Drums in Recovery
Marla Singleton of Drums in Recovery led several activity sessions at the 4C Early Head Start Ferguson Child Development Center in Orlando, Florida. Drums in Recovery utilizes rhythm as a tool to cultivate musical, personal, and social harmony within diverse communities. Its programs foster interpersonal skills and healthy lifestyles for people in these communities, helping them gain self-esteem, social acceptance and healing from personal struggles. To view video from event, click here.
Pages to Possibilities
Members of the community participated in the 4C Head Start/Early Head Start “Pages to Possibilities” event recently. They went into classrooms and read to children as part of Literacy Week at the 4C Ferguson Early Head Start Center in Orlando.
The readers from the community included:
- Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings.
- State Rep. Johanna López.
- Patricia Rumph, Community Ambassador for Orange County Government and member of the Orange County Citizens’ Commission for Children.
- Mishara Bianca, Community Outreach Coordinator at Cornerstone Connections.
- Tiffany Davis, Healthy Start Community Liaison.
Community Investment Program
Community Coordinated Care for Children, Inc. (4C) was one of 56 non-profit groups to be approved by the City of Orlando for Community Investment Program funding.
The city awards approximately $3 million in Community Investment Program grant funds to non-profit organizations.
Thank you City of Orlando for your long-standing support of 4C, the investment in our programs/services enables us to continue our work on behalf of families with young children. We are honored to be a part of this compassionate group of community building organizations.
NCF Expo
Orange County residents attended six Family Engagement & Resource Expo events hosted by the Neighborhood Centers for Families in July and August. More than 1,200 parents and 2,600 children were pre-registered for the six events. Locations included Colonial High School, Cypress Creek High School, West Orange NCF, Union Park Middle School, Barnett Park Recreation Center and John Bridges Community Center.
Children prepared for the new school year with free shoes, backpacks, school supplies, immunizations and sports ECGs. Families connected with community resources such as mentoring, tutoring, counseling, after school programming, family safety and neighborhood safety.
Orange County’s Neighborhood Centers for Families are one-stop centers that provide residents with services within their communities. Funded by the Orange County Citizens’ Commission for Children, NCF services are offered at 13 locations throughout the county.
NCFs offer counseling programs, tutoring, employment skills, case management, senior activities, limited health services, and more. Each NCF is uniquely designed to address the needs of the surrounding community. To learn more, click here.
A Childhood for Children
Since March 2022, A Childhood for Children has held nine diaper distribution events, providing more than 39,000 diapers for 215 children in the Community Coordinated Care for Children, Inc. (4C)’s Early Head Start program. A Childhood for Children Inc. is a grassroots, volunteer based not-for-profit with a mission to fulfill the basic needs of underserved children. Its support includes diapers, hygiene products, underwear, socks, sweatshirts and sweaters, and school supplies for children in Orlando by partnering with Orange County organizations and Title I schools.
Radhika Narain, CPA, founded A Childhood for Children in 2012 as a public charity or IRC 501(c)(3) organization. The story began with $10 and has grown to support more than 33,000 children in 15 countries. A Childhood for Children states that its purpose includes:
- Alleviating childhood hunger.
- Supporting children’s educational needs.
- Enhancing children’s overall well-being by addressing, coordinating, and providing aid and relief directly to children from underserved communities, such as Title I elementary schools in Orange County, Early Learning Coalition of Orange County (The Baby Institute), and Community Coordinated Care for Children, Inc. (4C) (the Early Head Start Program of Orange County).
During the pandemic, A Childhood for Children increased its outreach in the community, partnering with the Central Florida Diaper Bank, United Against Poverty, Parramore Kidz Zone, Harbor House, Early Learning Coalition of Orange County (Baby Institute), and Community Coordinated Care for Children, Inc. (4C) to provide a month’s supply of diapers to children under age 3.
4C 5K Fun Run/Walk
4C 5K Fun Run/Walk participants enjoyed a beautiful Saturday morning on April 22, 2023, at Lake Baldwin Park in Orlando. The successful inaugural event was created to support Community Coordinated Care for Children’s mission to improve the quality of life for Central Florida’s economically disadvantaged young children and their families enrolled in 4C’s early learning programs. Morgan & Morgan was the title sponsor.
Participants gathered at Harbor Park, and the 3.1-mile course took runners, walkers and strollers on an out-and-back course along the shores of Lake Baldwin. Proceeds from the event will support comprehensive services to young children ages birth through 5 years old so they develop the foundational skills needed to enter kindergarten ready for school and beyond.
2023 4C 5K Fun Run/Walk Race Results
Overall Adult Males: 1. Pedro Freire, 19:48. 2. Tykeem McCord, 22:34. 3. Charles Perreault, 22:49.
Overall Adult Females: 1. Ana Lopez, 27:06. 2. Cory Taylor, 28:09. 3. Samantha Weyant, 28:18.
Overall Youth Boys: 1. Trevar Johnson, 34:50.26. 2. Immanuel Milord, 34:40.49. 3. John Olivares, 42:49.
Overall Youth Girls: 1. Marcella Ferguson, 24:42. 2. Jocelyn LaFrance, 45:59. 3. Samantha Rosillo, 56:46.
Mind Your Health Mental Health Fair
Child Care Resource & Referral Family Engagement Specialists Sabrina Hayles and Mari Feliciano represented Community Coordinated Care for Children (4C) at the Mind Your Health Mental Health Fair at the Grand Avenue Neighborhood Center in Orlando on April 29, 2023. Organized by the Parramore Community Engagement Council, the event was held to help fill the gap in access to mental health support in the community with joy, community, and entertainment.
Community Builder Award
Community Coordinated Care for Children was honored on March 27, 2023, at the City of Orlando’s 18th annual Neighborhood & Community Summit for excelling in building better neighborhoods and strengthening the city.
The event hosted by Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer presented the Community Builder Award to 4C, which supports families with young children by providing access to affordable, quality care and critical services from growth and development to education and training.
“It is important to honor the individuals and organizations that give their time, talent and resources to improve the quality of life for all our residents,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “I am thankful we could recognize some of those who exemplify what it means to be a good neighbor and work to help build a stronger, more compassionate city for all.”