in this issue - Leaps and Bounds Family Services

Non-Profit Org
U.S. Postage
PAID
Warren, MI
Permit #70
Family Services
Winter 2012 / 2013
Our MissiOn...
To focus creative and
collaborative action on the
Family Services
health, education, social and
Family Learning Center
and Administrative Offices
8129 Packard
Warren, MI 48089
economic needs of at-risk
children and families.
Serving Detroit, Warren and all of Macomb and Wayne Counties
Dear Friends:
586.759.3895
in this issue
• social innovation
Fund Grant Awarded
to Leaps & Bounds
Collaborative initiative
• Adult education ...
the Benefits of a
Computer Based
Learning environment
touch!
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Meet Our Board of Directors
Jene Wynn Allen
Director, Organization and Talent Effectiveness, Trinity Health
Brigid Beaubien, Ph.D, Professor
please visit us at
www.leapsnbounds.org
Early Childhood Education Department, Eastern Michigan University
Thomas R. Bowen
• Promoting Peace Kingian nonviolence
Philosophy in our
High school’s
• Help Portrait Day a global movement
Partner, Bowen, Radabaugh & Milton, P.C.
Leslie Hamell
s ave the d ate!
Community Representative
16th Annual Fundraiser Dinner
Comedy show & silent Auction
Executive Director, Leaps and Bounds Family Services
APRIL 18, 2013
ukrainian cultural center
Denise M. Dorsz
Teresa Holtrop, M.D.
Pediatrician, Children’s Hospital of Michigan
Gina Cavaliere
Planning & Development, Wayne County
Nelson Maylone
Education Department, Eastern Michigan University
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Community Collaboration and Advocacy
Leaps and Bounds Family Services participates in a host of collaborative efforts
including the Macomb County Human Services Coordinating Body: Children and
Youth Committee and Children’s Early Intervention Services Committee, Great
Start Wayne and Great Start Macomb steering committees, Great Start Macomb
and Great Start Wayne Early Care and Education, Family Support and Parent
Involvement Work Groups, United Way for Southeast Michigan’s Regional Early
Learning Community, and the city of Warren’s Tax Increment Finance Authority.
• 2nd Annual
“Warm Hands ...
Warm Hearts”
Holiday Campaign
Nicole Moten
Vice President, JPMorgan Chase Bank
• 2012
Annual report
Highlights
• sAVe the DAte ...
APriL 18, 2013
16th Annual
Fundraiser Dinner
& silent Auction
The holiday season is fast approaching - a time to be with family and friends, celebrate
good tidings and support those that are not as fortunate as we are.
As we begin a new fiscal year, I reflect back on our accomplishments, our challenges
and our amazing community of supporters. At times the feeling overwhelms me by the depth of our support, by the importance of what we do and by the difference
that we make.
Despite our achievements and good work, we continue to face a rapidly changing
funding environment and a rising need for services from the communities we serve.
We must think “out of the box” when it comes to fundraising, build effective
community relationships and foster collaborative partnerships with other providers,
funders and other organizations.
Our recent partnership with Macomb Intermediate School District (MISD) and
Macomb Family Services, afforded us the opportunity to secure a social innovation fund
sub-grant. This funding has helped us launch “Ready Children - Ready Schools”, a
collaborative initiative that enhances our Early Learning Programs. With the support
of United Way, we continue to teach students at Lincoln High School about the Kingian
Nonviolence Philosophy, to promote peace and proactively address issues and
concerns through nonviolent means. In addition, our adult learners benefit from our
partnership with Michigan Works as we remain dedicated to helping our adult students
reach their full potential in the workplace.
Together, with our dedicated staff and caring volunteers, we will continue to adapt,
evolve and remain a vital source of education, service and support for the families,
children and adults of our communities.
With deepest gratitude, I want to thank you for supporting us, having faith in our
work and allowing us to continue our efforts through your financial generosity.
We would not be able to succeed without you. We hope you will choose Leaps
and Bounds Family Services for your generous giving this holiday season with
a year end gift or monthly pledge.
Wishing you abundant blessings.
Denise Dorsz,
Executive Director
a collaborative initiative ...
SOCIAL INNOVATION FUND GRANT
HELPS LAUNCH “Ready Children-Ready Schools”
Our focus is to strengthen early childhood literacy and kindergarten readiness; to help parents
see themselves as llifelong learners, giving their
children the opportunities to develop the skills
needed for success in school and in life.
computer based learning...
FOSTERING A POSITIVE ADULT
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Adults generally have a positive attitude toward
computer use and are eager to acquire
computer skills for the workplace.
this past year over 9000 hours were dedicated to
assisting adult learners from english as a Second
Language (eSL), GeD preparation, adult Basic Skills
(aBe), and Literacy programs. after completing the
coursework, 65% of these students moved on to job
training programs.
In august 2012, Leaps and Bounds Family Services, in partnership with the Macomb Intermediate School District and Macomb Family Services
received a Social Innovation Fund sub-grant for
$70,000 from United Way of Southeastern Michigan to support early childhood programming.
With the support of this funding, Leaps and Bounds is proud to announce the
launch of the “Ready Children - Ready Schools”, a project that prepares high-risk
children, ages 0-5 living in South Warren and Detroit. the designated areas include
the following school districts: Van Dyke, east Detroit, Fitzgerald, center Line,
and Detroit as well as the charter schools that fall within the designated zip codes.
the project will address the issues from two perspectives: individual families
and school /community change. this will occur through the following activities:
• home visitation for at risk families; • Parent resource rooms within each
school district which will include play and learn groups facilitated by a Parent
educator; • community collaboration and events focused on kindergarten transition; • Workshops and child development seminars for parents.
Leaps and Bounds is pleased to work collaboratively with MISD and Macomb
Family Services to achieve shared goals and to ensure this program has a lasting
impact in our communities.
realizing the important role that computers can play
in both second language and literacy instruction, we
have effectively integrated their use into our various
programs. computer based learning gives adults a
number of advantages including
flexibility of use,
control over pacing and sequencing of learning,
individualization,
privacy, and immediate feedback.
In addition, by continuing our partnership with Michigan Works, we remain dedicated to helping our adult
learners reach their full potential in the workplace, as
family members, and citizens.
teaching peace in our schools ... THE kINGIAN NONVIOLENCE PHILOSOPHY
Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Since attending the Kingian Nonviolence conflict resolution training at University of rhode
Island in the summers of 2011 and 2012, Kezia curtis, Leaps and Bounds Family Services
Youth Program coordinator, has been teaching the Kingian Nonviolence philosophy to
students at Lincoln high School in the Van Dyke School District.
the philosophy is based in Nonviolence tactics used by Dr. King during the civil rights
movement. Often many underestimate the thought, training, and study that went into
sit-ins, bus boycotts, freedom rides, and other forms of civil disobedience that took place
during that time.
the class is modeled after the two-day training administered across the world. Given that
Kezia has more time with students, she is able to significantly develop the philosophy using
multiple examples and exercises that enable students to apply what they have learned.
Some of the topics include the following: • history of the civil rights movement • Life of Dr. King
• types and levels of conflict • the difference between nonviolence and non-violence • Steps to reconcile
conflict in a nonviolent way • Models of social change: from both a top down bottom up approach.By studying Kingian Nonviolence, students are
being trained as leaders and agents of social justice. Kingian nonviolence is a way of life. the concepts championed by Dr. King can be applied
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to individual struggles as well as conflict that is wider in scope. Ultimately, the Kingian model strives to teach people the true meaning of responsible
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social
behavior that will help to foster an environment of toleration and diversity.
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LEAPS & BOUNDS FAMILY SERVICES EARNS MONEY EVERY TIME YOU SHOP!
Just by downloading the GoodSearch / Leaps & Bounds Family Services toolbar, we earn money every time you make a purchase or search online! GoodShop.com works with more than 3,000 top online retailers including Toys “R” Us, Target, Best
Buy, Apple, Macy’s, Amazon and many others. Each time you shop at a participating store, a percentage of what you spend
goes back to Leaps & Bounds. You also have access to thousands of coupons and free shipping offers. So, not only are you
helping us by shopping for things you would purchase anyway, but also saving money while doing so. To download, follow
the link from our website: www.leapsnbounds.org or go to: www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/leaps-and-bounds-family-services.
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a global movement ... GIVING A GIFT WITH A SMILE
Help-Portrait gives the gift of images to those who typically wouldn't
have the opportunity to have professional photos taken.
On December 8, 2012 photographers
and volunteers from around the
world will gather for the Fourth annual help-Portrait
event. Leaps and Bounds Family Services is excited to
take part in this globally recognized event.
Founded in 2009 by celebrity photographer Jeremy
cowart, help-Portrait is a community of photographers
coming together across the world to use their skills to
give back to their local community. In the last three
years, more than 169,000 portraits have been donated
by over 15,000 photographers and 21,000 volunteers.
help-Portrait is now a global movement in more than
1,500 locations in 56 countries.
Many families do not have money in their budget for
extras such as this so it is a wonderful opportunity for
the families that we serve to have a free professional portrait of their family.
We can expect to have at least 50-75 families from our agency participate. Families will
pose with the photographer and receive a free 8x10 print of their selected portrait.
holiday campaign kick off ...
2ND ANNUAL “Warm Hands...Warm Hearts”
All it takes is ONE WARM HEART to
warm the hands of many
the second annual “Warm hands ... Warm hearts”
holiday campaign kicks off on December 1, 2012 and
will run through January 31, 2013. Last year, ten local
businesses in Macomb county partnered with us to
collect over 400 gloves, hats and other cold weather
gear to help the children and families of our agency
stay warm. Many of us take for granted the simple act
of placing a warm pair of gloves or mittens on our
hands to provide protection from the cold, while many
in our nearby neighborhoods do not have the resources
to afford these items.
this year our goal is to expand our drop-off locations to 20 businesses and collect 1,000
items. It’s simple to participate! If you work at or own a business that would like to help
us reach our goal, please give us a call. a holiday decorated file size box will be dropped
off to you. to make an individual donation - all you need to do is donate one brand-new or
gently used winter hat, scarf, pair of gloves or mittens. For more information, please call
586.759.3895, email debb@leapsnbounds.org or visit our website atwww.leapsnbounds.org.
hIGhLIGhtS
Early Childhood and ParEnt SErviCES
Services include parent education seminars, early learning
activities and referral and advocacy services. Services are
provided throughout Wayne and Macomb counties.
• 108 parent/child interactive learning groups were
provided to 1,140 adults and their children. These
groups focus on early math and reading skills, playful
literacy, family assets and parent/child together time.
• 352 home visits were completed for 55 Wayne and
Macomb County high-risk children 0-5 years and
their parents.
• 264 parent/child interactive learning kits were distributed.
• All parents received support, recommendations and
assistance in identifying other programs to meet their
children’s child development and childcare needs.
New books are distributed to every child.
• The agency established 4 Early Learning Resource
Rooms for parents with children under 5 years. These
resource rooms are located in schools within the school
districts of Detroit, Van Dyke, Center Line and East
Detroit. Services are designed to assist children get
ready for kindergarten.
Early lEarning CommunitiES nEighborhood hubS
Neighborhood-based centers provide home-based childcare providers with free training in early child development,
health and safety as well as support services, access to
free learning materials and to provider network meetings
and events.
• 1,205 parents and providers participated in at least
one training class. 71% of these providers participated
in multiple classes.
• Over 400 classes were offered.
• 59 childcare providers participated in a self-assessment
survey and quality improvement plan designed to
insure that childcare centers promote best practices
in early learning.
• Total hours of service provided to was 7,172.
adult EduCation
• 49 adults enrolled in basic skills upgrading,
GED and ESL classes.
• 65% completed coursework and have moved to
job training programs.
• 9,067 hours of adult basic education, GED and English
as a Second Language were provided.
youth SErviCES
• 22 high school youth participated in Conflict
Reconciliation training. An additional 18 high schoolers
participated in after school tutoring. 2,706 units of
service were provided.
• 6 teens from Lincoln High School volunteered 430 hours.
voluntEEr involvEmEnt and SuPPort
• Board members contributed 3093 hours of time
during this past year.
• 430 hours of time from area high school students.
• 2080 hours of time from the Senior Aide Project.
make your
donation online!
visit www.leapsnbounds.org