July 2014
 news and notes
Ogle Foundation Awards $90,000 Challenge Grant
Family Ark has great news! The Ogle Foundation has generously awarded a $90,000 challenge grant to replace aging roofs, gutters and downspouts on all buildings at the Family Ark campus! Our challenge is to raise $10,000 in donations between now and December 1, 2014. These donations (or pledges up to one year) are to be designated for the roofing campaign. So...we are officially kicking off our "Raise the Roof" Campaign! Please share this message with your email lists and help us get our roofs! Donations can be made online on our website at  http://thefamilyark.org/online-giving/ or call (812) 288-6800 x207 for further information.    
Foster Parents Are a "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
Family Ark has partnered with area families to provide foster care services for more than 40 years. New to being a foster parent but not new to the idea is Family Ark foster parent, Aungelique Walls. When asked about foster care, Aungelique said, "My mom has been a foster parent since I was 13 years old, so foster children have a special place in my heart. Being a foster parent is being that 'bridge over troubled water' and I'm grateful for the opportunity." Aungelique is a young working foster mom and has made plenty of room in her home and heart for young children who really need her. Family Ark Case Manager, Sam Steele stated, "Aungelique has been an amazing addition to our foster parents! She came to us with lots of energy and eagerness to take on new challenges! She has an enormous amount of compassion for children and families and wants to help them by getting to know each one individually while helping them make positive changes. I am confident that Aungelique will make lasting impacts and I am excited to work with her."


If you're an adult with a heart for children, Family Ark wants to talk with you! Family Ark is always looking for foster parents to help children who have experienced abuse, neglect or other trauma. Call Mike Karman at (812) 288-6800 x119 or email for more details.    
Get Ready for Family Ark's 1st Annual Fall Celebration!
Join Family Ark on September 20th for the 1st Annual Fall Celebration!
Free and open to the community, this family-friendly event is scheduled from 1:00-4:00 pm on the beautiful Family Ark campus! There will be live music, a chili cook-off, caramel apples, and guided family nature walks. Call (812) 288-6800 if you would like to enter the cookoff or if you would like to sponsor or volunteer at this great outdoor celebration! Come and discover nature on our 83 acres at 101 Noah's Lane, Jeffersonville, Indiana.
Family Ark Receives WHAS Crusade for Children Grant
Family Ark is excited to announce a $12,500 grant from WHAS Crusade for Children to supplement foster care case manager salaries. Family Ark's case managers work one on one with the child and the foster family, leading ongoing services to best meet the needs of each child. The commitment and enthusiasm our case managers demonstrate on a day-to-day basis is what makes our foster care program such a success! Thank you WHAS Crusade for Children for your mission of serving children with special needs and for your generous support of our foster care program! Click here to see the full list of this year's grantees.
Family Ark Announces 2014 Scholarship Winners
Previous Board President David Hillman with 2014 scholarship winners.
During the May Family Ark Board of Directors meeting, Family Ark announced the three recipients of the 2014 Virginia Walker Memorial Scholarship. They are Leonard Kwitonda and Kansas James from Jeffersonville High and Haley Fessel from Floyd Central High. Leonard plans to attend Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne, and Kansas and Haley have chosen to attend Ivy Tech in Sellersburg. Each year, Family Ark awards scholarships to children who are current or previous clients of the agency at any point since its founding in 1973.The Board of Directors determines the amount and number of scholarships awarded each year, which may be used only for tuition, fees, books and room/board. The Virginia Walker Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in memory of Virginia Walker, an agency foster parent. Since 2001, the fund has awarded more than $55,000 to students of varying ages. Family Ark congratulates the 2014 winners! 
Family Ark Board of Directors 2014-15
New Family Ark Board Member, Michelle Ginkins
New Officers for Family Ark's 2014-15 Board of Directors have been announced. Board President is Paul Kichler, Vice President of Children and Family Services, Goodwill Southern Indiana. Cathy Blair, Retired HR Executive, is the new Vice President. Board Secretary is Dennis Enix, Executive Director of the Clark County Branch YMCA. New to the Board this year is Michelle Ginkins, Assistant Principal for Student Development at New Albany High School. Ms. Ginkins brings years of experience in working with youth and families. Returning Board members include Brittany Blau, Mary Sanchez, Saundra Gordon, Lori Lewis, Michael P. Cook, Staci Flispart, and Honorary Lifetime Members - David Hillman and Nathan Wolf.
Development Office Internship Opportunity!

Family Ark is looking for an intern to serve in the Development Office! This is a great opportunity to learn and gain experience in fundraising, events, database management, marketing, and much more! This is an unpaid position working approximately 10 hours per week. To read the full job description, go here.   
Navigating Special Education
On Thursday, July 17th, from 4:30-8:00pm, Family Ark hosted
Navigating Special Education, a free educational/training workshop for parents, caregivers, case workers, foster parents, educators, and others.
Our resource event featured multiple tables staffed by organizations designed to assist parents of children with special needs. Attendees gained knowledge about the rights of children in the special education setting and were able to network with other parents and providers.Thanks to all our partnering agencies and attendees!  And a special thanks to Kelly Benjamin from IN*SOURCE for providing critical information to our audience! 
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