Message about the Joplin Tornado

We wanted to share the message Jim Thurman, our President / CEO, sent earlier today regarding the devastating tornado in Joplin. 

I’m sure you all are aware of the devastating tornado that hit Joplin, MO last night.

Information is still hard to come by because of communication failures and just natural state of things.

This we know from our staff:

1.   Our staff appear to be okay although some had damage to their homes.

2.   Our office was not involved as far as we know so far.

3.   We are trying to assess whether our children or their families or foster families are okay and their status.

4.   Senior management from Springfield are on their way to Joplin to assist our staff there with whatever necessary.

I’ll let you know more as I become aware.

Please keep the people of Joplin in your thoughts and prayers!   At this very moment Joplin is under another severe thunder/hail storm advisory!

Beyond the Choir for National Child Abuse Prevention Month

For our team, every month is Child Abuse Prevention Month. We work with families at every stage – educating, encouraging and generally helping strengthen the bonds between parents and children. (This mission is partially where our logo comes from: Care For Kids, It’s What We Do.) April brings us a special opportunity to share our work, knowledge and passion with supporters and colleagues. We hope you’ll join us on this month-long journey as we offer resources, share stories and collaborate with like-minded organizations from across the country.

If you follow us already, this campaign might seem like ‘preaching to the choir.’ Everyone adamantly agrees that child abuse is B-A-D. Yet this consensus is exactly why  dedicating thirty days to National Child Abuse Prevention Month is crucial. While anyone would agree that abuse should be prevented, do all of your family members  know how to spot the signs? Would all of your co-workers know how to respond if abuse is suspected ? Do your Facebook friends know how to help parents before abuse begins?  The month provides an easy launching pad for conversations with the people in your life about a topic that can be difficult to bring up. Each day offers another opportunity to initiate conversation & educate in detail.

The month also brings a great burst of inspiration and collaboration. Just following the conversation on Twitter (#NCAPM2011) for three days has been a fantastic opportunity to interact with our child advocacy doppelgängers! The exchange of ideas and passion and purpose is exhilarating. We hope that you will add your voice to the conversation.  At every step we welcome your valuable questions, stories, insight and feedback. Let us know how we can help you prepare yourself and others to stand against child abuse. Because this month is the time for all of us to bring the message “beyond the choir.”

Three Easy Ways You Can Help Today

TELL YOUR FRIENDS
Send a note to your friends & colleagues suggesting that they join you in supporting our work by simply following us on Facebook or Twitter.

DONATE
Your donation will help strengthen families across Missouri and help reduce abuse.

VOLUNTEER
Mentors are on the frontlines of abuse prevention, helping vulnerable children on their path to strong and confident futures.

We are on the move!

On April 1st, we will be heading to our new location at 1220 North Lindbergh! Not too far from our current site, for those of you who visit, but to a great new space that will accommodate not only our corporate staff, but the Foster Care Case Management team and the Family Solutions for Kids team, as well as mentoring personnel. We couldn’t be happier about the new space.

From our official release:

“Our services have outgrown our current location,” said Jim Thurman, President and CEO, Children’s Foundation of Mid-America. “In order to keep pace with the number of children needing care, we have been adding services and adding staff to handle the load. We have been leasing our current space for many years and, thanks in part to one generous donor, we had the opportunity to purchase permanent space. It’s thrilling to see so many families and kids whose lives are being impacted by the dedication and support of our staff and our donors.”

The phones will remain the same.  Our new address:

1220 North Lindbergh
St. Louis, MO 63132

We look forward to seeing you at the new location!

Pizza fundraiser for Regional Girls’ Shelter

A fundraiser for Regional Girls’ Shelter!

Wednesday – March 30, 2011
{ All Day }

Our supporters at Garbo’s Pizzeria are offering a fantastic fundraiser for Friends of the Regional Girls’ Shelter.  Print this flyer and present it at the time of your purchase and Garbo’s will donate 15% of dine-in sales and 10% of carry-out sales to the Regional Girls’ Shelter.

Everything on the menu counts:  Any pizza, gift card, or drink.

For carry-out orders , please call ahead
(417) 883-9010

Location:
2101 W. Chesterfield Blvd, C101,
Springfield, MO 65807

Say Hello & Thanks to Garbo’s: “Like” Garbo’s Pizzeria on Facebook or visit www.garbospizzeria.com

**This offer cannot be combined with ANY other discounts or coupon. We kindly request that these flyers not be handed out at the door.

National Search Begins for President & CEO

A national search has begun for the position of President & CEO of Children’s Foundation of Mid-America, Inc. CFMA’s current President & CEO is retiring at the end of 2011. CFMA is seeking a new Executive with a passion for quality child and family care and treatment and innovative programming, who will lead the organization into the future. This individual will:

• Be accountable to the Board of Directors, and serve as the Chief Executive Officer, giving direction to the formulation and leadership of the organization’s philosophy, mission, strategy and its strategic plan.
• Perform a wide range of difficult to complex management activities related to finances and accounting, marketing and promotion of services, staffing and personnel operations, and discretionary activities that serve to support effective business operations.
• Use considerable independent judgment in decisions that influence operations, and advise and assist the Board of Directors in planning, policy, and operation matters.

Have You Met…

Have You Met… A series to introduce readers to our colleagues who are shaping the conversation around foster care in America. This week, Have You Met…

Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Ashley’s memoir, Three Little Words, detailed her childhood spent in foster care and her eventual adoption at age 12. The book became a New York Times Best Seller.

Her activism on issues of foster care seemingly has no bounds: She has recently been named American Humane Association’s National Ambassador for Child Welfare; she is the Youth Advocacy Ambassador for Levi’s popular community site Shape What’s To Come and has been featured in countless publications across the country. Oh, and she’s in graduate school and working towards becoming a foster parent herself.

Basically, she’s a powerhouse.

Follow her at:

@RhodesCourter
http://www.rhodes-courter.com

6th Annual Valentine Gala

YOU ARE INVITED
to the
Sixth Annual Valentine Gala

Proceeds to benefit Regional Girls’ Shelter

Friday, February 11, 2011

Tickets $75 person
Cash Bar 6:30p  Dinner 7:00p
Enjoy entertainment from Springfield Symphony Orchestra
Win wonderful items in our Silent Auction
The Tower Club

901 E Saint Louis St # 21
Springfield, MO
RSVP by January 28 to Jamie Fowler 862-9634

Thank you to
Regional Girls Shelter Advisory Board
Great Southern Bank
for their support.

Cookiefest 2010

Snickerdoodles.  Chocolate Chip.  Gingersnap.  All Homemade. All for you!

Cookies are a holiday tradition, as is COOKIEFEST, a day-long delicious fundraising treat  to benefit Children’s Foundation.  Stop in and purchase packages of holiday deliciousness, and have your picture taken with Mrs. Claus!

Holiday Cookies Galore at Cookiefest

WHEN:     Thursday, December 2, 2010
WHERE:  400 W. Reed – 4th & Reed in Moberly
(former SA Styles Kids Boutique)

A Thank You from Stephanie

We were honored to share this note with readers of our print newsletter and wanted to spread Stephanie’s heartfelt thanks to our online readers as well.

 

Coming into the system was never my plan. I never even knew what foster care was. I must admit I was an out of control teenager who became too much for my mother to handle.

First I moved in with Ms. Monica, then Ms. Rachelle, and another foster home that I didn’t like at all. After that was another home, but I had returned to my old ways. When the judge ordered me to Farmington Children’s Home, I was shocked and I was furious. But now by working this program, I feel I accomplished a lot of things. The program is very hard but somehow I did it and I’m very proud of myself. It was mainly me learning I don’t need to fight every battle or get the last word. I can honestly say Farmington helped me a lot and I just want to say thank you, Mrs. Ford, for recommending this to me. Without this wakeup call, who knows where I would be right now? Thank you for being there even when I was making bad choices.

Love,

Stephanie

It’s a Party! Fright Night at the Firehouse

Fright Night at the Firehouse on Friday, October 29 is going to be a “costume encouraged” Halloween fundraiser, benefiting the Regional Girls’ Shelter.  Local band Members Only will be rocking the event.  Those who are dressed to impress will receive prizes for the top three costumes: First prize is $250, Second prize is a digital camera (thanks, Lawrence Photo) and Third prize will receive a fantastic tool set (cheers, Meek’s Lumber).

We will also be selling raffle tickets for more prizes!

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.
Purchase in advance at any Metropolitan National Bank location (map) or by calling 417-862-9634.

Cash bar.  Limited to 250 people.  21+

Location:
Historic Firehouse
101 E. Commercial
Springfield, MO
(Directions)

Thank you to our sponsors: Meeks Lumber, Bates and Associates, Metropolitan National Bank, Hansen’s Tree Service, A-1 Roofing, Courtney Law Firm, and Dental Associates of the Ozarks, Liberty Press, Midwest Family Broadcasting, 417 Magazine, KSPR, and Vino 100.