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A Hope and A Future
United Methodist Cooperative Ministries/Suncoast, Inc. |
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| Greetings! | |
Welcome to the New Year!
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Walk for the Dream
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Saturday, March 9, 2013
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
at
Florida Botanical Gardens and Heritage Village
12520 Ulmerton Road
Largo, FL 33774
How would you like to take a stroll in a beautiful garden, visit a historical village, and have fun with friends all while raising funds for UM Cooperative Ministries' programs for children and families? We have just the right opportunity for you do all of that and more!
You are invited to participate as individuals, families and/or teams. Volunteers of all ages and from all walks of life will raise funds by getting sponsors for their participation.
Everyone who collects a minimum of $35 in sponsorships will receive a free T-shirt and top fundraising individuals will have the chance to win big prizes. Awards will also be given for the top fundraising groups.
Snacks and bottled water will be provided. Participants are invited to bring their own picnic lunch if they so desire. For special fun, bring a digital camera or cell phone to enjoy a digital scavenger hunt.
Join us on our walk and help make the dream - that all children might live in peace, have good nutrition and safe shelter, and get a good education - become a reality.
For more details, registration forms or to volunteer, call Kitty Carpenter, at 727-442-6881 , ext. 5, or email kcarpenter@umcm.info.Registration has begun! Click on the link below to begin.
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Upcoming Events
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January 2
Registration Opens for Walk for the Dream
February 4
Projected Opening of UMCM's Early Learning Centers at St. Paul's Lutheran
February 18 Projected Opening of UMCM's Early Learning Center at McCabe UMC
February 28
Deadline to register and turn in sponsorship forms for Walk for the Dream
March 9 Walk for the Dream |
| Our Programs |
Quality Early Learning Initiative
Suncoast Community Citizenship Project
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Job Openings
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We are currently accepting resumes for several positions in early childhood education. Click here to continue to our jobs page.
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Quality Early Learning Initiative Progress
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The research is clear - the early childhood years when children are ages 0-5 are critical ones. The environment where children spend their time, the people with whom they interact, and the
 | | The Playground at St. Paul's during construction |
activities in which they engage all have a significant impact on their future educational success.
In order to give low-income families in Pinellas County access to high-quality early childhood education, UMCM will be developing and opening three early learning centers during 2013 to serve up to 200 students. Students will be referred to the program by local family health services providers from among the families they serve.
The first site to open will be located at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 407 S. Saturn Avenue, in Clearwater. This location was chosen because it was formerly a licensed care facility, which meant that renovations needed to re-open would be minimal. It is also in the middle of an area in great need of high-quality childcare for low-income students. Most students will come to the center from homes in the 33755 and 33756 zip codes.
This is an exciting, and very big, project, and we could use your help! If you'd like to find out more about volunteering at the St. Paul's center, or at our future centers in St. Petersburg, check out the volunteer opportunities and contact information in this newsletter.
You can also help by participating
in our Cribs and Cots for Tots campaign.
To learn more, check out the video. If you'd like to donate, click here.
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UMCM has a New YouTube Channel
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United Methodist Cooperative Ministries has been working hard to open a new layer of social connection between the organization and you! Within the last two months, we created new Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace pages so that you can stay updated on progress with our projects, news and events. You can find the links below for our social network sites.
We now would like to introduce our YouTube channel! Four wonderful videos about our different programs have already been added and we hope to add many more. Click on this link to view the channel.
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| Want to Help? |
Volunteer Opportunities:
Walk for the Dream
- Walk for the Dream Committee Members--to help with planning, organizing, recruiting walkers and procuring prizes for top walkers.
- Walkers--Walk participants who will collect at least $35 in sponsorships for their participation and then enjoy a morning walk in a beautiful setting.
- Sponsors--to sponsor walkers for their participation
- Sponsors--to provide healthy snacks for the walkers. (Granola bars, energy bars, or fruit)
Quality Early Learning Centers
- Infant Feeders and Rockers -- hold babies as they eat, rock them for quiet time
- Classroom Assistant -- help teachers with children's activities and care
PASS Program
- Tutor Aides--Help elementary children with homework and enrichment activities one afternoon a week
Other ways you can help: If you would like to make donation to support the programs and projects of UMCM, click on the link below to find out how. Your gift will help us pay operating expenses, acquire books and educational materials, and provide financial assistance to families.
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I'd like to take a moment to sing the praises of our wonderful staff at UMCM! As you can imagine, working to open a new early learning center in a matter of a few months is a daunting task. Everyone in our offices and program sites has pulled together to make things happen, whether it's through directly working on the project or stepping in to take on extra work and free up others to do so.
If you know a staff member personally, do me a favor and take a moment to give them some words of encouragement and thanks. And, as always, we thank you for all you do to make our work possible. Grace and Peace, Pamela Qualls, Executive Director
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| Info | United Methodist Cooperative Ministries/Suncoast, Inc.
403 1st Avenue SW, Suite 102 Largo, FL 33770 (727) 442-6881
www.umcm.info
contact@umcm.info |
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