All posts by Hearts & Homes for Youth

Thank you to our Holiday Gift Drive supporters!

Thank you to our supporters

All of us at Hearts & Homes for Youth are incredibly grateful to our supporters in the community who have gotten involved in the Holiday Gift Drive, adopting wish lists and coordinating with friends to give! The gifts are incredibly considerate, greatly appreciated, and most importantly, brighten the holidays for the kids in our care by reminding them that they are each cared for.

Special thanks to

Denise Conrad

Congregation B’nai Tzedek

Fred Pugh

SHULMAN, ROGERS, GANDAL, PORDY & ECKER, P.A.

Kristal Gardiner

Alan Schulman

Shelby Eary, Citizant, Inc.

Joanne Hill, Takoma Park SDA Church

Hannah & Steve Sacks

Tammy McKenzie

Bob Norton

Robin Rodgers, Northrop Grumman Corporation

Alli Taylor & Ryan Mukherjee

Amanda Jones

Cheryl Wesley

Elaine Wong

Helen Li & Tim Bainton

Jazz Glastra & Jeremy Abrams

Jen & Jeff Lavallee

Kevin Ward & Rachel Lazarick-Ward

Lindsey Turnbull, Miss Heard Media

Kristen G. Hartman, Buchanan & Mitchell

Barbara Jordan

Truven Health Analytics

Ross Brenneman

Taylor Gaukel

Tim Jerom & Maureen Ventura

Tom Wolfe & Gina Carey

Zeva Levine

Rin-rin Yu

Herjes

Coakley Williams Construction

UPS Burtonsville

Jonathan Weinberg

Mt. Ennon Baptist Church

Rolyn Companies

Euronne TooGood

Nicki Sanders, Packaged For Success

Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell, PC

Tonya Harris, Council of the Great City Schools in Washington DC

Kathleen Manzo, Editorial Projects in Education in Bethesda, MD

Mindy Miller

Markita Bryant

Aneesha Summerville

Euronne TooGood

George Iden, Concord-St. Andrew’s Methodist Church

Social & Scientific Systems, Inc.

Brynda Lucas

Reid Temple

Visions of the Heart

M-NCPPC Montgomery Planning Department

Minda Littman

Bob Norton

Carey Miller

Sue Baker

Mindy Yu

Maria Lugo-Quevedo

Rebecca McGinnis, Confucius Institute at the University of Maryland (CIM)

Edelman Financial Services

Danya International

Markita Bryant

An incredible gift from a dedicated volunteer!

Volunteering

imagejpeg_0All of us at Hearts & Homes for Youth are immensely grateful to one of our loyal and dedicated volunteers! Ben, a U.S. Marine stationed at Fort Meade recently refinished picnic tables from our group homes!

As you can see, the freshly painted tables are a brilliant and cheerful red color and contrast nicely with the colors outside!

The result of his generous and considerate efforts will complement the warm, homelike atmosphere we strive to maintain, to support the youth in our care as they heal, grow, and build brighter futures.

Thank you Ben!

Rolyn Companies provides opportunity for Hearts & Homes youth

Activities for the youth, ,

Thank you Rolyn Companies’ President Mark Futrovsky for inviting youth from Hearts & Homes to come to your office! The young men from our Jumpstart Semi-Independent Living Group Home had a great time getting a tour of your office space and enjoying lunch with your employees from across the country!

The boys enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about Rolyn Companies, ask for advice on job searching, and connect with positive role models!

Thank you for this unique opportunity for the youth in our care!

UMD Delta Sigma Theta Chapter gets involved!

Activities for the youth, Thank you to our supporters, ,

imgp7887The University of Maryland College Park Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. recently hosted a dinner for the girls in the care of Hearts & Homes for Youth at John C Tracey Group Home. 

Four members of the sorority came to the home and cooked stuffed peppers and tacos, and enjoyed dinner with the girls.

Hearts & Homes for Youth is grateful to the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. chapter for spending their time with our girls. They are positive role models in the community.

In early December, the sorority is planning an outing with our girls to a local skating rink, which is sure to be a hit, especially since two of their members are ice skating teachers!

We are also grateful to the sorority for adopting some of our youth’s holiday wish lists and look forward to building an ongoing relationship with chapter!

A Loving Foster Family

Foster care

heartThe Lovings have been foster parents for 28 years; 16 years with Prince George’s County Dept. of Social Services and 12 years with Hearts & Homes for Youth. They have had over 100 foster youth placed in their home over the years and remain as dedicated to fostering in year 28 as they were in year one.

The Lovings have seen the climate of foster care change over the years and observed the youth in care having a much higher level of need, but the Lovings look at this challenge as an opportunity for them to grow.

In speaking with Mrs. Lovings about their experience fostering, she said:

“People go in to this thinking about the changes that they are going to make in a child’s life but often get discouraged when that change isn’t happening before their eyes. These kids have been through a lot and even though you might not see them change while they are with you, you are helping that child’s future.

“People need to stop thinking this is only something you are doing to help the youth, the kids we have had, have made as much of an impact in our lives as we hope we have made in theirs.”

Hearts & Homes for Youth is grateful for foster parents like the Lovings who open their hearts and homes to youth who need a stable, supportive, and caring, homelike environment where they can start building brighter futures.

Our foster parents are a team of emotionally strong individuals who will advocate for a young person in need. They are patient and comfortable with a changing environment, and willing to accommodate to meet the needs of the young people in their care. Are you ready to accept the challenge?

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Real Estate Agents host gift card collection drive!

In the community, Volunteering

14938323_10155508960132516_6563102661769437233_nReal Estate agents Danielle Mannix of RE/MAX Realty Group, Josh Greene of Eastern Title and Settlement, and Chong Yi of APEX Home Loans are hosting a gift card collection drive for Hearts & Homes for Youth! From November 15-30, the agents will be collecting gift cards to Target, Giant, Walmart, local restaurants, recreational activities (movies, rock climbing, etc.), as well as Visa/Mastercard gift cards in the amounts of $20, $25, $50, and $100! Their goal is to collect 50 gift cards!

Danielle, Josh, and Chong  will be collecting gift cards at Clyde’s Tower Oaks Lodge on 11/15 and 11/29 from 5-8pm. Please contact them to arrange for other pickup.

Danielle Mannix of RE/MAX Realty Group – agentmannix@gmail.com – 301-370-6505
Josh Greene of Eastern Title and Settlement – josh@easterntitle.net – 240-876-0642
Chong Yi of APEX Home Loans – cyi@apexhomeloans.com – 301-332-1810

The gift cards will directly benefit the youth in the care of Hearts & Homes for Youth, many of whom are foster youth and have, for much of their lives, received donations. While they are grateful for the items, gift cards give them the opportunity to pick something out for themselves, that they want or need. Please help us brighten the day of a child in need! Your donation is tax deductible.

 

Use Amazon Smile to support Hearts & Homes!

Thank you to our supporters

This holiday season you can support Hearts & Homes for Youth while you shop for gifts for your own family and friends by using Amazon Smile! A percentage of your purchases will be donated to Hearts & Homes for Youth! Check it out at smile.amazon.com/ch/52-6060576

You can also help us spread the word by sharing the post below on your social media pages. Thank you for your support!

Click here to read more about how to set up Amazon Smile!

#StartWithaSmile at smile.amazon.com/ch/52-6060576 for your holiday gifts and Amazon donates to Hearts and Homes for Youth Inc.amazon

Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Montgomery Chapter shows support!

Get to know our programs, Thank you to our supporters, Volunteering

20161112_142749On Saturday three social workers from Hearts & Homes for Youth Damamli/TFC programs met with kids involved in the Montgomery County Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and spoke with them about the different types of homelessness and the different people affected by homelessness.

Following the discussion, the youth broke into groups and developed short skits to demonstrate particular problems faced by individuals experiencing homelessness. They reflected on the feelings and struggles facing these individuals on a daily basis, and brainstormed ways to demonstrate compassion for people in such situations.

The youth donated cookies they had decorated along with over 500 diapers, over 1000 wipes, over 30 pairs of socks, and over 35 under garments for youth in Hearts & Homes for Youth’s Damamli/TFC program.  The donations are greatly appreciated and will benefit many young mothers and foster youth in our care!

A trip to the nation’s capital!

Activities for the youth

14962699_10154771730857112_8948442934987831138_nYesterday some of the youth in our care were treated to a tour and bowling at the #ExecutiveBuilding at the #WhiteHouse! Our youth enjoyed the unique and inspiring experience of dressing up, going to DC, and visiting the nation’s capital building! #brighterfutures

Unique experiences like this support our youth’s growth, development, and healing and play an integral role in empowering them to build brighter futures!

JWCCC hosts Election Night “Dialogues”

Activities for the youth, ,

teaserbox_4100095739On Tuesday, the Junior Women’s Club of Chevy Chase hosted an Election Night activity for the girls in our programs as part of their GEMS project. The women cooked a healthy potluck dinner with the girls and had dialogues about the elections and issues that are important to them.

The girls from our programs were put into teams with JWCCC volunteers and listed issues and topics that are important to them such as healthcare, educational support, women’s supportive services, and the value of unique recreational experiences on the weekends. The issues were discussed in small groups and together they brainstormed solutions.

The activity was deliberately called “dialogues” rather than “debates” to encourage the participants to listen to each other, recognize their own and each other’s underlying values and beliefs, and see what they have in common.