| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
News & Updates Week of September 13, 2010 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WELCOME to the new format for the East Arlington Family Support Center's Weekly Updates. Do you have any information you would like to see included in this newsletter? Send your information to familysupport@achservices.org to see it included in the next newsletter!
|
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
Calendar...
THE CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER IS NOW AVAILABLE. Click here to download a copy.
Do you know any children being raised by grandparents, relatives, or friends? The East Arlington Family Support Center is reaching out to all kinship families that are interested in coming together to support each other. We will offer a safe and comfortable environment, food, childcare, speakers, classes, and many other resources. Please contact 817-277-3050 or email familysupport@achservices.org to express your interest or refer a family. |
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
Community Events and Resources...
Ecofest Arlington is offering a free, four-class series designed to help individuals "grow, find, choose, and prepare" healthy food for a more healthy lifestyle. The classes take place on Saturday, September 18, 2010 at Arlington City Hall Council Chambers, 101 W. Abram St. For more information on the classes and how to register, go to www.ecofestarlington.com.
The City of Arlington is giving out free toilets to help Arlington residents use water more efficiently. A total of 500 toilets will be provided to pre-qualified Arlington residents that still have an older, high water use toilet and a good standing account with Arlington Water Utilities. For more information, go to www.savearlingtonwater.com.
Our Community, Our Kids is hosting their Kick-Off Breakfast on September 30, 2010 from 8am-10am. The keynote speaker will be Oscar "Ossco" Bolton, a former gang leader. The Breakfast will take place at the Mac Bernd Professional Development Center at 1111 W. Arbook Blvd., Arlington, TX 76015. For more information or to register, call Arlington Parks & Recreation at 817-459-5488.
Are you interested in staying informed and actively participating in your government? Visit the calendar of the League of Women Voters for upcoming events.
Does your church, agency or organization provide assistance to families during Thanksgiving or Christmas? CRN creates a directory of holiday programs for Tarrant County. This information is shared with 2-1-1 and CRN partners. If you would like to be listed in the directory please contact Melanie Lees at 817-289-3852 or email crn@ccdofw.org. |
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
Family/Youth Opportunities...
The Fabulous Female Expo invites all girls in 6th-12th grades to this free event. The event takes place on Saturday, September 25, 2010 from 9:30am to 3:00pm at the Martin Boys and Girls Club, 3123 Ave G, Fort Worth, 76105. Parents are encouraged to attend, and a light breakfast and lunch will be served. Includes Youth Workshops, Parent/Adult Workshops, Community Vendors, Performances, and a Fashion Show. For a registration form email fabulousexpo@gmail.com or call 469.733.3480. Click here to see the flyer.
The YMCA has put out their Fall Program Guide. Many fun fall programs are available. To download a copy, click here.
Stop by The Friend's of the Arlington Public Library Fall Book Sale to find a bargain and support your library too. The sale is expected to have over 60,000 items. Also, don't forget to stop by the Collector's Corner, you might find a real treasure. The Friends of the Arlington Public Library fall book sale will be held at the Meadowbrook Recreation Center, 1400 Dugan St. at Meadowbrook Park - September 22-26, 2010. |
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
Several North Texas police and law enforcement agencies will be teaming with the Drug Enforcement Administration on Sept. 25 for a first-ever national "Take Back" program where residents can safely discard prescription medications for destruction. The program will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 25. Residents are asked to take any unused, expired or unwanted prescription drugs. Officials will not accept inhalers, syringes and liquid medications. Residents can go to the police stations at 2001 New York Ave., 620 W. Division St., 2060 Green Oaks Blvd., or 1030 SW Green Oaks Blvd. Read more.
The Tarrant County CHIP Coalition invites parents to register their children for CHIP or Children's Medicaid on October 2, 2010 from 10:00am to 2:00pm at the Fiesta Grocery Store at 1300 E. Pioneer Pkwy, Arlington 76010. Parents will need to bring a copy of each child's birth certificate; each child's social security number; alien registration cards (for non-citizens); and proof of income for all family members. For more information, or for other locations throughout the metroplex, click here.
Texas Arlington Memorial Hospital invites you to a Candlelight Ceremony in honor of National Pregnancy and Infant Loss. In our Tarrant County community, we have one of the highest infant mortality rates throughout the state. The loss of a child is considered one of the deepest pains, regardless of a child's age. This Ceremony takes place on October 15, 2010 from 6:45pm to 8:00pm at the North Lawn of Alan Saxe Garden. Click here for more information. |
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
Educational Opportunities...
The Learning Zone, a homework center for grades 1-3, is registering students on September 20 and September 22 from 4pm-7pm. To register, parents need to bring a copy of their child's most recent report card and a reduced or free lunch letter. For more information, call Arlington Reads at 817-275-3321.
Arlington Reads is offering a Junior High Reading Tutoring and Writing Club. The club meets from October 5 to December 9 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30pm-5:50pm at the East Arlington Branch Library. For more information, call Arlington Reads at 817-275-3321 and ask to speak with a coordinator. Click here for more information.
H.O.P.E. Tutoring Registration is scheduled for Sept. 14th & 16th. Registration for H.O.P.E. tutoring in the 2010-2011 school year, will be held from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, 2020 South Collins Street. Tutoring begins on September 23rd at the church, with tutoring from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. and from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. To register, parents must fill out an application at the church and have the student's last report card with them. |
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
Job/Training Opportunities...
The 7th Annual Christian Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Job Fair that is free to the public on September 16, 2010 from 9am to 3pm at Agape Christian Fellowship Event Center, 2350 E. Mayfield Rd., Arlington, TX 76014. To register, click here.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
Provider Opportunities...
Helping Restore Ability invites you to attend Helping Restore Ability 101, a free lunch and tour of the office. The purpose of Helping Restore Ability Lunch & Learn 101 is to inform and educate volunteers and the community about our programs and services. No soliticitation of donations will be made at this lunch. Helping Restore 101 will be held on September 21, 2010 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. The event takes place at 1635 W. Division Street, Suite A, Arlington, TX. 76012. Please RSVP at 817-469-1977, and ask for Jennifer Watelski, Executive Assistant or e-mail her at jwatelski@hratexas.org.
Join TXU Energy and other community serving organizations in your area for our ninth annual informative set of workshop sessions. The workshops are free to attend and will be offered in Dallas on October 22 and Fort Worth on October 26. Click here for more information.
You are invited to a free workshop to help Tarrant County Department of Human Services celebrate 50 years of services to the Tarrant County community. The workshop will be held on Friday, October 8, 2010 from 8:00 am - 2:00 pm at the Resource Connection Conference Center, 2300 Circle Drive, Fort Worth, Texas 76119. The topic will be "Advocating For Those In Need With Respect And Solid Ethical Conduct." Four Social Work Continuing Units (three in ethics) are available to attendees at no cost. To register, email malmendarez@tarrantcounty.com. For information call (817) 531-5620.
Catholic Charities will be hosting a Basic Interviewing Skills Workshop and a Basic Case Management Workshop on Friday 10/8/10. The Basic Interviewing Skills Workshop is from 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. The Basic Case Management Workshop is from 10:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Seating will be limited to 80. You can enroll in one or both workshops. Each workshop is $15.00. Register with Melanie Lees at 817-289-3863 or crn@ccdofw.org. The Fall 2010 Transition and Disability Resource Expo is on October 16, 2010 from 11 AM - 2 PM at the Birdville ISD Fine Arts/Athletics Complex, 9200 Mid-Cities Blvd., North Richland Hills, TX. Click here to see the brochure.
Register for "Intervention Between Two Homes: Working with Families in Transition." This six-hour seminar for mental health professionals offers tools for working with families raising children between two homes due to separation, divorce, or other family circumstances. The next class is scheduled for Friday, September 24 from 9am until 4pm in Grand Prairie. For more details, click here.
Early Connections for Children's Mental Health, Tarrant County Chapter of TAIMH, invites you to "Exercise Your Brain," an interactive workshop. Presenters include Mary Altom, MT-BC--Music Matters! Incorporating Simple Music Strategies into Everyday Interactions with Young Children, and Susan Afflerbach--Yoga for Young Children. September 25, 2010 from 8:00-12:00 at Catholic Charities, 249 W. Thornhill, Ft. Worth, 76105. For more information please contact Jamie Souders 817-569-5728.
Sign up for the Compassion Resource Network's bimonthly newsletter to learn about other community resources available throughout Tarrant County. Click here to join the mailing list. |
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
Volunteer Opportunities...
The Goodfellow Fund is the Star-Telegram's holiday charity and was founded by Star-Telegram employees in 1912. Goodfellows provides clothing and shoes for underprivileged Tarrant County school-age children during the holiday season. The goal this year is to serve 20,000 children. Volunteers are needed. The process of sending out appointments will begin October 13th. Families will be seen on Monday and Tuesday in Arlington and in Fort Worth on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. If you would like to be a volunteer please call the volunteer line at 817-289-0498 or email volunteer.goodfellows@ccdofw.org. Family Pathfinders of Tarrant County Inc., a non-profit that serves people making the transition from poverty to self-sufficiency, is launching a program that matches volunteer mentors with workers striving to develop skills and advance in their careers. Volunteer mentors from local businesses, churches and civic organizations are trained to partner with mentees in their journey to become self sufficient. This program is based on the belief, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for today; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Volunteers are needed to walk with clients to financial stability. You will make a huge difference in someone's life by committing a small amount of your time. If you belong to a group that might be interested in this great new opportunity, contact Chantyl Parris at chantyl.parris@familypathfinders.org or 817-879-5162 for more information and to set up a group presentation.
HOPE Tutoring helps students in the 3rd through 8th grades with school work. Last year, 145 students participated in the program and 95% showed improvement in their report cards. One of the challenges that the program has faced in recent years is a large backlog of students who need help with homework, but must wait until tutors become available. Participation as a tutor in the program requires one hour of time each week. Volunteers may tutor Tuesday or Thursday from 6:30PM-7:30PM. New volunteers attend an orientation session at Good Shepherd UMC, 2020 S Collins on Tuesday, September 7th, 6:00 - 8:30PM. If you cannot make a full time commitment, please consider being a substitute tutor. If you wish to have more information on this important community ministry, please contact HOPE Tutoring (817-860-7757). |
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
| In the News...
The Annual MLK Art and Essay Competition is Announced. The Arlington Martin Luther King Jr. Committee is now accepting entries for the 2011 "Sharing the Dream" Student Art and Essay Competitions. The entry deadline is 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, 2010. Click here for more information.
Men's Health magazine is again showing Arlington some love. Last year, the magazine ranked Arlington No. 1 on its list of "Top Fast Food Towns." And in 2007, the city earned the No. 4 spot on the magazine's list of "Best Place to Find a Mate." The magazine's latest, well ... honor? It seems Arlington is America's seventh "Most Sex-Happy City." Read more.
The Arlington Citizen-Journal is back! This paper, which started in the 1930's, ceased publication in the 1990's. Arlington once again has a hometown paper. Read more here.
Elementary school students and their parents will find it tougher next year to sneak into other schools by fudging on their home addresses. Starting in August, students in elementary grades will face the same proof-of-residency requirements that now apply to junior high and high school students. Read more. |
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
|
|
About Us...
The East Arlington Family Support Center is a community collaboration whose goal is to ensure the healthy development and growth of young children by supporting their families and the communities in which they live. The East Arlington Family Support Center is administered
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
|
|
|