Thanks to an anonymous donor, we have over 100 black patent leather shoes for the young men in our care! Our boys are excited and proud to have these nice shoes for events and interviews!

If you are looking to donate, we are in need of the following items:

• Art supplies
• Baby formula
• Educational items for babies
• Bed bug proof mattress covers
• Twin size mattresses
• Dish sets
• Twin size sheets
• Towels
• Pots
• Pans
• Cooking utensils
• Baking pans
• Oven mits
• Books
• Movie passes

If you have any of these items to donate or would like to hold a drive to collect these items for the youth in our care, please contact Caitlin Ward at cward@heartsandhomes.org

We are looking forward to honoring four individuals at HONORS 2015 on October 8th at The Fillmore in Silver Spring at the spectacular event! We will be presenting the following awards:

Rex Smith Legacy Award

The Rex Smith Legacy Award is conferred to an individual whose life embodies the spirit of our former CEO Rex Smith. Rex dedicated his life to public service, juvenile and criminal justice, and giving young people second chances. The recipient of the Rex Smith Legacy Award is an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to success and dedication to making their dreams a reality.

Avis Birely Award

Avis Birely was a devoted advocate, giving selflessly of her thought, time, and energy to the establishment of Hearts & Homes for Youth during its development in 1964 and through the rest of her life. It was Avis, as president of the Montgomery County Council, who shepherded the very first County grant to a nonprofit agency, Hearts & Homes. The president of Rockville Crushed Stone was so impressed her with efforts and tenacity that he matched the $25,000 grant. Avis Birely remains an icon in the long, rich history of Hearts & Homes and the community, for which she was a grand public servant. The recipient of this award embodies the spirit of Avis Birely.

Chairman’s Award

The Chair of Hearts & Homes for Youth Board of Directors confers this award to an individual for their outstanding dedication and commitment to our agency and mission. Their support combined with their other good works in the community has enhanced our standing as an organization and has helped us to significantly improve the lives of children.

The CEO’s Volunteer Service Award

The CEO’s Volunteer Service Award is given to an individual who deserves to be recognized apart from his or her peers. This individual does not seek recognition but their example has delivered a powerful message that encourages others to take action. The recipient has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to the community and Hearts & Homes for Youth through volunteerism and service.

Hearts & Homes Staff Award

The Hearts & Homes Staff Award is given annually to an outstanding staff member who has made a unique contribution to the organization and has demonstrated exceptional reliability, quality of work, initiative, and professionalism.

Click here to see more about HONORS 2015!

Hearts & Homes for Youth is excited to have Leon Harris emcee our HONORS Gala again this year!

Click here to see more about the event!

HONORS 2015 will be hosted at The Fillmore Silver Spring on Thursday, October 8th, 2015 from 6pm-11pm. The annual event is held to raise money and awareness for our organization’s life-changing programs for youth in Maryland. The event is dedicated to celebrating special individuals who have selflessly dedicated their lives to the betterment of children’s futures. We are looking forward to this fun and exciting night!

Award-winning journalist Leon Harris anchors the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts for ABC7/WJLA-TV. He came to Washington after 20 years at CNN’s Atlanta Headquarters, where he co-anchored CNN Live Today and Prime News, and hosted CNN Presents and American Stories.

Harris has covered a wide variety of stories including the September 11^th terror strikes, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Asian Tsunami of 2004, the explosion and crash of TWA Flight 800 and the Los Angeles riots. He has interviewed presidential candidates, and reported live from both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.

Harris’ work has earned him a number of honors, among them multiple CableAce awards for Best Newscaster, and National Emmy Awards for coverage of the September 11^th terror strikes, the Oklahoma City bombing and the 2000 presidential election. He was honored, too, with a National Headliner Award and more recently with a National Capital Area Emmy Award for Best Anchor.

Leon Harris is passionate about improving the lives of children. His weekly segment entitled Harris’ Heroes profiles adults helping kids or kids helping their peers in the DC metro region. The series runs every Wednesday evening during ABC7 News at Five. The news segments can also be found on wjla.com.

Harris also works with many charitable groups including For Love of Children, Junior Achievement of Greater Washington, Unique Learning Center, March of Dimes and many others.

He is a Cum Laude and honorary doctorate recipient from Ohio University.

Check out pictures from this great event!

Check out some of the vendors that will be showcasing their products at Girls on the Green!

Cathy Lerario will be at Girls on the Green with handmade sea glass beach jewelry and beach home decor! Check out her products on Facebook at Seaglass, Silver and Shells!

Jessica Durning will be coming from Younique Products with cutting-edge cosmetics! The products contain high quality ingredients that enrich and nourish the skin. The cosmetics are safely compatible with virtually every skin type. Younique Products’ goal is to provide healthy, clean, and pure cosmetics.

Jennifer Kramer will be coming with her products from Thirty One Gifts! Whether you’re looking for style, organization, the perfect giftable item – or a little bit of everything – Thirty-One’s has you covered on trendy and affordable purses, totes, and bags. Just over 10 years ago, Thirty-One was formed with a simple goal of helping women by giving them an opportunity to own their own business.

Morgan Reem will be showcasing Unique Boh’tique clothing from LuLaRoe and a variety of adjustable, non-slip headbands in a variety of colors from Owl Be Sweatin! We can’t wait to see the products at this pop-up boutique!

Julie Snight is bringing a Southern Maryland traveling fashion boutique to Girls on the Green! Click here to check out Explore Couture!

Dianne Brickman will be showcasing the stylish, fun products from The Shine Collection! Launched in 2013, The Shine Collection is a line of resort and lounge-wear made from hand block printed fabrics imported from India. The epitome of effortless chic, Shine features universally flattering styles for sunny days and starry nights. The Shine Collection, based in Bethesda, feels a strong commitment to giving back to the community! Check out her website to start picking out what you’ll buy when you see her at Girls on the Green!

Latecea Brock from It Works! will be a vendor at the Girls on the Green Golf Tournament this June! The staple product of It Works! is the body wrap, which tightens tones, firms and reduces the appearance of cellulite. It Works! also has a skin care line and a wellness line that includes various types of supplements. To top it all off, Latecea is a newly licensed Zumba instructor! Click here to check out her products!

Alex and Debbie Schmidt will be representing Arbonne at the 4th Annual Golf Tournament. Arbonne is a Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Non-GMO health and wellness company that represents beauty from the inside out! Anti-aging is a synergistic approach to what you put on and in your body which includes skincare and nutrition. We have pure, safe, and beneficial products for the entire family. There will be a Free Product drawing and homemade protein bar tasting. Check out Arbonne products here!

Contact Caitlin Buckley at cbuckley@heartsandhomes.org if you would like to showcase your products at our event!

At Girls on the Green 2015 there will be a number of items for you to win or buy! These items have been donated to us by our supporters! Check out some of the goodies up for grabs!

Four 4-ship tickets to Historic Ships in Baltimore!

Liberty Mountain Resort has supported us with 2 Learn to Ski and Snowboard Packages for a lucky winner!

Smyth Jewelers is supporting us with a sterling silver Pandora bracelet with an Open Your Heart charm!

Jason’s Deli has donated a gift card for a lucky raffle winner to enjoy a healthy lunch of exciting flavors, true freshness, and nutrient filled goodness!

The Little Things for Cancer is donating a Margarita Basket for you to enjoy while you kick back and relax with your amigos! A perfect, refreshing gift, this bucket is full of spicy, delicious treats and tastes from south of the border, for you to enjoy a fiesta that can’t be beat!

Roundtop Mountain Resort has donated 2 Adventure Packages for Mountain Adventures ages 5+ for an exhilarating day of zip lines (up to 400 feet in length), rope bridges, Tarzan swings, cargo nets, scenic walks, OGO Balls, bumper boats, and the Cedar Maze!

Beer lovers, Lagunitas Brewery is providing a Sip & Spill Package, which includes 1 case of our signature IPA, 2 Custom Mason Jars to drink it out of, 2 T-Shirts to spill it on, PLUS coasters, posters, magnets, and a bottle opener!

And we have more goodies…

• Two tickets for a complimentary class at Pinot’s Palette
• A private tasting and tour for 20 people at DeJon Vineyards and use of the winery for 2 hours
• A $50 gift certificate to Meadow Farms
• A basket of goodies from Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company
• A Woodstock basket
• Art by Fredericka Weiner Photography in Olney
• A pearl jewelry ensemble
• A bundle of goodies for you to enjoy a night in Italy in your own home!
• A basket of scrumptious snacks and truffles!

And many more!

Today Hearts & Homes held a reception at the House Office Building in Annapolis where we shared our work with old friends and new supporters. We enjoyed a delicious barbecue lunch provided by Red, Hot & Blue and spoke with Maryland’s delegates, senators, aides, and interns about our programs, the youth we serve, and how they can get involved.

The reception was held in Room 170, hosted by Hearts & Homes supporter Delegate Kirill Reznick. We were fortunate to have the support of his engaging staff members who helped us greet guests such as delegates Brett Wilson, Barrie Ciliberti, Kevin Hornberger, Tony Knotts,  Seth Howard, Angela Angel, Johnny Mautz, Diana Fennel, Vanessa Atterbeary, David Moon, Guy Guzzone, Sheree Sample-Hughes, and many others.

Some of the guests wrote caring and supporting notes on a poster board for the youth. Hearts & Homes will frame this poster and hang it at our office for all the kids to see.

The children in our care understand the words of support and you can see in their eyes the difference it makes. We are grateful to the delegates, senators, aides, and interns who took the time to come learn more about Hearts & Homes and the children in our care, and for sharing their words of encouragement and support.

Before the reception, Hearts & Homes attended the Morning Session at the State House. We were very moved by one of the lines in the opening prayer: “each day is a gift, each hour a blessing.” These words align with our mission, to treat as child in our care as if they were our own, and is a great reminder that time is precious. We look forward to working together with our senators and representatives to serve our communities and to make a better tomorrow for the youth in our care.

Hearts & Homes on the Hill

On Wednesday, March 4th, from 11:00am to 1:00pm Hearts & Homes is hosting an information session in Room 170, Lowe House Building, Annapolis. Come join us for lunch and learn about our services, our kids, and how you can get involved. Food and refreshments will be provided!

Hearts & Homes for Youth is an organization dedicated to helping victimized youth. Since our founding over 50 years ago, we have served over 40,000 youth at our shelters, foster homes, and programs located across the state of Maryland. We invite you to come learn more about our organization and how you can make a difference in the life of a child.

Girls on the Green Golf Tournament

Friday, June 19, 2015
9:00am shotgun
Timbers at Troy Golf Course
Elkridge, MD

Click here to register
Fee $125 per player $500 per foursome

Join us for a fun day on the green on Friday, June 19, 2015 for our 4th annual Girls on the Green golf tournament “just fore women” at Timbers at Troy Golf Course in Howard County with a 9am tee off! You can see more on our Facebook page!

Other events in the community

The Junior Women’s Club of Chevy Chase is holding a charity wine tasting event on Saturday, March 21st from 7-9pm at Huckleberry Fine Art Gallery in Rockville. The proceeds from this event will benefit Hearts and Homes and A Wider Circle. Get your tickets to “Unwined”

The Rotary Club of Howard West is hosting their Charter Night Celebration on Saturday, March 14, from 6-10pm! Enjoy food, drinks, great company, and entertainment! Click here to register

There are many like-minded organizations holding golf tournaments this Spring. Check them out at the Maryland State Golf Association‘s Charity Corner

A Wider Circle will have their 2015 National Conference on Ending Poverty on Saturday, March 28, 2015 from 10:00am to 4:00pm at the Washington Convention Center. http://www.sjcs.org/careers-at-sjcs/marketing-and-fundraising-manager

St. John’s Community Services is looking for a Marketing and Fundraising Manager. If you or someone you know is interested, click here to apply. Join a great group of people working for a great cause!