All posts by Hearts & Homes for Youth

Join us in Spreading MODness!

Hearts & Homes events

SpreadingMODness2015_1080x1080MOD Pizza has chosen Hearts & Homes for Youth for their Spreading MODness campaign this year. From Tuesday, November 24th – Sunday, November 29, the MOD Squad at the Columbia location (10000 Town Center Avenue, Columbia, MD 21044, 240-865-5607) will donate $1.00 for every MOD Pizza purchased during Thanksgiving Week!

On Black Friday, typically a day of spending, MOD is encouraging customers to give back and “add a buck” to their bill to double the donation and double the impact.

Spread the word – let’s make this a great week of giving!

MOD Pizza exists to inspire.  To inspire through their products, but also inspire through their actions.  In its third year, Spreading MODness 2015 is now an annual campaign.  Last year MOD Pizza raised over $40,000 for at-risk youth and families in the communities MOD serves.  This year they hope to triple that amount by using the power of our MOD Squad and the partner charity, combined with the power of giving, to create a truly inspirational campaign that not only helps those in need in our communities, but feeds the souls of all MODsters and hopefully inspires others.

Thank you Ethan Bernardi and Jeff Donohoe

Activities for the youth, Thank you to our supporters

IMG_2070Hearts & Homes for Youth is grateful to our supporters Ethan Bernardi and Jeff Donohoe who helped us raise money for our organization and gave one of our youth a special experience!

Ethan Bernardi generously donated a pair of tickets to the Washington Capitals game against the Pittsburgh Penguins to help Hearts & Homes raise funds at the HONORS 2015 gala silent auction.

Board Member Jeff Donohoe purchased the tickets at the gala and then donated them back to Hearts & Homes! A Hearts & Homes staff member was able to take one of the girls in our care to the game! She was positively grateful, was elated to have the unique experience and had a great time! She couldn’t believe how close the seats were to the ice and loved watching the players compete.

Thank you Ethan Bernardi for donating the tickets to help us raise funds, and thank you Jeff Donohoe for purchasing the tickets and sharing them with our youth! We are grateful for your support and grateful when we are able to provide the youth in our care with unique experiences that support their growth, development and healing.

Helping Our Pageant Contestant Shine

Thank you to our supporters

image1One of the young ladies in the care of Hearts & Homes for Youth will be competing this weekend in the Miss Maryland Teen USA Pageant! She is among a number of young ladies from across the state of Maryland who have been chosen to compete.

Sunny is very proud to be participating in the pageant. A 17-year old Senior in high school, Sunny grew up in foster care and is elated about the opportunity to inspire other foster youth.

“I want to show other foster girls that they can do stuff too, foster care doesn’t stop you from doing anything,” said Sunny. “I see a lot of kids enter the foster system and give up on themselves, as if they think they can’t do certain things.”

Since she shared her interest in competing in the pageant, many Hearts & Homes supporters have been inspired by this young lady and have rallied around her. Our own Board Members Juli Jordan, Alan Schulman and Thomas Ransom, our CEO Chloe Perez, our Chief of Staff Valerie Snogren, and supporters Leslie Mason and Jennifer Hayes all donated toward the registration cost, enabling Sunny to participate in the contest. Sieva Floyd donated her time to do Sunny’s hair and makeup – Sunny’s reaction when she saw herself after her first makeover was priceless! Sarah Peachey donated beautiful ball gowns. Our dedicated supporter, Markita Bryant, crowned Miss Rhode Island United States 2013, volunteered to coach Sunny! And longtime supporters Susan Davis and Biani Seested took Sunny out this week, bought her a stunning dress, and told her, “this is only the beginning.”

“Our goal at Hearts & Homes is for the youth to feel empowered to make positive life choices, and part of that is meeting positive community role models,” said Hearts & Homes CEO Chloe Perez. “We are so thankful to the many positive role models and mentors who have rallied around Sunny to help her succeed and feel supported! It takes a village to raise a child, there is power in numbers, and it is beautiful to see so many people stepping up and paying it forward to help Sunny realize her dreams.”

The philosophy of the pageant, “to encourage young women to develop life skills that will ultimately help them win in life by being their personal best in everything they do,” corresponds with the mission of Hearts & Homes. All of us at Hearts & Homes are grateful to Sunny’s many supporters for their part in helping her win in life. We greatly appreciate all the time and dedication to supporting this inspiring young woman’s dreams!

We want to give a special thank you to Avatar Salon in Silver Spring! Specifically, we want to thank Make Up Artist Jehan Henry and Hair Stylist Kathryn Scott who volunteered their time on Friday to help Sunny get ready for the Miss Teen Maryland Pageant!

Coakley Williams Construction Donates Extreme Makeover!

Thank you to our supporters

IMG_0194Earlier this month, Coakley Williams Construction, Inc. (CWC), a contractor firm based in the Washington/Baltimore region, partnered with Hearts & Homes for Youth to renovate the kitchen at our Kemp Mill Group Home for Boys in Silver Spring, MD.

CWC took the lead on the project. In addition to handling the demolition and drywall, CWC managed, supervised and coordinated subcontractors who donated materials and labor in the renovation of the kitchen. The cabinets and counter tops were donated by IBS Millwork. The flooring was donated by Capital City Flooring. The painting was done by American Capital Contracting. The kitchen appliances were donated by Appliance Distributor Unlimited. The Plumbing was donated by Potomac Mechanical Services. The electric components were handled by Phoenix Electric Technologies.

IMG_0178“It was a very rewarding job,” said Eric Mills Director of Field Operations, Interiors at CWC. “Every single subcontractor said yes, by all means, they would help.”

“We are so thankful for this incredible donation from Coakley Williams!” said Hearts & Homes CEO Chloe Perez. “The Coakley Williams team, in conjunction with their subcontractors, completely renovated the kitchen at the Kemp Mill Group Homes. The transformation is absolutely amazing and will have a very positive impact on the lives of our young people. This renovation makes the homes warmer and helps the youth feel proud about where they live, which promotes their sense of self and motivation to be successful. The Coakley Williams team worked day in and day out for an entire week and we will be eternally grateful for their commitment to giving back to the community!”

Coakley Williams Construction will also be leading a coordinated effort with Ruppert Companies to re-landscape the yard at Kemp Mill Group Home, which will begin soon!

ABOUT COAKLEY WILLIAMS CONSTRUCTION, INC

IMG_0177Coakley & Williams Construction, Inc. (CWC) is a privately owned firm established in 1961, and is regarded as one of the preeminent contractors in the greater Washington/Baltimore region. The leadership of the firm is stable, cohesive and accessible. CWC is consistently ranked among the largest regional Contractors by the Washington Business Journal and is also ranked among the Top 400 Contractors and the Top 100 Design/Builders in the nation by Engineering News Record. Coakley & Williams Construction, Inc. was recently awarded the “Best in Industry – Construction Contractor” by CREBA, a regional organization comprised of more than 600 commercial brokers and affiliated professionals in the DC Metropolitan Area.

Burtonsville Lions Club Donates $1,000 to Hearts & Homes

Thank you to our supporters

lionlogo_2cLast week, Hearts & Homes for Youth received a $1,000 donation from the Burtonsville Lions Club!

Hearts & Homes for Youth has an Emergency Shelter that provides opportunities for residents that they wouldn’t otherwise have if detained. Hearts & Homes will use the money to purchase clothes and hygiene products for the young men who often come into our care with little or no clothing or belongings.

“We are grateful for all of the support from the Burtonsville Lion’s club and looking forward to our ongoing partnership,” said Hearts & Homes CEO Chloe Perez. “They have attended some of our fundraising events and are helping us get the word out about Hearts & Homes for Youth. The very generous donation will make a significant difference for our young people and we are so thankful for the Lion’s club generosity!

“The Burtonsville Lions Club recognizes the hard work and dedicated efforts of the Hearts & Homes for the Youth in the community” said Burtonsville Lions Club President Mike Shavatt. “Our Lions Club is excited and looking forward to a long-lasting partnership with this great organization”.

The Burtonsville Lions Club is a volunteer service organization dedicated to helping the less fortunate. The Club raises funds each year to support charitable activities locally, regionally and globally by hosting a variety of events such as:

Leader Dog for the Blind
Lions Camp Merrick for the Deaf & Blind
Community Elementary Schools
Lions Vision Research Foundation at Johns Hopkins
Scholarships at Paint Branch High School
Paint Branch High School Post Prom
Burtonsville Athletic Association
Maryland School for the Blind
And many others

Last year the Burtonsville Lions Club collected over 3,000 pairs of used glasses, held 4 blood drives and collected medical equipment for donation to those in need.

Click here to learn more about the Burtonsville Lions Club and to get involved!

Miss Rhode Island United States Coaching Miss Teen Maryland Contestant

Thank you to our supporters, Words from our youth

dsc_0193_21948725589_oWe are so grateful to our dedicated supporter, Markita Bryant, crowned Miss Rhode Island United States 2013. Markita recently volunteered to coach a young woman from our Helen Smith Group Home for Girls who will be competing in the Miss Maryland Teen pageant!

“I feel incredible about the opportunity to coach this wonderful young lady!” said Markita. “It was not too long ago that I stood on a pageant stage to advocate for young ladies, such as this one. Doing so to one day inspire another young lady to be brave and bold; while bringing light to many situations that young women have faced. To exude such confidence, I am extremely proud of her! My hope is that this will bring great things for her and her advocacy. Hearts & Homes for Youth has done, and continues to do an excellent job at creating hope and opportunity for many youth!”

The young contestant, Sunny, is a 17-year old Senior in high school.  She grew up in foster care and wants to inspire other foster youth.

“I want to show other foster girls that they can do stuff too, foster care doesn’t stop you from doing anything,” said Sunny. “I see a lot of kids enter the foster system and give up on themselves, as if they think they can’t do certain things.”

In addition to standing up for foster kids, Sunny stands against bullying. She said, “I like to help people. I like to help new kids feel welcome, and stand up for people. You never know what someone could be going through and bullying just adds to it. We’re all human and you can’t judge anybody for who they are.”

Sunny’s favorite subject is English and she enjoys school. “Education is important, we need it to get into college and get a good job. It’s good to be intelligent,” she said.

Sunny also enjoys reading. “I love reading,” she said. “I learn a lot from books and it expands my vocabulary.” Sunny is interested in studying pre-law and discrimination law. She looks forward to being in a position where she can protect people.

Currently, Sunny enjoys volunteering with animals and at day cares. She is in the process of becoming a volunteer for the Humane Society.

All of us at Hearts & Homes are grateful to Markita for her ongoing support and advocacy for our youth. We greatly appreciate her time and dedication to supporting this inspiring young woman’s dreams!

Dinner to Share from the Women’s Club of Chevy Chase!

Thank you to our supporters

We are grateful to the Women’s Club of Chevy Chase(WCCC)  for donating a number of casserole dishes to our girls at Helen Smith Group Home! As it continues to get colder outside, our girls greatly appreciate the warm dishes of food that they can enjoy together!

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The Community Services Committee of the Woman’s Club of Chevy Chase is a longtime supporter of Hearts & Homes for Youth. Last fall the group held a donation drive, collecting tote bags and suitcases for the youth in our care. We are grateful for their support!

 

Thank You Junior Women’s Club of Chevy Chase!

Thank you to our supporters

JWCCCHS1The Junior Women’s Club of Chevy Chase (JWCCC) has for a long time been generous and committed to the Helen Smith Group Home for Girls in Takoma Park. They have come and spent time baking with the girls, given the girls an opportunity to engage with the community and raise money for other nonprofits (pay it forward), took the girls trick or treating, had the house’s picture of Helen Smith re-framed, and much more.

This autumn, the JWCCC used the funds that they raised in their 2014-2015 efforts to buy a stove, deep freezer, and some kitchen necessities for the Helen Smith Home, which will be delivered to Helen Smith next Monday!! They are also mailing a donation of $970 to Hearts & Homes this week!

In addition to the incredible donations, the JWCCC will be starting up their hands-on, project-based program for at-risk youth (GEMS – girls mentoring project) at Helen Smith soon and we are looking forward to seeing the impact of these incredible role models!

Illuminating Futures at HONORS 2015!

Hearts & Homes events

HONORS 2015 was an incredible night at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, with our family, friends, and supporters! We enjoyed wonderful and music with wonderful company! We enjoyed recognizing Rob Chasteen-Scheer, Markita Bryant, Sgt. David Jenks, Board Member Alan Schulman, and Staff Rhonda Outen for their extraordinary contributions to the youth in our care and our organization.  Check out the Step & Repeat pictures from the special night!

Boss Up Your Brains, Body & Beauty – A Tracey Brown Workshop

Hearts & Homes events

DSC00328On Saturday, November 14th. Tracey Brown will be coming to Hearts & Homes to provide a confidence building workshop for our girls. The workshop, titled Boss Up Your Brains, Body & Beauty will be focused on self-image, self-confidence, and talking about the girls’ dreams and aspirations!

Tracey Brown is an accomplished woman. She is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Blinging Beauty, a beauty expert, freelance writer, editor, journalist, spokesperson at Brown Beauty Consulting, and one of the architect of Sephora.com.

In addition to her professional endeavors, Tracey Brown is a member of Look Good…Feel Better, volunteers with physicians who treat burn survivors, and mentors teenage girls through self-esteem workshops.

Last year, Tracey Brown treated the girls of Hearts & Homes to a workshop on Body Image and Self Esteem. One of the activities was for the girls to create a brand for themselves that represented their core values! The girls and volunteers took time cutting a variety of pictures out of magazines and explained how the images represent them and the expectations they believe are held for them.

Tracey Brown treated all of our girls last year to gift bags full of cosmetics, t-shirts, and other items that reminded the girls they are special and cared about. She also gave them makeup and hygiene tips – “it’s not about covering up, it’s about accentuating.”

Hearts & Homes is grateful to Tracey Brown for holding a workshop again this year! If you would like to volunteer for this event, contact Vicki Valle at vicki@heartsandhomes.org