members at
HistoryMiami
.
The day featured performances, activities and speakers
meant to increase awareness of the community's long-standing youth violence issues, as well as provide resources for combating them. Rally sponsors included
Hope for Miami
,
Connection Coalition
,
Off the Wall Graffiti
,
Miami Children's Initiative
,
Casa Valentina
,
Gang Alternative
,
Guitars Over Guns
and
Publix
. Hasani Morey, YAC member and a 2015 Young Talent Big Dreams finalist, presented a spoken word piece that summarized the message of the day.
"Peace, love, let the killing be done, and let's all learn to walk in this world as one."
If you or a high school student you know would like to join the YAC for the 2017-18 academic year, visit www.thechildrenstrust.org
in June and fill out an application.
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Offering Support & Well-Earned Thanks
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| Trust President/CEO James R. Haj being honored at the annual For the Love of Art charity auction. |
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Trust staffers were out in force to support the work of providers around the county.
The Education Fund's For the Love of Art annual charity auction, where Trust President and CEO James R. Haj was presented with the Public School Achievement Award, and the "topping off" ceremony for a new Lotus House building that will provide shelter to homeless women and children in the community, were just two of the events Trust-ers took part in this month.
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Creating Family-Friendly Events for the Community
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Taking a bubble break at "Splish Splash." |
Vecinos de Riverside Park
, a local grassroots organization facilitated by The Children's Trust to reclaim neighborhood green space, create safe spaces where children and families can gather, and foster kinship in the community, hosted "Splish Splash," its second Public Spaces Challenge event, at the East Little Havana park.
More than 500 residents came out to enjoy the day, where children and families took to water slides, dunk tanks and kiddie pools against a backdrop of live performances. Representatives from partner agencies
Leadership Learning Center
, the
Miami Foundation
,
ConnectFamilias
,
Amerigroup
,
City of Miami Parks and Recreation
,
City of Miami Police
,
Hope for Miami
,
Children of Inmates
,
Live Healthy Little Havana
and
FAB Sports
were also on hand to support the event and join in the fun.
"This is the best thing ever," said one young eventgoer before tearing down a water slide. "I wish we could do this every day!"
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Promoting the Arts & Personal Development
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2017 Young Talent Big Dreams winners.
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Young Talent Big Dreams (YTBD) ended on a high note as performance after performance left the audience clapping wildly in their wake. All in all,
64 children and youth comprising 34 acts vied for top honors across nine different categories in the free competition's seventh annual finals event. Open to children ages 8-17 living in Miami-Dade, YTBD is sponsored by The Children's Trust in partnership with Actors' Playhouse.
"Involvement in the arts leads to self-reliance and increased empathy and compassion," said Trust President and CEO James R. Haj when asked why the initiative is such an important one. "And study after study has shown that children who participate in the performing arts do better at reading, writing and math. I'm very proud to be able to offer this opportunity to kids in Miami-Dade."
Photo: Gregory Reed
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Trust Insider
is a monthly newsletter created to keep the Miami-Dade community in the know about the programs, initiatives, events and outreach efforts The Children's Trust takes part in that benefit children and families.
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Copyright © 2017. All Rights Reserved.
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