AUGUST 2020
Improving the quality of life for children infected with and affected by HIV and AIDS through enriching programs, unforgettable experiences, and connections to the community.
Your monthly news & updates
H.E.R.O. BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH 2020, PART I
For the last 8 years, H.E.R.O. has had the pleasure of hosting our annual Back-to-School Bash - a festive afternoon of fun, games, and food for our children and their families to celebrate the upcoming academic year. However, this year’s Back-to-School Bash program looks a little different. Due to the pandemic, staff and children were unable to come together for our annual event. However, this did not deter us from supporting our kids this year. H.E.R.O. elected to order pre-packaged, school supply kits online and have them delivered directly to our families. Each kit includes notebooks, composition notebooks, glue sticks, a ruler, pocket folders, a pencil case, pencils, pens, crayons, colored pencils, highlighters, sharpeners, scissors, and erasers. We are pleased to have been able to serve 26 children via our 2020 Back-to-School Bash in July, helping to prepare them for what is due to be an unpredictable academic year! Shipments will continue through August.

H.E.R.O. would like to extend a special thanks to The Pilot Club of Atlanta, and members Katharine Banning, Dene’ Dixon and Arletta Brinson for their financial support of our Back-to-School Bash 2020. 
H.E.R.O. JULY VIDEO/AUDIO/ESSAY COMPETITION ON COVID-19
In July, H.E.R.O. invited our children to submit video, audio, or essay entries that answered one or more of the following questions:

1) What did you think/how did you feel when you heard about/watched the video of George Floyd’s murder?

2) What do you think about the current Black Lives Matter movement and protests?

3) What can you (personally) do to help address the underlying issues of racism and racial injustice in your community? or

4) If you had full control of how this country responded to George Floyd’s death, what would you do/what laws/policies would you put in place to address it and other such cases of police brutality against African-Americans?

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR

First place winner - Kenya
Second place winner - Josetta
Third place winner - Hope

Below, please find Kenya’s winning submission:

We are so proud of all three of our July contest winners! Each received a Visa gift card - $100 for 1st place, $50 for 2nd place, and $25 for 3rd place. We thank everyone who submitted an entry for this competition. H.E.R.O. looks forward to introducing new competitions for our children in the near future.
H.E.R.O. SHARES VIRTUAL PROGRAMS - CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
On June 26th, 2020, HERO invited its children and families to visit CirqueConnect for a 60-minute Cirque Du Soleil special featuring the best live show moments from several of their well-known productions - La Nouba, Varekai and Quidam. We were excited to be able to provide our children and their families with alternate programming during our current times, and will continue to investigate virtual programming to share with the kids.  
REGRETFULLY, H.E.R.O. CANCELS IN-PERSON FALL PROGRAMS
Due to COVID-19, H.E.R.O. decided to postpone Camp High Five’s summer 2020 session earlier this year. However, we are very concerned about the recent spike in both adult and pediatric cases of COVID-19. As our target population are already extremely immunocompromised, we have made the difficult decision to cancel both Camp High Five and the Transition to Adulthood Retreat altogether this year. We believe this is the best course of action to help ensure the collective health and safety of our children, their families and our staff/volunteers. As always, we thank everyone for their continued support of these programs, and look forward to facilitating them again in 2021!
H.E.R.O. IS LOOKING FOR VIRTUAL PROGRAM IDEAS
idea_loading.jpg
During this difficult time, H.E.R.O. for Children, Inc. has been forced to suspend in-person programming for our children. With this said, we are looking to provide them and their families with new and innovative, virtual opportunities. If you have access to or ideas regarding appropriate, virtual activities or events for youth and adolescents, please e-mail our Match & Development Coordinator, Nadia Eliacin, at nadia@heroforchildren.org.

We thank you in advance for your ideas and support! Please continue to stay safe.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Virtual Tutors Needed
H.E.R.O. is openly recruiting volunteer tutors to assist our students in the areas of math, science, social studies, language arts, reading, and foreign languages – specifically Spanish. We would prefer volunteers who are at least 25 years old, and have prior teaching/tutoring experience. If you are interested, please email our Match & Development Coordinator – Nadia Eliacin –at nadia@heroforchildren.org.
teacher-girl-reading.jpg
Super HERO Mentors Needed
The Super HEROes Mentoring Program is a community-based, one-on-one mentoring program serving children infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS. The program provides these children with the opportunity to have a positive role model through a mentor and to strengthen their life skills, self-esteem, communication skills, goal-setting and academic performance.

Volunteer mentors needed to:
  • Spend one-on-one quality time with a child at least twice a month, a minimum of two hours each time (virtually during the pandemic).
  • Participate with the child in a bi-monthly group activity organized and sponsored by H.E.R.O. for Children (virtually during the pandemic).
  • Be a positive role model for the child.
  • Contribute to strengthening the child's self-esteem, social adjustment and life skills.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Calendar

ALL IN-PERSON FALL PROGRAMS CANCELLED DUE TO PANDEMIC

STAY TUNED!