Shelters/Housing

Buddy Bat writes children’s book to benefit Family Scholar House

March 14, 2013

Official release at Bats’ annual open house event

WHAT:

Jeremy Sharfe, a special education teacher at Doss High School has been performing as Buddy Bat for 11 years. He recently wrote A Different Kind of Buddy and will officially release the book at the Louisville Bats annual open house for season ticket holders. Mascot Buddy Bat and illustrator Andrew Kirby will be signing books at the event.

WHERE:

Louisville Slugger Field

WHEN:

Saturday, March 16

10 a.m. – 1 p.m.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Books are free to Bats season ticket holders attending the open house and both the author and illustrator will be available to sign books. Others interested in obtaining a book, may contact Family Scholar House at 813-3086. Books are provided as a gift with a donation of $10 or more to Family Scholar House, and all donations will support children’s programming.

Family Scholar House’s children’s programs include the following:

Toddler Book Club

Buddy Bat Book Club

Healthy Me!

Children for Change

Passport for Success

Family Nutrition & Wellness

Family Scholar House’s mission is to end the cycle of poverty by giving single-parent students the support they need to earn a college degree. Currently, 175 families with 278 children live at Family Scholar House’s residential campuses in Louisville and Southern Indiana. All of these families are low-income and have experienced homelessness or unstable housing. FSH parent scholars are full-time college students, with children of all ages, who are pursuing post-secondary education – most often while also working – to achieve career-track employment and make a better future for their children.

This article originally appeared on the official website of the Louisville Bats. Click here to view the original story.

RiverDogs help out at Windwood Farm Home for Children

February 25, 2013

Each month during the off-season, the Charleston RiverDogs close the office to complete one day of volunteer service with a local nonprofit organization. In February, the Charleston RiverDogs Front Office Staff spent their monthly Staff Volunteer Day with the nonprofit organization Windwood Farm Home for Children. Members of the staff helped to complete various chores around the campus.

“I really enjoyed volunteering at Windwood Farm Home for Children,” says Promotions Intern Haley Kirchner. “The best part was getting to spend time with some of the boys, they were all so great!”

Windwood Farm Home for Children offers Help, Hope and Healing to abused, neglected children and their families.

Windwood Farm Home for Children was founded by local philanthropist and businessman, Joseph L. Tamsberg, Jr. and opened its doors in 1985. Every member of the nonprofit organization is actively involved in the growth, and success, of their mission to offer an environment of healing that is geared to stamp out multi-generational child abuse and neglect.

Windwood Farm Home for Children offers therapies geared to increase problem solving, anger management, and frustration tolerance, increase the child’s ability to achieve a successful completion of our program and return to a community living situation. Other services include the Family Reunification program, Family Therapy sessions, and an equine assisted learning program.

The RiverDogs staff helps build a shed at Windwood Farm Home for Children.

Special Events Manager, Kristen Wolfe and Promotions Intern, Haley Kirchner paint during their time volunteering at Windwood Farm Home for Children.

RiverDogs volunteer with Crisis Ministries

November 27, 2012

Each month during the off-season, the Charleston RiverDogs close the office to complete one day of volunteer service with a local nonprofit organization. In November, the Charleston RiverDogs Front Office Staff spent their monthly Staff Volunteer Day with the nonprofit organization Crisis Ministries. Members of the staff prepared and served nutritious meals to guests of the shelter.

“I really enjoyed our time at Crisis Ministries,” says RiverDogs Special Events Manager Kristen Wolfe. “It was a very humbling experience.”

Founded in 1984, Crisis Ministries has evolved into a comprehensive service agency with the mission to provide food, shelter and hope to end homelessness and hunger one person at a time, one family at a time.

Along with serving a daily meal to community members in need, Crisis Ministries’ services include emergency housing, case management, primary health care, legal services, employment services, and Veteran services. Crisis Ministries is the largest homeless service provider in South Carolina. Since its founding Crisis Ministries has served over 1,800,000 meals, sheltered over 37,500 people, and helped more than 6,250 homeless men and women become self-sufficient.

RiverDogs staff helping prepare nutritious meals to serve to guests of Crisis Ministries.

Pirates Visit Everyday Blessings, Inc. in Sarasota

August 12, 2012

Facility is a home to keep foster children together with their siblings

Members of the Gulf Coast League Pirates, who play their games at Pirate City in Bradenton, visited the Everyday Blessings, Inc. residential facility in Sarasota Thursday. Members of the team have visited the facility several times during the last four months as part of the Pirates Community Commitment Program.

EBI provides foster care to sibling groups to keep siblings from being separated while awaiting permanent placement. The Sarasota facility opened in February. The original facility is in Hillsborough County.

When players visit, they eat dinner with the children and live-in caretakers at the residential facility. After dinner, the players take part in outdoor sports activities and games with the children. There are currently 12 children housed in Sarasota with EBI, ranging in age from three to 11 years old. All of the children are part of a sibling group.

Emily Dutton, the Sarasota Residential Manager for EBI, said the children love it when the players come to visit. “I think they enjoy seeing there are other people in the community that understand and support them,” Dutton said.

Many of the children have had to face abuse and neglect in their old homes prior to being placed with EBI. “It’s important for them to see that through hard work you can accomplish your goals and aspirations despite circumstances that aren’t always ideal,” Dutton said. “The young men who come to visit understand that life isn’t always perfect or easy. Some of them have dealt with tough circumstances to get where they are now.”

The Pirates Community Commitment Program was created in 2008 to help players in the Pirates organization give back to the communities they play in. Players are required to do 10 hours of community service during the season, but most do many more.

Cats Receive Honor from the Friendship Service Center

January 26, 2012

ROCK CATS RECEIVE HONOR FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE

left to right: Steve Kunsey (Rock Cats), Amy Helbling (Rock Cats), Jason Howey (Okay Industries), and Rocky the Rock Cat

left to right: Steve Kunsey (Rock Cats), Pam Vatti (Liberty Bank), Rocky the Rock Cat, Amy Helbling (Rock Cats)

The Friendship Service Center of New Britain – a decades-old community-based organization dedicated to assisting the area’s poor and disadvantaged – took time at its 43^rd Annual Meeting yesterday to recognize the Rock Cats as their “2011 Business of the Year.” The New Britain franchise enjoys a proud history of supporting worthy community causes and, as such, has been pleased to partner with the Friendship Service Center for several years.

Located on Arch Street, the Center provides a range of essential community living services, including emergency shelters and transitional and permanent housing, to families in need. Ms. Ellen Perkins Simpson serves as the organization’s Executive Director.

Assistance to the Center from the Rock Cats has come in many different forms including food and clothing donations, the provision of complimentary tickets to ball games, and the delivery of Thanksgiving Dinners and other Holiday gifts to families identified by FSC.

Another of the Rock Cats’ fabulous sponsors – Liberty Bank – was also present at yesterday’s event and took the occasion to present the Friendship Service Center with a check for $3,700! As a valued partner of the Rock Cats, Liberty Bank set aside $100 each time a New Britain player blasted a home run during the 2011 Season. As the ‘Cats swatted 37 round ‘trippers, Connecticut’s oldest mutual bank put together a kitty of $3,700 – and yesterday generously donated the entire amount to FSC! What a great gesture – and a wonderful cause. Bravo to all parties!

By the way, Liberty Bank noted that they plan to open their 44^th branch location at 747 Farmington Avenue in New Britain in the Spring. Maybe some of next year’s home runs will bounce off their new roof!
This article originally appeared on the official website of the New Britain Rock Cats. Click here to view the original story.

‘Dogs Present Over $1,200 Donation to Winwood Farm Home for Children

September 10, 2011

Offering generated from three separate Party at the Joe events over course of season

Thanks to the Charleston RiverDogs and Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka, fans were able to enjoy the great atmosphere of The Joe with the club on the road. Through three separate Party at the Joe events, Lowcountry residents savored great drink specials and heard from some of the best local musicians in the area.

While relishing in those good times, those in attendance also lent a hand to the Winwood Farm Home for Children, an Awendaw based center which provides therapeutic residential services to hundreds of abused and neglected children.

During Monday night’s game with the Asheville Tourists, RiverDogs General Manager Dave Echols and Director of Special Events Melissa Azevedo presented a donation worth $1,272 to representatives from Winwood Farm.

“All three of our Party at the Joe events were well-received by our fans, and we are thrilled to help Winwood Farm in their mission to provide a safe haven for children in need,” said Echols.

Winwood Farm Home for Children has been restoring hope to children for more than 25 years, since 1985. In that time, staff at Winwood has afforded hurting children a reason to smile, stand tall, and laugh while simply being a kid.

Akron Aeros Help Paint A Picture for Hope

July 18, 2011

The Akron Aeros front office staff made their way to ACCESS earlier this month to help the local shelter prepare recreational rooms at their facility.

Upon arrival, the staff got straight to work with paint and brushes in hand. They started with painting a Teen Room, and then moved to painting an office at ACCESS.

“It was inspiring to volunteer at a place like ACCESS. To think of all of the individuals they help after these people have been turned down elsewhere, really puts things into perspective. Our staff has really enjoyed this experience, paint clothes and all,” Aeros Suites, Picnics and Community Relations Coordinator NICOLE BLUM said.

ACCESS, or The Akron Citizens’ Coalition for Emergency Shelter Services, was created to meet the need for the 625 monthly requests for shelter in the Akron area. With only 150 beds available and just 18 reserved for women and children, ACCESS helps fill the void by providing emergency shelter for those women and children. ACCESS also provides meals, group support, children’s programming, parental programming, and a Care Clinic.

“When I picked up a brochure after leaving ACCESS, I read the first line, ‘Providing Help When It’s Needed The Most.’ That quote seems to resonate throughout this organization. They certainly help those in need to the best of their ability. But there’s always more that can be done. That’s where volunteers come in,” Aeros Executive Vice President/COO JIM PFANDER said.

As a part of their ‘Helping Hands’ program, the Aeros volunteer at local non-profit organizations such as ACCESS. Next month, the Aeros will assist The Battered Women’s Shelter of Summit County.

For information on ACCESS, visit access-shelter.org, and for additional Akron Aeros community outreach efforts, visit akronaeros.com.