Dear Volunteer Child Advocates and Supporters of Our Youth,

We know it's only July, but we are beginning to prepare for our annual holiday gift drive!  GALs, please watch your email at the end of the month for nomination form and deadline.

T he holidays should be a special time for every child, and each year the Guardian ad Litem Foundation organizes a holiday gift drive to meet this need for more than 1200 children. Children are chosen by their volunteer Guardians based on the economic need of the family. Many children in foster care are placed along with their siblings with a family member like a grandparent who may not be financially capable to care for additional members of the household. Some teens are about to turn 18 and will be out on their own without family to celebrate or financial support to meet their most basic needs. With the generous help of generous donors, the holidays are much happier for children who have very stressful living situations.

GALs can also help make the holidays bright by dropping off new toys at any office! 
Some ideas of popular requests can be found on our wishlist here: http://amzn.to/2tbM8pM

If you know of an individual, company, faith community, neighborhood association or organization that would be interested in sponsoring one or more of our children, please contact Tawnee Walling at iamforthechild@galf6.org by August 15th.
Upcoming Events
Christmas in July at O'Maddy's
Saturday, July 29,  5:00-8:00 PM
O'Maddy's Bar & Grille
5405 Shore Blvd, Gulfport
BoTiki  and  O'Maddy's Bar & Grille  support  Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay, Inc.  in this fun Christmas in July Event! Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay and our donors make life a little brighter for more than 1200 abused and neglected children each holiday season through sponsoring and toy workshops. Won't you help? 

Bring or purchase a gift at O'Maddy's with a value of $15 or more and get a free drink! 

Help us, help abused and neglected children in Gulfport! RSVP on Facebook!

Superhero 5K Kick-Off Party & Bingo Fundraiser
Wednesday, August 16th 8:00 PM
Punky's Bar & Grill
3063 Central Avenue, St. Pete
Come join us for  Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay, Inc. 's  3rd Annual SuperHero 5K, Walk & Stroller Roll  Kick-Off Party and Bingo at  Punky's Bar and Grill ! We will have fabulous prizes and of course the company, food and drink can not be beat. Join us for special prizes and make a difference in the lives of abused and neglected children in Pinellas and Pasco County! Bingo is $10 to play, free to attend.

Superhero 5K, Walk & Stroller Roll
Saturday, September 23rd  8:30am 
Safety Harbor Waterfront
Every child needs a hero, but abused children need SuperHeroes. Make a difference in the life of an abused or neglected child today by participating in the 3rd Annual SuperHero 5K, Walk & Stroller Roll. This event will raise community awareness of the 3,000 children in Pinellas and Pasco Counties who have been removed from their homes by no fault of their own. GAL assigned children are free using code GALKID by 8/14 and GALs get $5 off registration using code GAL.  
Register to run or walk here!  

Mad Hatter's Tea Party
Saturday, Sept 23, 2017, 2 PM - 5 PM
St. Petersburg Coliseum
535 4th Ave N., St. Pete
Angels Against Abuse hosts it's annual Mad Hatter's Tea Party to provide an afternoon of fun activities.   Please only register if you are sure you can attend. This event is free and caregivers or GALs can attend with the child. Please register all attendees. This is a first come first served event and registration is required by Sept 1st.   Register Here .  
Resources
Haircuts from the Heart
Saturday, July 30th, 11 AM- 2 PM
8487 9th St N, St. Pete

Foundation for Sustainable Families is providing free basic haircuts and trims to children on Saturday July 30th. To reserve a place for your child(ren), please contact Brandice via email  or call/text: 727.318.3224.

Children Who Have a Guardian ad Litem
Do Better in School
Have Fewer Placement Changes
Receive More Services
More Likely to be Adopted
Spend Less Time in Foster Care
Are 50% Less Likely to Return to Care 

Support the 
Guardian ad Litem Foundation 
of Tampa Bay
 
 
Our Mission
To provide advocacy and support for abused, abandoned, or neglected children in the Guardian ad Litem Program of Pinellas and Pasco Counties. 
Our Vision
We envision a world where every child has a safe and permanent home with the opportunity to thrive.
Thank you to Brew Bus Brewing!

 
Our Christmas in July Event at Brew Bus Brewing was super fun! Thank you to all who attended and who brought gifts for children and/or made purchases at the event.  And thank you to Brew Bus Brewing for donating 20% of all sales to Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay!

Does Your Company Offer a Matching Gift Program?
A matching gift is a charitable donation by a corporation that matches an employee's donation to an eligible nonprofit organization, most often dollar for dollar. Thousands of companies across the country have matching gift programs. To see if your company might be one of them, look here:  
If your company is not on this list, check with your HR Department to see if your company matches monetary donations or volunteer time.
Questions about Matching Gifts? Contact at Amy at AmyF@galf6.org .


Guardian ad Litem Foundation of Tampa Bay |  AmyF@galf6.org | http://www.galf6.org
14250 49th St N
Suite 4000
Clearwater, FL 33762