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SAVE THE DATE
FOR FPP EVENTS
April 19th - 11:30 - 1:30 Bank On meeting in Panama City to help bring Bank On to six more counties. We would love to see you there. More information.
Train the Trainer Classes
April 23rd for the Lighthouse of Central Florida, April 28th with the Duval County Extension Services, May 7th -11th we will again collaborate with FDIC to teach Train-the-Trainer classes to high school teachers. More information.
May 8, 2012 - FDIC Money Smart Train-The-Trainer
9AM -4PM More information.
May 30, 2012 - Fourth Annual FPP Statewide Conference
Conference will be held at Universal's Portofino Hotel in Orlando, Florida. Register today!
June 26, 2012 - 10:30AM - 4PM - The Money Smart Train the Trainer
For Agency Staff/Service Providers who serve persons with disabilities in NE Florida. It is presented by FDIC, FPP and NDI and is sponsored by FDIC. It will be in Jacksonville, FL. The training is free and lunch will be provided. For more information, registration and accommodation requests you may contact: Katie Metz 904.716.7936 or kmetz@ndi-inc.org.
September 10, 2012 & September 24, 2012 - Benefit Training Webinar series is sponsored by FDDC presented by FPP and NDI will be a 2-part Benefit Training by our NDI expert, Sharon. The first half will be presented on September 10 from 1:30 - 3:00 p.m. EST and the second part of the two-part series will be September 24 from 1:30 - 3:00p.m. Watch this newsletter for more information in coming months.
SAVE THE DATE
FOR MEMBER EVENTS
April 3rd, Webinar: Applying Behavioral Economics for Improved Program Delivery and Greater Impact 1-2 p.m. EDT / 10-11 a.m. PDT. Register today!
April 17th or May 1st - Catalyst Miami and RTI International together are providing a free 1-day training session regarding helping people after storms. More information.
April 28th - Second Harvest Food Bank Of Central Florida -Wine, Women and Shoes Style Show More information.
April 30th-May 2nd - The Association for Enterprise Opportunity's 2012 National Conference
takes place at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, DC and you're invited. More information.
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THE FLORIDA PROSPERITY PARTNERSHIP (FPP)
| The Florida Prosperity Partnership (FPP), was formally established in March 2009, evolving from a number of parallel and earlier efforts to create a statewide coalition dedicated to improving the financial stability and capability for low-to-moderate income Floridians.
FPP PURPOSE: To convene individuals and organizations with the desire to leverage their talent, resources, and passion to improve the prosperity of Florida's families.
FPP VISION: All Floridians have equal opportunities to attain financial stability.
FPP MISSION: Establish a statewide collaboration holistically focused on providing life-enhancing services to Floridians.
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FPP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Janet Hamer, Chair
Sr. Community Development Manager
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
Daniella Levine, Vice-Chair
President and CEO
Catalyst Miami
Sandra Bernard-Bastien, Secretary
Dir. Of Public Affairs/Org. Dev.
Children's Services Council of Broward
Ted Granger, Treasurer
President
United Way of Florida
Evan Goldman
CSC of Broward County
George Owen
Regions Bank
Maureen Quinlan
United Way of Marion County
Mike Smith
TD Bank
FPP BOARD MEMBERS
Ron Albert
IRS
Anika Coney
Hillsborough County Dept. of FAS
Dr. Michael Gutter
University of Florida
Dorothy Inman-Johnson
Capital Area Community Action Agency
Valerie Jenkins
Wells Fargo
Iris Jones
BB&T Bank
Mike Kennedy
Suncoast Community Credit
Roger Mercado
United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades Co.
Katie Metz
National Disability Institute
Rosa Morgan
Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Retired)
Joan Nelson
Heart of Florida United Way
Kasha Owers
United Way of Palm Beach County
Felipe Pinzon
Hispanic Unity of Florida
Ron Sharpe
United Way of Northwest Florida
Ellen Stoffer
United Way of Tampa Bay
Barbara Travis
Internal Revenue Service (Retired)
Jeff Winkler
Real$ense Prosperity Campaign
FPP STAFF
Kaye Schmitz
President and CEO
Bill Mills
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Pat Nelms
Community Education/Program Manager Penny Zaphel
Coordinator of Special Projects Emilie Pennington Graphics Designer Lynn Gill Bookkeeper THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS 
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Greetings!
CONGRATULATIONS to those of you who were able to secure your conference spot at the incredibly low registration fee of $149. There is already quite a long list of conference attendees with more pouring in every day. NEW SPONSORS have come forward, including Fifth Third Bank as the first Gold Level sponsor! Thanks to Joyce O'Dongo and Jadira Hoptry from Fifth Third for making that happen. We also have another silver sponsor; longtime sponsor, Real$ense Prosperity Campaign and United Way of Northeast Florida. This is the third year in a row they have been a sponsor. Thanks to Jeff Winkler, a new FPP Board Member (and a new father as well) for this terrific sponsorship record. Two new Bronze Sponsors signed up during March - Regions Bank and Bank of America. Special thanks to George Owen from Regions Bank and Denise Freedman, of Bank of America, for securing the Bronze Level Sponsorships for the upcoming FPP conference. And...it's not too late to sign up as a sponsor! |
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PRESIDENT'S REPORT
By Kaye Schmitz
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KAYE SCHMITZ
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Conference Workshop Proposals
Remember to send in your conference workshop proposal by April 15, 2012 - we plan to post them shortly after that, so make certain your proposal gets in on time. Access the workshop proposal at floridaprosperitypartnership.com. Once completed, please email your proposals to Penny Zaphel.
Visit the FPP's Facebook Page to Save Even More Money
If you're looking to car pool to the conference or share a room at the Portofino to reduce your organization's expenses even further, post that information on the FPP's Facebook page so others can contact you and make arrangements to join you.
Sign up to become an FPP Member for Discounted Conference Rate
Even though you missed the $149 rate, you can still get a very low registration rate of $199 (only $4 higher than last year's conference fee) but you still have to be a paid member. Join FPP and claim your conference registration discount - otherwise you will pay $249 to register.
The conference will be held at Loew's Portofino Bay Hotel, 5601 Universal Boulevard in Orlando, FL from May 30 - June 1, 2012. The room rate is $109 per night, with a reduced self-parking rate of $6 and free in-room Internet. Register for both the conference and your hotel now so you don't miss the best rates!
The FPP welcomes new FPP Board Members
We are excited to welcome two new members to our Board of Directors. Newly elected members include Ron Albert, Plantation Territory Manager for the Stakeholder, Partnerships, Education and Communication (SPEC) Office of the IRS and Mike Kennedy, President and CEO of Suncoast Community Capital (SCC). Learn more about these two exciting additions to our Board.
FPP Membership Fees - Due by April 30, 2012
You have already received the information about the new fee structure for the FPP, designed according to specifications that both you and the FPP Membership Committee felt was a fair and low cost. Fees may be paid on the FPP website via PayPal or a check may be mailed to:
The Florida Prosperity Partnership
180 Pinehurst Pointe Drive
Saint Augustine, FL 32092
Attn: Kaye Schmitz
A late fee will be assessed after April 30. Don't forget to claim your discounted conference registration fee as soon as you have paid your membership fee. All paid affiliates will receive discounts for FPP Conference Registration. Learn more about all other membership benefits.
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FPP ADVOCACY
By Evan Goldman and Ted Granger
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TED GRANGER AND
EVAN GOLDMAN
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This year, the FPP's top legislative priority was killing legislation that would have legitimized the debt settlement industry in Florida. Currently, all of the ads you see late at night are sponsored by out-of-state settlers who can charge higher fees by being located out of state and conducting their business by phone. Two bills attempting to allow these organizations to charge much higher fees and providing incentive for them to locate in Florida were defeated by FPP this session. Learn more.
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BANK ON FLORIDA
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BILL MILLS
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The rural counties in Florida have a much higher percentage of unbanked according to figures from the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED). With the exception of Miami-Dade County, all of the counties that have over 30.5% of the population within those counties either unbanked or underbanked are low population counties (under 30,000).
These statistics emphasize the importance of bringing the Bank On program to the rural areas of the state. Unfortunately, these will be the toughest regions for Bank On Florida to penetrate. But, that will not stop us! Learn more.
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COMMUNITY EDUCATION UPDATE
By Pat Nelms, Community Education/Program Manager
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PAT NELMS
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March arrived with March Madness, Spring Break, Lent, and Vacation. Train-the-Trainer education classes were somewhat delayed, however, we were able to do some class promotions at the Arlington Rotary Club luncheon meeting and the Schultz Training Center in Jacksonville, Florida.
We are currently working with April Atkins at the FDIC to co-present a Train-the-Trainer class on April 23rd for the Lighthouse of Central Florida, and on Saturday April 28th with the Duval County Extension services. During Money Wise week May 7th -11th we will again collaborate with FDIC to teach Train-the-Trainer classes to high school teachers in order to help them promote this much needed program to their students.
We are also in touch with the out-lying County Extension Services offices in Nassau, Clay, St. Johns, Baker and Bradford Counties to teach Financial Train-the-Trainer Education classes. Shortly we will be providing updates about the program on Facebook and Twitter to allow our partners to have multiple ways to contacts us.
In the meanwhile please continue to send me your class request by phone at 904-217-4360 (office), 240-888-1924 (cell) or by e-mail patmnelms@yahoo.com.
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DISABILITY NEWS
By Michael Rousch MS, National Program Director of the National Disability Institute & Katie Metz, Regional Specialist
National Disability Institute supports the passage of the Able Act.
Last November, the U.S. Congress took an historic step for Americans with disabilities by reintroducing the Achieve a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, legislation long championed by
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MICHAEL ROUSCH AND KATIE METZ
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National Disability Institute as a key to providing a pathway to a better economic future for persons with disabilities and their families. The ABLE Act legislation is vital to helping 1 in 3 individuals with disabilities living in poverty take important steps toward economic self-sufficiency. Learn more.
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MEMBER NEWS
SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF CENTRAL FLORIDA
By Dave Krepcho
Wine, Women and Shoes Style Show - This is a Style Show you don't want to miss. All proceeds benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. It will be held on Saturday, April 28th at Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL. Find out more information. ____ MIAMI HOSTS NATIONAL SEMINAR ON CAPACITY BUILDING FOR DISASTER By Daniella Levine
Before Disaster Strikes - Training: Catalyst Miami and RTI International together are providing a free 1-day training session to help community organizations build their skills and capacity to work better each day-and to become resilient enough to withstand and continue to provide their services after storms and other disasters.
This training emphasizes management skills, including organizational communication, planning, and preparedness. Training will be held on April 17th and May 1st. Find out more and register today! ___ UNITED WAY - BIG BEND - JOB ANNOUNCEMENT By Megan Earnhardt
Do you LOVE raising money and working with volunteers?
Do you yearn to make a difference in our community?
Then the United Way needs YOU as our Vice-President, Resource Development! Read more on this exciting position!
____ OPPORTUNITY TO INFLUENCE FEDERAL POLICY By CFED Assets & Opportunities Team The Federal Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) program provides food assistance to low-income households living on Indian reservations and American Indian households living near reservations. As you may know, many households participate in FDPIR as an alternative to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), because they do not have easy access to SNAP offices or authorized food stores. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed regulations that would eliminate the asset test (currently set at $2,000-$3,250) for the program. Asset tests have discouraged families from savings for the future and building assets. USDA needs to hear that you support for this proposed change. We encourage you to submit a comment letter to USDA supporting the proposed regulation and to encourage others in your state to do so as well. The deadline for comments is April 10.
Letters from your organization and those in your network would be particularly influential given the Native population in your state. We've attached a draft letter to help you prepare your own comments. Feel free to customize it to reflect how the change will benefit the populations you serve and circulate it to your networks urging them to comment. One way to encourage others to weigh in is through your A&O microsite. For example, you could write a blog post about the proposed regulation and then link to the post through the e-advocacy function. We've attached a sample blog post to help you get started. Use this guide for instructions on using the blog and e-advocacy features. Or feel free to email egeiling@cfed.org for guidance on using your microsite or posting this alert. Once you've customized your sample letter, here are instructions for submitting comments: - Go to http://www.regulations.gov; In the Enter Keyword or ID field insert "FNS-2011-0036"and then click on Search.
- Click on Submit a Comment. Docket FNS-2011-0039.
- To Fax: (703) 305-2782 Attn: Laura Castro
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CONSOLIDATED CREDIT COUNSELING SERVICES, INC.By Laura Campbell
Workers' financial stress may hurt productivity. Consolidated Credit Counseling Services can help! Employee financial stress is having an impact on the workplace, potentially draining
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LAURA CAMPBELL
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productivity, and increasing emotional stress on the job. The rise in home foreclosures and defaults on credit cards is rampant in South Florida and employers can have a positive impact on their employees by providing financial education.
"Financial worries can reveal themselves in the workplace as employees moonlight to pick up extra money, or it causes anxiety, depression, absenteeism and productivity problems that affect the bottom line," says Laura Campbell, manager of Workplace Education Programs for Consolidated Credit. "Financial education programs improve people's lives because they learn how to put into practice the newly learned positive financial behaviors from the financial literacy classes that we offer," continued Campbell. Consolidated Credit Counseling Services is a nationally recognized, non-profit organization whose mission is to assist families in ending financial crisis and solving money management problems through education and professional counseling.
For more information on how to implement or supplement your employee educational efforts, email Laura Campbell at lcampbell@consolidatedcredit.org or call 954-377-9238.
____ FROM THE FLORIDA CFO's OFFICE
Florida's Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater launched On Guard for Seniors, a new website intended to educate senior consumers about financial and insurance issues impacting our state's fastest-growing population. Every day seniors are flooded with promises of wealth and requests for charitable contributions and are being exposed to targeted fraud opportunities. The result is that new financial decisions can be overwhelming. Florida currently ranks first in the nation in percentage of residents age 60 or older, and more than 1.7 million are 75 and older. Seniors age 85 and older are currently the state's fastest-growing age group.
The On Guard for Seniors website at www.MyFloridaCFO.com/OnGuard includes specific information related to annuities, reverse mortgages, long-term care insurance and identity theft and helps seniors learn more about these topics, their potential pitfalls and how to protect themselves. Also, On Guard for Seniors provides educational videos and explanations of how some insurance and financial products work. Be sure to see more information about On Guard for Seniors in the next FPP newsletter.
____ AEO OFFERS FPP MEMBERS A $50 DISCOUNT
The most comprehensive conference on microbusiness in the United States is now open for registration! The Association for Enterprise Opportunity's 2012 National Conference takes place April 30-May 2 at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, DC and you're invited.
Join AEO, leaders from the microbusiness industry, policy makers, funders, and others for three days of learning on the latest policy updates, best practices and topics that will help you improve your services.
AEO is offering the FPP membership a $50 discount on registration! Learn more!
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