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NEWS from Unity Care Group
Community Partners Newsletter
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Dear Friends,
We at Unity Care truly hope you had an exceptional experience at our inaugural YouthLive! event on May 12th! We were honored to showcase such an array of talented youth: through amazing performances in song, spoken word, fashion modeling and the many expressions of beautiful works of art. I hope you were inspired and blessed as I was by the energy throughout the evening.
Summer has arrived, and we are extremely busy planning fun activities for our foster youth and families through our Summer of Learning program. But, we cannot do this work alone. We need community partners to step up and invest in our children–our future. Help keep at-risk children off the streets and out of trouble by connecting them with positive, life-changing activities. Get involved by donating resources or make a tax deductible contribution.
Below are our exciting updates.
André Chapman
"Please think of the children first. If you ever have anything to do with their entertainment, their food, their toys, their custody, their day or night care, their health care their education - listen to the children, learn about them, learn from them. Think of the children first." - Fred Rogers (an excerpt form "The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember")
Sleep Train Foster Kids and Sleep Train Mattresses 4Kids Delivers Hope
Thanks to our growing partnership with Sleep Train Foster Kids program, we
received a wealth of gifts for our foster children. The donated pajamas,
clothing, and new mattresses all provide our children a sense of security
and comfort during difficult times.
In addition, Sleep Train's Mattresses 4Kids program donates eleven brand new mattresses each month.
We simply cannot thank Sleep Train Mattress Centers enough for making a corporate commitment to give back to the community by making a positive difference in our foster children's lives.
3rd Graders Gather Care Packages for Foster Youth
We were so touched when Andrea Taylor's 3rd grade class from Country Lane Elementary School in San José collected and assembled over 100 care packages for our foster children. The children and their parents volunteered their time to purchase, collect donations and create individual care packages filled with pajamas, socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, books and toys! Special thanks to Shveta Bagade for delivering the packages!
Cambrian Park United Methodist Church Donates Hand Puppets for Foster Children
Cambrian Park United Methodist Church members donated 100 cute and cuddly puppets. Our foster youth enjoyed the puppets, and their counselors find them extremely helpful during therapy. Special thanks to Sleep Train Foster Kids for connecting the church.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
It was a good, good night! Thanks to our sponsors, community partners, volunteers and donors for
making our inaugural YouthLive! such a success. The countless hours
of hard work and practice culminated with a fun and a truly extraordinary
evening, which raised $70,000 to support Unity Care's programs dedicated to
helping foster youth like Peter Lamas.
Photo: Peter Lamas shares his story.
Photo by
Adrienne Aubry.
Today, Peter is attending De Anza College and wants
to major in kinesiology and ultimately become a firefighter. Peter's story was
so inspiring that he received a standing ovation. So if you missed the event,
please take a moment to read the full recap on
Andre's blog.
Special Thanks to our Community Sponsors!
Jennifer Krach
YouthLive! 2013 is sure to sell-out!
Planning for the event is in progress, so
stay tuned for more information.
Nominate Unity Care
for a Chase Grant!
A $5 million grant will be shared by charities! Tell
Chase Community Giving what Unity Care and our foster youth mean to you! Top
charities with the most votes will move on to the next qualifying round for
grant funds.
Please tell all of your friends and family members
to nominate “The Unity Care Group” online at
https://www.chasegiving.com/! Don't wait! The deadline for nominations is
Monday, July 9, 2012.
Sign up to our
Social Media Pages!
Don't miss out! Read Unity Care's latest news and
updates. Follow our social media pages by clicking on the icons below!
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Independent City Teaches Youth Survival Skills
On June 21st, our Independent Living Program (ILP) and Transition to Independence Process (TIP) hosted its first Independent City event for current and former foster youth living in Placer County. The free day-long workshop educated youth about how to face real-life scenarios and survive on their own as adults.
Above: A foster youth pays her rent.
A total of 64 foster youth simulated real life scenarios by visiting 16 different booths representing a variety of life events, such as finding a job, opening a bank account, how to find housing, visiting the DMV, grocery shopping, becoming a new parent, etc.
Above: A foster youth works within his budget by carefully selecting his groceries.
We received overwhelming positive feedback from attendees. 97% of youth stated that they felt better prepared for independent living after attending the event.
Attendees provided feedback comments about the things they learned that will be helpful to them in life:
Special thanks to Adventure Christian Church, Starbucks, and Costco for supporting the event. __________________________ Get Involved with our Summer of Learning Program  Summer activities are underway! Thanks to our continued partnership with CATS and Mayor Chuck Reed's Safe Summer Initiative, our staff are busy planning fun, educational, physical and explorative activities for our Summer of Learning program.
Foster Youth Enjoy an Unforgettable Sailing Trip
On Tuesday, June 26, 2012, 41 foster youth currently living in our homes had a chance to experience a beautiful and relaxing sail along the Santa Cruz coastline aboard the 65' Team O'Neal Catamaran. The weather was a comfortable 68 degrees with clear blue skies. Our teenage foster youth had the time of their lives.
Parent Café:
This summer, Unity Care's Nia Project, in collaboration with Linda Hsiao, is proud to offer free parenting classes for 24 lucky parents in July and August. Spaces are limited! Please read the flyer for more details.
We Need Your Help!
You can help give foster children and families opportunities to experience summertime traditions that will connect them to people, develop an appreciation for the environment, and promote learning that will further enhance their lives. We are seeking donated tickets to events, gift certificates and cash donations. To get involved, please contact our Development Department at (408) 510-3480. _______________
Special Thanks to our Partners
CATS
Cake4Kids
Cambrian Park United Methodist Church
Evergreen Valley Church
Office of Mayor Chuck Reed Safe Summer Initiative
Country Lane Elementary School
Help One Child
My New Red Shoes
Placer County Children's System of Care
Robin Hood Ministry
Second Harvest Food Bank
Sleep Train Foster Kids
Sleep Train Mattresses 4KIDS
Stuffed Animals for Emergencies _______________
Quick Links...
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Unity Care Group, Inc. |
email: lvu@unitycare.org ph: 408.510.3480 |
We are grateful that
Peter, an 18-year-old foster youth and a recent
graduate of Unity Care's
