Mid-July Announcements From SAFF!
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Greetings! We hope you are having a wonderful Summer!
Please read on for the July SAFF announcements. BACK-TO-SCHOOL BACKPACKS
Once again, one of SAFF's best and most dedicated community partners which cares about the education of youth in foster care... is going to distribute 200 back-to-school backpacks!!!! These backpacks are for children and teens in foster care living with foster parents, grandparents, relative placements, and within the re-unification program either having been re-united or are being re-united with their birth parents! THE UNITY CENTER will distribute 200 Backpacks...
THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN, THE CONGREGANTS OF UNITY CENTER!!!! CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN!
Two of our wonderful youths Lisa Mare and McClain Simon, daughter and son of Roberta and Merrill Simon, along with Joseph Galata the Executive Director for SAFF, join Tiffanie Story of Tiffanie Story Vocal Studio at another exciting recital.
The recital was held Saturday July 13 at Steinway Pianos. Lisa Marie has been studying singing with Tiffanie - a former Miss Nevada with the Miss America Pageant - for nearly 5 years while her brother began studying singing just last year. Miss Tiffanie's annual Christmas concert raises money for SAFF's Christmas celebrations and over 500 toys have been distributed to SAFF by the parents of children studying singing with this amazing music teacher. Congratulations to Lisa Marie and McClain for being so creative and to their parents for traveling from Mound House to Reno every week for the kids to sing their hearts out in joy! FREE COMPUTERS
To the parents who have contacted Joseph and reserved a spot in theSaturday July 20 class at the KNPB PBS TV station to get a free computer... IMPORTANT - pls call Darryl Feemster at the City of Reno Recreation Department..
HE HAS YOUR NAMES ALREADY... BUT YOU MUST CALL BYNEXT WEDNESDAY TO CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE 657-4640.. MUST CALL HIM AND CONFIRM.. AGAIN.. HE HAS YOUR NAMES... and you must be at the TV station by 9:15... THANK YOU CITY OF RENO RECREATION, LION'S CLUB, AND KNPB TV. THANK YOU MEN OF THE SERTOMA CLUB!
On Friday morning Joseph and two of his tutors Lisa Symonds and David Karr were guests at the breakfast meeting of the Board of Directors for the Sertoma Club of Reno. Joseph was invited to give a 20 minute presentation about SAFF's In-Home/After School Academic Tutoring Program. Lisa and David agreed when Joseph said "What a wonderful way to begin a Friday morning with you men making us laugh hysterical with your jokes!"
In between gales of laughter and bites of breakfast food, Joseph spoke about the importance of helping youth in foster care succeed academically. During his presentation Joseph acknowledged that the program is made possible by the generosity and caring of theFrank M. and Gertrude R. Doyle Foundation, Washoe County Social Services, Washoe County Family Court, Washoe County School District, The Center for Excellence in Disabilities, the Unity Center, and the various businesses, agencies, families and individuals within the Reno-Sparks community. THANK YOU CHEF DAN!
Joseph and Chef Dan of Gourmet-to-Go Catering. Chef Dan prepared thousands of delicious chicken wings for the July 4-5-6 Chicken Wing Festival Reno and donated a percentage of the profits to SAFF.
Chef Dan is planning more upcoming events such as the Street Vibrations, Camel Races, and others, with percentages of profits to be donated to SAFF. He is a former child in foster care and now has his degrees in culinary arts, interior design, and a Master's in Business Administration.
NEVADA EQUINE ASSISTED THERAPY PROGRAM (Horses)
SAFF's incredible partner NEAT which provides assisted therapy with horses to youth in foster families, adoptive families, and birth families, has moved to a new ranch! It's now at UNR ranch right across the street from the Evelyn Mount Center and the Lifestock Center.
We will be having an Open House very soon! So wonderful this beneficial program is growing in leaps and bounds! ACADEMIC TUTORING
For a brief moment in May we thought our In-Home/After School Academic Tutoring Program might slow down a little during the summer school hiatus.. NOT! WE HAVE SO MANY YOUTH WE ARE TUTORING TO HELP THEM CATCH UP ON THEIR ACADEMICS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER AND GET OFF TO A GREAT START FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR!!!!!!!!!!
A new component - our Remedial Education Program - is going strong... and 6 of our tutors are working every day with 10 students in a special location to get them caught up in credits leading towards eventual graduation! And the number of our high school foster youth who are enrolling in college! WONDERFUL!!!!! HONOR
On Sunday morning of last week, the announcement was made by the Reno Gazette Journal that SAFF's Executive Director Joseph Galata was selected as one of the 10 Most Influential Leaders in Charitable Work in Reno and one of the 100 Most Influential Leaders in Reno.
Joseph stated upon hearing of this award "I can only do what I do because of the incredible service organizations, agencies, families, businesses, andindividuals offer SAFF!" |
