September 2020 Newsletter

Dear Fostering Connections St. Johns Supporters,

I hope you and your families had a great summer! Summer went by quick and school is back in session. We wish your family a great school year!

August was a very busy month for Fostering Connections St. Johns. The first Career Readiness Academy session in partnership with The Kookaburra was held. We had seven students ranging in ages from 14-17 complete the program. They are wonderful young adults with promising futures. We are now working to place students in job shadow and internship experiences. Graduates will participate in monthly soft skills classes. Read more about how you can support this wonderful program and a full recap of the Career Readiness Academy in the attached  newsletter.

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our Back to School Bash was cancelled this year. In its place, we held Curbside School Supply Pick Up at St. Johns County Health and Human Services. We distributed  backpacks and school supplies to over 75 children in grades Pre-K-12. A special thank to Chicken Salad Chick for donating $700 worth of school supplies for our families!

The Fostering Connections St. Johns Board of Directors has set a Program and Fundraising plan going into 2021. We are currently doing a hybrid program approach, with some program meeting in person with groups of no more than ten with social distancing in place, and other programs remaining virtual. All fundraisers will be virtual until fall of 2021 or when deemed safe to do so. We held our first Virtual auction on Facebook August 28 to support the Career Readiness Academy. See a full recap in our newsletter. Stay tuned for information on future virtual events!

In September, we will be launching our Teen Arts program through a grant from The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida. Our Arts Program in partnership with the Guardian ad Litem program is currently on pause due to current travel restrictions for Guardian ad Litem volunteers. We look forward to sharing student art with you!

I invite you to attend our programs and meet the wonderful youth we support. Social capital,the personal relationships youth have with caring adults, can greatly influence their future opportunities. Building connections and relationships is powerful for our youth in foster care. When the community comes together, the gaps are filled and children thrive! Join us in helping children in foster care thrive.

Kind Regards,

Aubrie Simpson-Gotham

Founder & President, Fostering Connections St. Johns

FCSJ September 2020 Newsletter

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