nonprofit - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T01:53:25Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/nonprofitPhilanthropy Notes: Quantum Foundation sends $750,000 in grants to nonprofitshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/philanthropy-notes-quantum-foundation-sends-750-000-in-grants-to-2019-01-02T15:28:15.000Z2019-01-02T15:28:15.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1">Quantum Foundation has distributed $750,000 to 94 grassroots nonprofits in Palm Beach County that provide for society’s most basic needs.</p>
<p class="p1">Grants were announced during a breakfast celebrating the eighth-annual Quantum in the Community initiative. The grantees represent all corners of the county, including Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach.</p>
<p class="p1">“Quantum Foundation is a health foundation,” said Donna Mulholland, board chairwoman. “We always keep our focus on health because that’s what we were founded to do. But this annual campaign acknowledges that if we don’t meet people’s basic needs, it’s not possible for them to stay healthy.”</p>
<p class="p1">President Eric Kelly said that “as we celebrate 20 years of impact in Palm Beach County, we want to take an upstream look at health. We know that our medical community can’t heal the body without having healthy societal and external factors in place. These grants support organizations helping the whole body and the whole community.”</p>
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<p class="p3"><span class="s1"><b>Lang Realty donates </b></span><span class="s1"><b>to fight breast cancer</b></span></p>
<p class="p1">Lang Realty turned “pink” in support of the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer program by donating a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each home closed in October to the charity.</p>
<p class="p1">The donation totaled $11,793.</p>
<p class="p1">“This was a company-wide effort that included donations from each closing contributed by our agents,” said Scott Agran, Lang Realty’s president. “Many of our own agents and staff have personally battled this disease or have gone through this with loved ones. We are delighted to support this worthy cause.”</p>
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<p class="p3"><span class="s1"><b>Impact 100 receives </b></span><span class="s1"><b>tax-exempt status</b></span></p>
<p class="p1">Impact 100 Palm Beach County’s 501(c)(3) status is official. The women’s philanthropy organization has received a determination letter from the IRS — a major milestone in its seven-year history.</p>
<p class="p1">All members who paid in 2018 soon will receive tax-donation letters.</p>
<p class="p1">“We’re pleased to tell you we determined you’re exempt from federal-income tax under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501(c)(3),” the letter reads. “Donors can deduct contributions they make to you under IRC Section 170. You’re also qualified to receive tax-deductible bequests, devises, transfer or gifts under Section 2055, 2106 or 2522.”</p>
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<p class="p3"><span class="s1"><b>Grant enables Sandoway </b></span><span class="s1"><b>to expand program</b></span></p>
<p class="p1">Sandoway Discovery Center in Delray Beach has received a $7,500 grant from parcel-delivery company DHL. The funds will support the junior naturalist program.</p>
<p class="p1">The program addresses the need for science-, technology-, engineering- and math-based education, taught through real-world connections that enhance classroom learning. It targets Palm Beach County Title 1 schools and aftercare facilities focusing on at-risk children.</p>
<p class="p1">“We are very excited to be able to teach Title 1 students about climate change, biodiversity and conservation through our junior naturalist program,” said Danica Sanborn, the center’s executive director. “Through the grant from DHL we will be able to reach hundreds of students that otherwise could not afford to visit the center to receive a much-needed environmental education, and we are increasing the chances for a healthier environment for generations to come.”</p>
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<p class="p3"><span class="s1"><b>Restaurant competition </b></span><span class="s1"><b>raises $3,000 for charities</b></span></p>
<p class="p1">In November, before everyone was too stuffed from holiday meals to eat another bite, Crane’s Beach House Boutique Hotel & Luxury Villas in Delray Beach welcomed 300 hungry fans and friends to its seventh-annual Best Bite restaurant competition.</p>
<p class="p1">Tim Finnegan’s Irish Pub won the popular vote for the second year in a row, and previous champion Caffé Luna Rosa was the top choice in the VIP judges’ annual taste-off competition.</p>
<p class="p1">The event raised $1,500 each for HOW Foundation of South Florida and Project Holiday.</p>
<p class="p1">Other competing restaurants were Avant, City Oyster & Sushi Bar, Pizza Rustica and Salt 7.</p>
<p class="p1">The band 33 Years and the Atlantic High School Drum Line provided entertainment.</p>
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<p class="p3"><span class="s1"><b>Parkinson’s Foundation </b></span><span class="s1"><b>to host golf tournament</b></span></p>
<p class="p1">Parkinson’s Foundation South Palm Beach County Chapter will host its annual Leo Geller golf tournament Feb. 4 at Boca Rio Golf Club.</p>
<p class="p1">Players will begin the day at 11 a.m. with lunch before hitting the links for a 1 p.m. shotgun start. At the end of play, there will be a raffle, awards, a cocktail reception and dinner.</p>
<p class="p1">Geller is this year’s honorary chairman, and the co-chairs are Roy Cohen and Ciaran Swords.</p>
<p class="p1">The cost for a foursome is $1,250; cost for an individual player is $325.</p>
<p class="p1">The event is sponsored by Florida Peninsula Insurance Co. and will benefit Parkinson’s Foundation programs that help those in the local community living with Parkinson’s disease.</p>
<p class="p1">For information, call 962-1702.</p>
<p class="p4"><i>Send news and notes to Amy Woods at flamywoods@bellsouth.net.</i></p></div>A wave of change: Program teaches kids to swim, surf, instilling confidence and self-esteemhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/a-wave-of-change-program-teaches-kids-to-swim-surf-instilling-con2018-07-03T21:00:00.000Z2018-07-03T21:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960796454,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960796454,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960796454?profile=original" /></a><em>Cameron Hicks, Guerdy Laurent, Jeremiah Decius and Gatshby Estimable (above from left) surf in Deerfield Beach as part of Streetwaves. Maurice ‘Maui’ Goodbeer (below) of Delray Beach runs the nonprofit and plans to bring Saturday sessions to Delray. <b>Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</b></em></p>
<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em><b><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960796291,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960796291,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960796291?profile=original" /></a></b></em></p>
<p class="p1"></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>By Lona O’Connor</b></span></p>
<p class="p3">Jeremiah Decius had just joined Streetwaves, a nonprofit group that teaches kids how to swim and surf, and already he was in trouble.</p>
<p class="p3">He was accused of hitting a girl in the group and was asked to leave. But his return after an 18-week absence and progress since then mark one of the group’s success stories.</p>
<p class="p3">“It was heartbreaking for me to do that,” Streetwaves founder Maurice “Maui” Goodbeer said of the dismissal. “But it was my hope and prayer that he would return.”</p>
<p class="p3">Goodbeer started Streetwaves as an answer to the murder of his younger brother, Melvyn Patterson, in San Diego in 2003. Patterson, 21, was shot to death by a 16-year-old gang member.</p>
<p class="p3">Goodbeer couldn’t bring back his brother, but he made a promise when he delivered his brother’s eulogy that he would do something to save inner-city youths from getting involved in gun violence.</p>
<p class="p3">Goodbeer, who lives in Delray Beach with his wife and two young daughters, began surfing as a boy. He is convinced that the ocean can change the way youngsters interact with their environment. </p>
<p class="p3">Ten years ago, while surfing, he decided that he would honor his promise by sharing his love of the ocean with children.</p>
<p class="p3">In Miami, he added a surfing program at Alonzo Mourning’s Overtown Youth Center and learned how to start a nonprofit. In Broward County, Deerfield Beach Middle School students learn to swim and surf in a daily program supported by private donors and grants. The Streetwaves kids have also visited the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale.</p>
<p class="p3">“Because it’s daily, they are excelling really fast,” Goodbeer, 44, said. “Now they’re swimming 1,000 yards a day.”</p>
<p class="p3">They're keeping up their skills during a Streetwaves summer camp that runs through Aug. 10. The program is supported by private donors. Over 10 years, Streetwaves has taught more than 3,000 children to swim and surf, and now has a staff of 15.</p>
<p class="p3">Next stop: Delray Beach, where Goodbeer plans to start a free Saturday surfing program starting Sept. 1, on the heels of Streetwaves’ 10th anniversary celebration Aug. 31 in Delray.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> He is seeking financial support from community groups and the city.</p>
<p class="p3">Goodbeer and his brother were both born on Aug. 31. “We were extremely close,” recalled Goodbeer. “He was mine, as far as I was concerned. I took him to the beach with me all the time. We were each other’s guardian angels.”</p>
<p class="p3"> </p>
<p class="p4"><span class="s2"><b>Novices learning fast</b></span></p>
<p class="p3">Many of his students have never been to a beach before. </p>
<p class="p3">“At first they have some apprehensions about the water,” said Goodbeer. </p>
<p class="p3">Apprehensions are gone now, as the kids pile out of the Streetwaves van, zip into wetsuits, dash into the surf and paddle out to find waves.</p>
<p class="p3">The van is a converted SWAT vehicle now filled with youngsters and surfboards instead of police and automatic weapons. </p>
<p class="p3">Like the others in Streetwaves, Guerdy Laurent, 12, a seventh-grader at Deerfield Beach Middle School, learned swimming first, then practiced surfing techniques on the sand before he was ready for the water. </p>
<p class="p3">“Just watching Coach Maui helps me a lot,” he said. </p>
<p class="p3">The students have to prove they are strong swimmers before they start surfing, and 10 of the current group learned well enough to be invited to join swim teams.</p>
<p class="p3">What if they had to choose between swim team and surfing?</p>
<p class="p3">“Surfing!” they all shouted in a chorus.</p>
<p class="p3">Maya Hodges, 12, of Pompano Beach, is working on popups, going from prone on the board to standing up.</p>
<p class="p3">“She has a great popup,” said<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> Goodbeer. “She’s growing into a style that works for her.”</p>
<p class="p3">Every time one of his students pops up and rides a wave to shore, Goodbeer is exhilarated.</p>
<p class="p3">“I don’t know right away if a kid is going to be good until they have built up their strength — arms, legs, lungs — and learned the strokes,” Goodbeer said. “But I’ve been unbelievably impressed.”</p>
<p class="p3">Besides learning how to swim and enjoy the ocean, Streetwaves participants become more environmentally aware, including learning to recycle and clean up beaches.</p>
<p class="p3">“There’s something special about befriending people in the water,” said Goodbeer. “It happens so organically and beautiful. You have each other’s back. I watch the surfers show so much respect for these new surfers. And I think wow, these kids are learning a lot.”</p>
<p class="p3"> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960797257,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960797257,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960797257?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em>Jeremiah Decius catches a wave.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> <b>Photos by Tim Stepien/</b><span class="s1"><b>The Coastal Star</b></span></em></p>
<p class="p1"></p>
<p class="p5"><span class="s2"><b>Banished boy back</b></span></p>
<p class="p3">Jeremiah Decius’ absence seemed like an eternity. Then he and Goodbeer worked out a plan for his return.</p>
<p class="p3">A wiry 12-year-old, Decius showed promise. From being a novice swimmer at best, he had learned to swim 1,000 yards. He had learned how to pop up onto a surfboard from the water, turn, paddle, walk and stand on the board. But “he had a little bit of an attitude,” Goodbeer said. </p>
<p class="p3">Later Goodbeer learned where that attitude may have come from. Because of school schedules, many of the kids had not eaten since their lunch at 9:45 a.m. After that, he made sure to bring fruit and snacks for them to eat before surfing.</p>
<p class="p3">He also found out that Decius’ alternative for the afternoon was to walk home to an empty house.</p>
<p class="p3">“I thought, why not come back, because I was bored and alone when I got home,” said Decius, who lives in Pompano Beach. So Decius returned in time for the last nine-week after-school surfing session and joined the summer program. </p>
<p class="p3">“I see a great change in him,” Goodbeer said. “He’s surfing great, he’s happy, he’s like a different person. I am so proud of him, I’m in tears right now.”</p>
<p class="p6"><i>Streetwaves is looking for a venue to show a short film about the group. It also needs surfers and others to volunteer. For more info on its planned Delray Beach program and anniversary celebration , visit the Streetwaves page on Facebook or contact maui@streetwaves.org.</i></p></div>Coastal Star: Retiree goes above and beyond to reward Delray grade-school teachershttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/coastal-star-retiree-goes-above-and-beyond-to-reward-delray-grade2018-01-31T19:57:02.000Z2018-01-31T19:57:02.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960766681,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960766681,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960766681?profile=original" /></a><em>Part of Ted Hoskinson’s Roots and Wings nonprofit raises funds to help Delray Beach third-graders prepare after school for the state’s standardized test. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong></p>
<p>There was a time, before he became a successful business owner, when Ted Hoskinson’s world revolved around education. <br /> Soon after he graduated from Tulane University, Hoskinson returned to St. Albans School in Washington, D.C., a prestigious private school where he had once been a classmate of future prominent figures, including former Vice President Al Gore.<br /> Hoskinson taught fourth grade and ran the school’s summer program during his 15 years there, gaining an understanding of the challenges educators face and the lack of recognition that often comes with the territory.<br /> So it comes as no surprise that Hoskinson, now 70, is devoting much of his retirement to making sure the educators and staff in Delray Beach’s public schools get a chance to be in the spotlight.<br /> Through Roots and Wings, a nonprofit he founded in 2016, Hoskinson is not only focused on educators but also on helping students in public schools improve their reading skills so they can succeed. <br /> “In this city, this town, we have a tremendous need to make sure people can go to any level they want to, and we have to give them the opportunity to do so,” he said. <br /> Working largely under the radar, Hoskinson and Roots and Wings put time and money into three programs.<br /> The first program — the Above and Beyond Awards — focuses on rewarding teachers and staff members selected by their principals for outstanding work. The teachers receive gift cards during small ceremonies in the classroom, with students involved. <br /> Presentations are made three times a year in elementary schools and four times a year in middle schools and high schools.<br /> Last year, in its first full year, Above and Beyond recognized 144 public school teachers and 27 staff members. <br /> “Teachers at all levels need to be appreciated, and it wasn’t being done to this level,” Hoskinson said.<br /> Under the umbrella of what has been dubbed Project Uplift, Roots and Wings last year awarded $10,000 to the Achievement Centers for Children & Families to make it possible for 25 students to attend a summer program with an academic element at Pine Grove Elementary School. <br /> The group also funds a program at Pine Grove to help third-graders pass the Florida Standards Assessments test so they can move into fourth grade. In the pilot program Hoskinson hopes will be successful and spread to other schools, students attend a one-hour after-school class three days a week taught by Pine Grove teachers. <br /> For Hoskinson, who along with his board raises money for the programs, a personal motivation drives Roots and Wings.<br /> When he and his lawyer wife of 34 years, Anne, retired to Florida 12 years ago, they decided that when they died they would give their money to elementary education. <br /> “Nobody was focusing on elementary education,” he said.<br /> For his first 10 years in South Florida, Hoskinson took it easy, playing tennis, traveling with Anne and enjoying all that Delray Beach had to offer.<br /> After Anne died in April 2016, Hoskinson decided he wouldn’t wait to start building their legacy and, inspired by his wife’s commitment to education, started the nonprofit organization. <br /> “I could have ridden off into the sunset and done whatever I wanted to, but I didn’t because there’s a real need at both the teacher level and the student level,” he said, adding that he was financially secure after selling a business that included 10 card and gift stores and a wholesale balloon and accessories company.<br /> Hoskinson, who lives in Coastal Delray Beach, says that running Roots and Wings takes a lot of time and effort, but is well worth the investment. <br /> “For me a good day is when I wake up and say, ‘This is going to be a great day because we’re going to reward teachers,’ ” he said.</p></div>Tots and Teens: Storybook (and real) heroes to be celebrated at Children’s Museumhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/tots-and-teens-storybook-and-real-heroes-to-be-celebrated-at-chil2017-03-29T14:05:47.000Z2017-03-29T14:05:47.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960709675,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960709675,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960709675?profile=original" /></a><em>Boys and girls can spend time with Batman and Sleeping Beauty during Princesses and Superheroes Day</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>on April 22 at the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum in Boynton Beach.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Photo provided by Capehart</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960710265,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960710265,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960710265?profile=original" /></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>By Janis Fontaine</strong> <br /><br /> Calling all superheroes! Princesses, too!<br /> Kids who love to dress up can wear their best princess gowns or superhero costumes and join the fun at the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum in Boynton Beach when it celebrates Princesses and Superheroes Day on April 22.<br /> “This is our fourth year doing it,” said executive director Suzanne Ross. “It’s a really family-focused event and it brings new people to the museum, and it raises a little money.”<br /> Ross says the nonprofit museum, which marked its 15th anniversary in November, has been a success because the team of educators and the program manager are always adding new elements, “which brings a freshness to the center and keeps the vision of the founders in focus.” <br /> That vision? “Children will embrace lifelong learning through the joy of discovery.”<br /> Located in the historic Boynton School building, the museum has two floors of exhibits and opportunities for interactive play, exploration, imagination and creation. It offers exposure to art, music and the sciences through free weekly programs, affordable classes and specialty workshops. <br /> Ross has served as executive director of the museum since October 2013 and says the number of visitors has increased from about 28,000 then to more than 36,000 last year. She credits the new art classes and says “it’s so unique and so child-friendly. When the door opens and a child runs in yelling, ‘Yay,’ that makes our day.”<br /> For Princesses and Superheroes Day, the game plan has games and crafts, dancing and face painting and the chance to meet a grown-up princess and, though not the real Batman, a close personal friend of his.<br /> “We’ll definitely have a female superhero, too,” Ross said. “We don’t want the girls to think they can only be princesses.”<br /> Some local heroes — police officers and firefighters — will come by to meet the kids and talk about their jobs of helping people in times of trouble, just like superheroes do. Ross says the plan is to have a police car or fire engine on site — if the vehicle is not too busy working. <br /> “We want the kids to know these are the good guys, the real heroes,” Ross said. <br /> Ross worked for several nonprofits before joining the museum. “I found my home. Happy children,” Ross said, “that’s the reward. <br /> “We’re in it for the giggles.”<br /> Teenagers and retirees interested in volunteering for the event should call the museum at 742-6780. <br /> Princesses and Superheroes Day runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 22 at the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum & Learning Center, 129 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach. <br /> Tickets: $10 or $7 for members. Info: 742-6780; <a href="http://www.schoolhousemuseum.org">www.schoolhousemuseum.org</a><br /><br />A most unusual egg hunt <br /> The Easter Egg Hunt at Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens is going to take on a surreal feeling when egg hunters and their parents discover Sophie Ryder’s giant bunny sculptures resting in the garden. <br /> Children will hunt for hidden eggs among the 2 acres of sculptures, ponds, palms and native plants. To make sure everyone has fun, hunters will be separated into three age groups: 3 and younger, 4 to 6 years and 7 to 10 years. In each age group, there is one distinct hidden egg with a special prize inside.<br /> The gardens contain more than 250 rare palm species, as well as cycads and unusual tropical flora, and have one of the largest public plant collections in Florida. Carefully positioned among this wealth of plants are Ann Norton’s sculptures, monolithic stone pieces created by London artist Sophie Ryder.<br /> Ryder, 54, studied painting and combined arts at the Royal Academy of Arts, where she began to create a world full of mystical creatures, animals and hybrid beings. She says she sculpts the world as she would like it to be.<br /> Like Norton, “working big” is part of her craft, and like Norton, she’s a diminutive woman dwarfed by her pieces. Rising is more than 13 feet tall and The Kiss is 19. Six other pieces are positioned in the gardens. Eight smaller works are on display in the studio.<br /> Also on display in tribute to Norton’s dedication to preservation and conservation are Todd McGrain’s sculptures of extinct birds. <br /> Norton planned the garden to serve as a quiet retreat for humans, a respite for migrating birds and a home for native wildlife. McGrain’s exhibition spotlights the loss of bird species due to environmental changes and includes five bronze sculptures of extinct North American birds.<br /> While children seek secreted eggs, adults can enjoy lemonade in the garden. A visit from the Easter bunny is planned. <br /> The Easter Egg Hunt will begin at 10 a.m. April 15 at Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, 2051 Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach. Tickets: $15 adults, $10 for ages 65 and older, $7 for students, and free for children younger than 5. Tickets must be purchased in advance.<br /> Parking is at Palm Beach Day Academy, 1901 S. Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach.<br /> Info: 832-5328 or <a href="http://www.ansg.org">www.ansg.org</a>.</p></div>Tots and Teens: 7th-grader gets St. Andrew’s students involved in fight against hungerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/tots-and-teens-7th-grader-gets-st-andrew-s-students-involved-in-f2017-03-01T14:22:01.000Z2017-03-01T14:22:01.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960699260,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960699260,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960699260?profile=original" /></a><em>More than 160 St. Andrew’s School students worked to package single-serving meals.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>By Janis Fontaine<br /><br /> </strong>Marissa Govic’s goal is to feed hungry children. She’s using all her talents — and they’re considerable — to achieve her goal. Between academics (she’s in the seventh grade at St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton) and family responsibilities, Marissa raised the funds for and organized a Hunger Project for the Sanford-based charity Feeding Children Everywhere. <br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960698878,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960698878,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="100" alt="7960698878?profile=original" /></a> On Feb. 3, Marissa, 12, rounded up more than 160 seventh- and eighth-grade volunteers to pack single-serving meals for hungry and malnourished families. The meals were distributed by FCE, the nonprofit founded by Don and Kristen Campbell in 2010. <br /> FCE has distributed more than 64 million meals, 75 percent of them to people in the United States, and all the meals packed by St. Andrew’s will be distributed locally through Feeding South Florida. <br /> Ann Haynes, division head of the middle school, worked with Marissa to organize and oversee the event. <br /> “We provided the place, the setup, the organizational structure and the labor. FCE came in with food and supplies. They broke the kids up into 12 groups and each group had a station. First, they got a lesson on being hygienic. They all had to wear hairnets or hats. They learned about quality control and its importance, and about teamwork and that they all had to be engaged in the process to succeed,” Haynes said. <br /> “There was catchy music that got the kids excited and there was lots of noise. We had just finished a special project week, and this was our culminating activity on a Friday afternoon. So there was lots of enthusiasm.” <br /> The volunteers formed an assembly line, and each group had a purpose. They took dry ingredients (lentils, rice, dried vegetables, herbs and spices, and sea salt), combined them in the correct proportions in biodegradable plastic bags and sealed them. The meals are high in protein, with no artificial flavorings.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"> FCE had challenged the teams to pack 20,000 meals in two hours. It took the students only 90 minutes.<br /> Marissa has been active in school food drives and with her school’s backpack program, which sends kids home with food for the weekend on Friday afternoons. <br /> She found out about Feeding Children Everywhere as a volunteer at a Palm Beach event. <br /> Haynes had become interested in food-packing events for charity after she attended a conference with Round Square, a network of schools that share a holistic approach to learning. “I was at a conference in California and heard about it,” Haynes said. “But there’s a hefty price involved in hosting a Hunger Project.” <br /> To raise money for the Hunger Project, Marissa entered and won the preliminary round of the Miss Planetary Teen pageant. It recruits teens who are interested in promoting their philanthropic causes and in doing community service. <br /> Marissa is representing her father’s home country of Croatia. Her father, Mario, is a wealth manager in Palm Beach. Her mother, Ann Marie, also of Croatian heritage, is a Realtor. <br /> Marissa raised the money through donations and the sale of merchandise on the Miss Planetary pageant website. <br /> She met her goal and held her event, but she’s continuing to raise money for charities that feed hungry children. In June, she’ll be competing in the Miss Planetary International teen pageant in Las Vegas. <br /> Marissa is also promoting her new EP pop album, Trending Now, released on iTunes on Feb. 1. The music video for the first single, the title cut, was published on YouTube Feb. 9. <br /> “I want to be a pop star,” she says. <br /> She sings, dances, acts, and plays piano and violin. She plays tennis, swims, rollerblades and plays table tennis. <br /> She can do a passable British accent, and has had experience on stage, television, in the recording studio, and has done live-on-the-red-carpet TV interviews for the Teen Choice Awards. <br /> Learn more about Marissa at <a href="http://www.marissagovic.com">www.marissagovic.com</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"></p></div>Along the Coast: Want to give? She’ll tell you howhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-want-to-give-she-ll-tell-you-how2015-07-29T17:21:33.000Z2015-07-29T17:21:33.000ZChris Felkerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ChrisFelker<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960587472,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960587472,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="442" alt="7960587472?profile=original" /></a><em>Wendy Friswell, 54, is executive director of Spirit of Giving. She lives</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>in Boca Raton with her husband, David, her daughter, Michelle, and her son, Ryan.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>By Lucy Lazaroni</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"> For Wendy Friswell, giving is like breathing. <br /> Ask her a question about how to help a nonprofit, how to help a young person with a learning disability apply for college, where to donate clothes (she gives hers to women released from prison) and she will have a resourceful and loving answer for you in no time.<br /> “If you have an organization called Spirit of Giving you kind of open yourself to the world,” says Friswell, who took over as executive director of the Boca-based nonprofit last summer. “You can’t downsize that!” <br /> Spirit of Giving unites more than 60 nonprofit organizations with a focus on children and families in southern Palm Beach County. Spirit of Giving members share resources and knowledge in monthly meetings that are open to the public and with Friswell’s lead, work with local businesses, community partners and engaged citizens to create change in Palm Beach County and beyond. <br /> “It’s a huge umbrella but we manage to do it with laughter,” Friswell says. <br /> Friswell, who didn’t learn to read and write until she was 15, is solutions oriented and if she doesn’t know the full answer to a question she will direct you to a generous someone in the profit or nonprofit community who does. <br /> “My ability to navigate, to connect people to resources, is my way of giving back. It is my most commonsense input,” Friswell says. “I pull from my commonsense kit. That’s what makes me who I am.” <br /> Friswell grew up in Trinidad and when her mother left to come to America when she was 8, she basically raised herself, finding her own food, clothing and shelter, until her mother came back when she was 15. <br /> “I sort of raised myself,” Friswell says. “Everyone was struggling, so no one stepped up to take the leadership role of parent. I navigated for myself.” <br /> In high school, Friswell had to play catch-up. <br /> “I loved school. I never missed a day. I couldn’t see why kids would drop out. I was addicted to school,” she remembers. <br /> At 18, she fell in love with dancing. <br /> “I discovered I had built-in rhythm. Dance found me. Dance turned out to be my therapy for everything,” Friswell remembers. <br /> And because her standardized test scores weren’t high enough for her to attend the university she wanted to as a freshman, she began her higher education career at a college for performing arts as a dancer and transferred to Temple University later on. <br /> Dancing gave her strong muscles and a lean figure so she entered beauty pageants and competitions, winning them to earn money for college. <br /> “There’s always a way when you quiet your mind and don’t let anxiety take over. You can figure out the roadwork and find solutions. I don’t wallow. I always look for a way out,” she says. <br /> Friswell went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Temple and a master’s degree in recreation management from Florida International University. And she encouraged her mother, who had worked as a housekeeper in Philadelphia and as a nurse’s aide, to earn her high school equivalency diploma. <br /> “My mom was never in a financial situation to support me,” Friswell explains. <br />“My mom was a single mom and she worked hard, very hard. She worked as a CNA. Her biggest accomplishment was getting her GED. I wanted to break the cycle in reverse. I had to let her see in her time that she deserved an education.” <br /> Prior to joining the Spirit of Giving, Friswell worked as a director at the American Association of Caregiving Youth, executive director of Twin Palms Center for the Disabled, director of the YMCA and park service officer and grant administrator for Dade County’s Parks and Recreation Department. <br /> As executive director of Spirit of Giving, Friswell is a passionate proponent of education for everyone, but especially the underserved youth in South Florida. <br /> “Education is the key to changing everything in a person’s life. That’s why my No. 1 priority is to get you to school, to get you to learn. I don’t care how you learn. Everyone can learn. Everyone has ability. Everyone has strength. Everyone can pay it forward. And now it makes sense what I do.” <br /> The Spirit of Giving’s annual Back to School Bash provides a backpack full of school supplies, a new pair of shoes and free health checkups for high-need children and their chaperones. <br /> This invitation-only event will be held Aug. 8 at Village Academy in Delray Beach. <br /> But there is a year-round need for donations and volunteers for the nonprofits providing services to high-need youths, including the growing number of foster children and homeless children in Palm Beach County. <br /> “People can still contribute. The Back to School Bash is a one-day event and the 60 nonprofits we work with, there’s a year-round need. What you give is still getting to the child,” Friswell says. <br /> Spirit of Giving also offers volunteer training and matches for people interested in giving back to their community. <br /> “There are all kinds of needs and everyone has a talent,” Friswell says. “Share your talent. Touch someone else’s life with your talent.”<br /><br />For Back to School Bash sponsorships, donations or volunteer training at the Spirit of Giving, call 385-0144 or visit spiritofgivingnetwork.com.</p></div>Calling all nonprofits!https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/calling-all-nonprofits2015-02-25T22:00:00.000Z2015-02-25T22:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="yiv8112286898msonormal">The registration deadline to participate in the Great Give Palm Beach & Martin Counties is March 30 at 5:00 p.m. This year’s exciting, 24-hour online fundraiser will start on May 5 at 5:00 p.m. and end on May 6 at 5:00 p.m. Hosted by the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, United Way of Palm Beach County and United Way of Martin County, the nationwide event is designed to raise as much money as possible for local nonprofits in a single day. The Great Give is open to all eligible nonprofits in Palm Beach and Martin counties. Last year’s event raised $2.2 million for 330 organizations. This year is expected to be even bigger. Register on <a href="http://www.GreatGiveFlorida.org">www.GreatGiveFlorida.org</a>.</p>
<p class="yiv8112286898msonormal"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960553274,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960553274,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7960553274?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p></p></div>Pay it Forward: Challenge grant offered for symphony orchestrahttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/pay-it-forward-challenge-grant-offered-for-symphony-orchestra-12013-04-03T18:12:11.000Z2013-04-03T18:12:11.000ZChris Felkerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ChrisFelker<div><p style="text-align:center;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960435485,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960435485,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="203" alt="7960435485?profile=original" /></a></em><em>Joe Griffin with conductor Sebrina Maria Alfonso.</em></p>
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<p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong><br /><br /> If it weren’t for a last-minute birthday present from his friend Claudia Willis, chances are Joseph Griffin probably wouldn’t have discovered the South Florida Symphony Orchestra. <br /> Willis, knowing that Griffin was a lover of classical music, was running out of ideas for a present when she remembered she had two tickets to the orchestra’s January performance at Delray Beach’s Crest Theatre that she couldn’t use.<br /> For Griffin, who makes his home in Highland Beach and Mary Lou Schillinger of Ocean Ridge, his close friend, that performance was a real eye-opener. <br /> “I was so impressed with this little orchestra of 70 musicians,” he said. “The sound was just magnificent.”<br /> Now Griffin is showing his support for the orchestra through a $10,000 challenge grant, which he hopes will lead to the Fort Lauderdale-based nonprofit’s raising an additional $20,000. <br /> That money, he says, would go a long way toward covering the cost of the upcoming concert and helping ensure the orchestra — which is performing on April 9 at the Delray Beach Center for the Art’s Crest Theater — will be able to return to Palm Beach County next season.<br /> “These are world-class musicians who come from all over the country,” he said. “Once you hear them, you’ll be blown away by the quality of their music.” <br /> Griffin, who spends part of the year in South Florida and part of the year in Manhattan, says he’s long been a fan of classical music, having had a subscription to the New York Philharmonic for many years. <br /> The April 9 master concert performance, “From Darkness Comes Light,” is expected to be equally impressive, with renowned cellist Zuill Bailey as the featured soloist.<br /> Led by award-winning conductor Sebrina María Alfonso, the orchestra will perform works of Elgar, Brahms and Schubert. <br /> “Having a symphony of this caliber performing in Delray Beach is a real coup,” said Willis, who has been a supporter of the orchestra for several years and who won’t be giving away her tickets this <br />time.<br /> <em>To find out more about the concert, visit <a href="http://www.southfloridasymphony.org">www.southfloridasymphony.org</a> or call (954) 522-8445.</em></p></div>