Bridie McDonough Teen Fellowship
It is with heavy hearts that we share that one of our former AmeriCorps VISTAS, Bridie (Bridget Mary) McDonoughpassed away at the age of 27 on November here in Durham. Bridie was an incredible addition to our team back in 2017-2018 and served as the Workforce Development VISTA. She is the one who came up with the idea for a Teen Fellowship Program for FMF, which was implemented the following summer. Bridie also served in the PeaceCorps, travelled the world, and had an incredible way of connecting with people. Everyone loved Bridie, staff, guests (especially kids) and volunteers alike. It is in her memory, FMF has officially named the Bridie McDonough Teen Fellowship.
The first official event of the newly named Bridie McDonough Teen Fellowship was gingerbread house decorating! Our teens loved being able to get creative and have fun (masked, of course) on our covered porch for this December activity. Thanks to Caitrin Radcliffe for donating the gingerbread house kits!
Our newest Strategic Plan is putting even more of an emphasis on programming for children and teens, so our staff are excited about planning more frequent activities with our teens. Stay tuned in 2021!
Join Our Pay It Forward Campaign
During these times of uncertainty, we are more reliant on financial contributions to help the families we serve stay fed and housed. All across the country, many of us have received stimulus checks (or will be soon) from the federal government to support the many folks out of work and unable to make ends meet. If you’re still working and making ends meet, we're hoping that you’ll see this as an opportunity to pay it forward.
Our “Pay It Forward” stimulus campaign will continue to support the needs of both our shelter and aftercare families during this crisis. Whether you choose to donate some or all of your stimulus check, please know that we greatly appreciate your generosity. A large number of parents have lost their employment and the needs of the children have become greater without the support of the schools and daycares. If you are interested in supporting us with a tax-deductible donation online, please click here.
If you want to pay it forward in a different way, you can visit our Covid-19 Amazon Wish List and purchase our most current needs. Many of the requested items are to encourage engagement with kids and teens in our academic programming and to provide cleaning and sanitizing essentials to each family.
A Wonderful Holiday Season
Even though COVID-19 required some adjustments to our holiday planning, we are so grateful for the kindness and support of our community this holiday season.
The generosity of local families and groups resulted in a very heartwarming holiday season for families staying in our emergency shelter (The NEST). Through our Adopt-a-Family sponsorship program a total of 25 families were sponsored; with each child receiving $50-$75 worth of desired toys, clothes, and games, and each parent receiving a $25 Walmart gift card. Additionally, each child was gifted a handmade blanket, and each family received a basket full of cleaning supplies and household essentials.
Our Aftercare holiday event was another great success! Over 30 children were able to receive gifts from our generous sponsors. Families were able to attend a virtual market using Zoom to "shop" for their children's gifts. Some of the favorites of the season included Legos, Hot Wheels, Connect4, and Disney Princess Dolls. Our very own Aftercare Family Services Coordinator, Tanya Davis, served as Santa delivering gifts across Durham to our families. It was a holiday to remember!
Assistance League of the Triangle, Blacknall Memorial Presbyterian Church, Destiny Driven Toy Drive, Duke Memorial UMC, Hillside High School’s Theta Phi Delta Club, Holy Cross Catholic Church, Kids Korner, Lexitas, the Links Inc., Modern Energy, Mount Sylvan United Methodist Church’s Action Sunday School Class, Pharma Services, Project Linus, Southside Church of Christ, Weatherby Healthcare, and Westminster Church UMC.
The Amazing Kids and Teens of FMF
Since October we have been showcasing a Kid, Teen, or Sibling Duo each week on our Facebook and Instagram pages to share their passions and talents with our community. Virtual Learning and Covid-19 restrictions have certainly challenged kids and teens everywhere but we are celebrating their glee, creativity, and insightfulness as they navigate these new waters. To read more about these awesome teens and kids follow our Facebook and Instagram pages. A Great Year to Give Back Our Staff Give-Back Squad has done a tremendous job this year taking the lead on developing community projects that engage staff and guests and create a positive impact on our neighbors.
Back in February staff and guests served a meal at Open Table Ministries and distributed Valentine's Day cards. During the pandemic, we were able to assemble Senior Care Packages and deliver them to Carver Rehabilitation and Living Center. We also had some of our younger guests help color and decorate our sign thanking essential workers. Most recently, our staff put together four non-perishable food boxes that were donated to the Food Bank.
We are so proud of our team and the thoughtfulness and ingenuity they’ve put into each activity. We can’t wait to get started on giving back in 2021!
Help Us Celebrate our Graduates
We are so excited to be hosting FMF's first annual Aftercare Graduation on January 15th! This virtual event is dedicated to celebrating and uplifting the parents who have participated in our Branching Out Program since the beginning of Families Moving Forward.
The event will be filled with empowering speakers, raffles, and the opportunity for families to reconnect with one another.
We are hoping to add a few more small kitchen appliances to our raffle and would love for you to consider donating new items such as small microwaves, toaster ovens, crock pots, instant pots, or sets of pots & pans. If you are interested in donating please contact Katy@fmfnc.org to learn more.
Got Some Leftover Gift Cards?
Gift Cards are one of our favorite in-kind donations because they are so versatile! They can provide groceries, school supplies, work uniforms, and so many other essentials.
Gift cards to Walmart, Target, BP (for gas) and Food Lion (for groceries) allow families to shop for their needs and bridge the gap before services like food stamps or new job-related income has started. If you'd like to drop off gift cards, please email Katy at katy@fmfnc.org to coordinate a time.
Thank you to everyone who supported or hosted a #GivingTuesday on Facebook! We raised over $1,400 and every dollar counts. Our Contact Information *{{Organization Name}}* *{{Organization Address}}* *{{Organization Phone}}* *{{Organization Website}}*
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