Fostering Connections September 2023 Newsletter

Dear Fostering Connections Supporters,

Here at Fostering Connections, our foundation is family. This month, I ask for your thoughts and prayers for my family. My beloved grandmother has recently been diagnosed with cancer. Her condition is very serious. My grandmother has been a warrior with all the pain and suffering she has been facing these past few months. We are taking things day by day as a family.

Our team here at Fostering Connections is working to keep our operations running as normally as possible during the month of September. Due to the current status of my grandmother's health, I may not be able to be present at all of our September programming. Representatives from our team and board will be there on my behalf if I am unable to attend. I'm trying to spend as much time as I can with my grandmother and family during this difficult time.

We are in peak hurricane season during the month of September. Our team is closely monitoring the weather conditions. The safety of our students, their families, board members, volunteers, and staff is our top priority. In the event that weather conditions make travel conditions unsafe, programming will be postponed or rescheduled. Please be sure to follow recommendations from local officials and prepare for for any storms that may impact our region.

In August, we welcomed back the school year with two Foster/Adoptive Family Meet Up events attended by 41 children and 24 caregivers. It was so wonderful seeing our families who attend regularly and meeting new families. You can read a full recap of August events in this month's newsletter.

I'm excited to announce that Fostering Connections received a grant from Care Connect + for a subscription to Enrichly, a game based e-learning platform that teaches life skills and helps learners in grades Pre-K-12 increase their self-esteem. Enrichly subscriptions are available to all of our Fostering Connections families. We look forward to continuing to grow our online learning resources for families.

During the month of September, we have many wonderful programs planned for our students and their families. We'll have two Foster/Adoptive Family Meet Up events for St. Johns and Duval County families, a College Readiness Academy session at Daytona State College, and a Teen Talk event at Washington Oaks Gardens State Park. Read more in our newsletter.

Stay tuned for our October newsletter for upcoming fall microevents and opportunities to support Fostering Connections this fall. Thank you for your continued support of Fostering Connections and your thoughts and prayers for my beloved grandmother. Life is so precious. Take time this week to hug your loved ones and tell them you love them. Stay safe!

Kind Regards,

Aubrie Simpson-Gotham

Founder & CEO

September 2023 Newsletter.pdf

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