Description
4 Children’s S.A.K.E., Inc.
2511 SW 15 th Street
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
Contact: Barbara Haley, Vice-President
(754) 227-7738
4 Children’s S.A.K.E., Inc. is a 100% volunteer, 501(C)3, not for profit organization located in Broward County, Florida. In 2005, 4 Children’s S.A.K.E. was honored in Washington DC by Volunteer America; in recognition of it’s services and ability to function to the benefit of families in Broward County using operation costs of less than 3% of its total income. We’ve been providing a variety of services for abused, neglected and abandoned children housed in foster care homes, shelters and centers throughout the county, since 1984. The children’s ages range from birth to eighteen years. Since misfortune is never discriminatory, neither are we. The children we serve represent all walks of life, religious backgrounds and nationalities.
We are an organization of approximately 30 volunteers. Our volunteers are also a very diverse group of people, but they all share one common thread in that they care deeply for the children we serve. We operate year round, offering different programs and services throughout the year. With the help of our volunteers and supporters, we are able to make our services available to a significant number of Broward County’s foster families, shelters and centers.
Although having to remove a child from his or her home is for their own protection, it is still a very traumatizing experience. We work to help minimize the effects of this trauma. We are always surveying the children’s needs, looking for new and better ways to assist them.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS
CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES
Respite Programs
Respites are outings and / or activities that are held monthly for foster children and their guardians. The guardians bring their foster children to these activities and stay to participate along with them. This gives foster families, centers and shelters an opportunity to participate together as a family unit. Monthly respites are coordinated by our volunteers and the children are supervised by their foster parents / guardians. Activities include: picnics, parties, athletic events, camp outs, shows and field trips.
"In-Kind" Services
Children in the foster care system, have little, or no, belongings. We collect a wide variety of items that are needed by the children, including: toys, books, clothes, school supplies, diapers, hygiene products and many other items. Items are collected from a variety of businesses, individuals and supporters. We collect linens, beds, furniture, household items, appliances and many other items needed by the families, centers and shelters caring for the foster children.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS CONTINUED
CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES
Birthday Club
This program helps provide foster children with birthday presents and / or a birthday cake in celebration of their special day.
Medically Needy Programs
This program is designed to assist with foster children who have special needs due to illness or other physical / mental challenges. This program assists with trying to meet the needs of these special children by working to try to obtain the supplies and equipment needed to care for the children. Special activities, events and programs are designed and geared towards the abilities of the children, so their foster families and care givers can participate in respites with them, whenever possible.
Kids and Seniors’ Program
This program is designed to involve the foster children with senior citizens living in nursing homes. We do a wide variety of activities and organize a variety of events. All activities and events are held at the nursing homes and are designed to encourage participation from both the seniors and the foster children. All activities and events are organized by our volunteers and are executed under the supervision of the nursing home’s staff and the foster parents and / or guardians.
Seniors In Action
This program is designed to give senior citizens a chance to make a difference in the lives of the foster children we serve. We’ve got senior volunteers who sew cloths, knit blankets and bake cookies. We have seniors who help with home repairs, who assist at our events and who teach the children everything from safety and first aid to botchee ball and shuffle board!!!
Special Projects
Throughout the year many needs arise and many special donations are received. Our special needs projects include such things as: gardening projects, yearbook projects, bicycle/safety helmet projects, holiday projects and school projects.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS CONTINUED
CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES
Fund Raising and Recruitment
We organize fund raisers to help raise the money we need to run our programs. We send out donation requests to businesses and individuals who can offer us the help we need. We offer volunteer opportunities to local middle schools, high schools and college students who earn community service hours by doing projects that benefit the foster families. We publish a newsletter that’s mailed to help keep volunteers and supporters informed of our activities. Whenever possible, we coordinate with other groups, churches and organizations and we participate in public events. Our services are listed with community resources such as: "Volunteer Broward", "First Call For Help", "Connections For Kids", "In-Kind International" and "The School Board of Broward County", where businesses, sponsors, churches, individuals and students can find out about our programs and can choose to join our efforts.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS CONTINUED
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
Community Service Projects
We conduct a variety of community service projects, which give middle - high school aged foster children an opportunity to earn the community service hours they need for school and / or juvenile justice sentences. We also provide them with opportunities to earn the additional hours needed to qualify for college scholarships. Service projects are coordinated with our volunteers and are completed under the supervision of the children’s foster parents and / or guardians.
Home Economics Program
We conduct programs and activities designed to help children learn daily living skills. Programs and activities are conducted in group settings with the foster parents and guardians participating with the children. Subjects addressed include: shopping, budgeting, laundry, house keeping, home repairs, automobile maintenance, hygiene, make-up / hair, cooking, pet care, gardening, first aid, health and safety.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS CONTINUED
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
Computer Recycling Program
We collect and assemble computers that are placed into foster homes, shelters and centers to the benefit of the children living there. The computers are designed to be used for school. Only educational software is installed: *Any software downloaded into the computers, after they are delivered is the sole action of the foster children under the supervision of the foster families, shelters and center where they live. Modems aren’t included: *If foster parents, centers and shelters adapt the computers to go online, they do so on their own and accept the responsibility of supervising the children’s activities online. We teach the children and their guardians basic computer skills and we assist with software for SAT and FCAT testing.
Career Education
Through field trips to businesses and guest speakers, the children and their foster parents / guardians are introduced to many of the career options the children may want to explore upon graduation or as teen workers. The children also write letters to our supporters, giving them an opportunity to become aware of the people who are in our community working to help others.
RIF (Reading Is Fundamental)
RIF is a literacy program supplemented by the Federal Government. We’ve had the honor of being a RIF partner organization, since March 2003. We conduct three RIF distributions a year. Through our RIF programs, the children receive new books that they can keep and they participate in activities designed to encourage them to read. RIF programs include: storytellers, special guests, challenges, special events, awards and performances addressing literary topics.
