07.2013 News, Part I

July Announcements From SAFF!

Greetings! We hope you are having a wonderful Summer!
Please read on for the July SAFF announcements.

Reno-Tahoe group announces 100 "most inspiring leaders"

Community Affect has released it's list of the top 100 leaders in Reno and Tahoe - and Joseph Galata is named as one of them!

10 FREE BABY CRIBS

Thanks to our wonderful Washoe County foster and adoptive mom Tina Atkinson, there are now 10 free baby cribs (not pull down) available. Tina prefers the cribs go to new foster parents, birth parents being re-united with their babies, grandparents fostering their grandchildren, and relative placements. But if you are a long-time foster parent and/or preparing to finalize your adoption, pls contact Tina for a baby crib. Tina's email address is 350chevyci@gmail.com.

COMPUTERS - JUNE AND JULY!!!

Thanks to the City of Reno and the Reno Cigar Lion's Club for distributing the free computers to our foster, adoptive, and birth families on Saturday June 13...

NOW.. WE ARE TAKING RESERVATIONS FOR THE JULY FREE COMPUTER GIVE AWAY... Saturday July 20. 9:30 at the KNPB-PBS TV station... we already have 9 reservations for the for the July giveaway.... So email Joseph at JGalata@aol.com ASAP to reserve your spot. You and the child/teen must attend the 90 minute educational training on the computer and programs and then you leave with the free computer!

THANK YOU - SIERRA SERVICE STATIONS!!!!

During the month of May, 5 gasoline stations owned by the Sierra Service Stations, donated a percentage of their profits to SAFF for the creative-artistic-educational programs at SAFF. Every time a customer pumped gasoline from one of the 5 stations - SAFF received a donation! We are most grateful!

For June - the same gas pumps are being used to donate $ to the Boy Scouts... so please continue to patronize the Sierra Service Stations! Community partnerships are what make all of us so successful!

THANKS TO FASCINATING RHYTHM SCHOOL OF PERFORMING ARTS!

On Saturday June 15 at the Carson City Community Theater, over 60 children and teens performed 46 dance production numbers. The opening performances were those choreographed at the SAFF fundraiser featuring TV and Broadway stars from GLEE, SMASH, THE LION KING, and ROCK OF AGES.

SAFF received acknowledgment both in the written program and from the Emcee for the 800 audience members. A highlight was the production number featuring developmentally disabled children, teens, and adults who performed with professional dancers and teachers. SAFF is so grateful and proud to be involved with FR School of Performing Arts and Studio7Arts.

THANKS TO THE NEVADA CENTER FOR EXCELLENCE IN DISABILITIES!

SAFF has been awarded 2 grants from the NCED! The funding will be used to offer In-Home/After School Academic Tutoring Remedial Education for children and teens in foster care who have developmental disabilities and to help with the development of a new project focusing on teaching children and teens with developmental disabilities how to protect themselves from bullying, abuse, and violence.

The NCED works diligently with many community organizations to help our youth with developmental disabilities succeed in life!

SUMMER ACADEMIC TUTORING!
- Computer Programming new addition!

We certainly have not taken a break from tutoring since the beginning of the traditional school vacation.

Thank you social workers for keeping the referrals coming! We are working daily to help high school students who can take the graduation proficiency tests in July, as well as students who need specific help during the summer to advance towards better grades and higher levels when school starts August 12. Of course, we certainly appreciate the students we are tutoring who attend Year Round School!Additionally, as part of our new Remedial Education Component, we will begin tutoring 6 youths who will learn the vocational skills of computer programming to prepare them for a career in the computer industry. David Karr, one of SAFF's 26 tutors, a physics major at the University, is designing the program.

This promises to be very exciting and rewarding!

National Radio Program

Last Wednesday, the Executive Director of SAFF was interviewed for 30 minutes on a national radio show out of New York City on SAFF's tutoring program as well as the horse therapy program with NEAT! Also discussed were the projects SAFF created with community assistance and funding by DCFS to help the birth parents and children with re-unification. You can hear the interview via the internet by clicking THIS LINK

THE SIERRA ASSOCIATION OF FOSTER FAMILIES IS A TAX EXEMPT 501c3 NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION RECOGNIZED BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT'S IRS... CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.. FOR ADVICE ON WHETHER YOUR CONTRIBUTION CAN BE DECLARED AS TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTACT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR YOUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR. SAFF IS INCORPORATED AS A NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION IN THE STATE OF NEVADA, RECOGNIZED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR NEVADA.