Please join us at Baru Urbano this Thursday from 6pm to 10pm to celebrate the upcoming 2^nd Be A Voice Soccer Tournament.

1001 South Miami Avenue.  Help us Kick Child Abuse by enjoying $5 well drinks, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Voices For Children Foundation.

Voices is doing it again! Presented by Global Development Consultants, Voices For Children is hosting its 2nd Be A Voice Soccer Tournament on Saturday & Sunday, June 25-26, 2011. Join Voices For Children from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. each day and enjoy an exciting weekend of soccer-mania. Come with your family and learn about how you can BE A VOICE for an abused, abandoned or neglected child. Currently there are approximately 3,000 children in Miami-Dade County who are in foster care.  Admission to the tournament is free.

Create a team with your colleagues, friends or family, and together we can help KICK CHILD ABUSE TO THE CURB.

If you are interested in forming a soccer team:

Team Cost: $1,000 per Team
Team consists of 8 people
Cost includes team uniform with logo or name of sponsor on the uniform and food.

Photos from our 1st Be A Voice Soccer Tournament can be found on Voices’ Shutterfly page.

The 2nd Be A Voice Soccer Tournament is Presented by:

Global Development Consultants, Inc. is a consulting company dedicated to the development of urban housing, real estate, design, construction, financing, development and promotion of housing developments.

Our company has an agreement with the City of Miami, FL, the city of Port-au-Prince in Haiti, and in Cundinamarca, Columbia, for the construction of affordable and accessible housing for low income families, made from recycle materials.

Global DC staff has 40 years of development and more than 100,000 houses built, as well as office, hotels, and Commercial projects.

The combined years of experience of Global Development Consultants Inc.’s core team provides the necessary capabilities and management skills to successfully execute on their vision of delivering a project provide business, social, economic and environmental benefits.

And in partnership with 

 Click here to Register  (REGISTRATION FORM)

Click here to see Event Flyer (EVENT FLYER)

For more information or to sign up, please contact:
Name: Julian Otero
Phone: 305-726-4032
Email: oterojulian@hotmail.com

For sponsorship opportunities, please contact:

Name: Nelson Hincapie

Phone: 305-281-4473
Email: nhincapie@voices4.org 

On Wednesday, December 7th, 2011  you have the opportunity to help strike out child abuse.  Join Voices for Children on June 1 from 6:00-10:00pm for a game of bowling and to learn more about how you can BE A VOICE for an abused, abandoned or neglected child. Currently there are approximately 3,000 children in Miami-Dade County who are in foster care.  Your participation in this event could make all the difference.

Create a team with your colleagues, friends or family, and together we can help STRIKE OUT CHILD ABUSE in Miami.

Cost: $400 per Team
Team consists of 8 people
Cost includes one game of bowling, shoes, tons food and a complimentary drink. There will also be a cash bar available.

Love to bowl and want to support the cause, but can’t get together 8 folks? No problem! For a donation of $50 we will pair you with other enthusiasts.

Click here to Register  (REGISTRATION FORM)

For more information or to sign up, please contact:
Name: Ingrid McClung
Phone: 305-324-5678 Email: imcclung@voices4.org

Splitsville Lanes, 5701 Sunset Drive, Miami, FL 33143

By becoming an ACE- an Advocate for Children’s Education – you will have the opportunity to work with children who are between the ages of 5 and 18, all of whom are currently within the Foster Care system of Miami-Dade County.  The children vary in grade level, IQ, and learning/language impairment.  All are currently enrolled in school, but in need of extra academic support.

In tutoring and interacting with children in the community, ACE’s demonstrate a strong desire to contribute to the academic advancement of at-risk youth, and feel comfortable acting as a positive role model, possess compassion and have a sense of humor.

Applying to Become an ACE

ACE’s are asked to donate a minimum of one hour per week to affect change for a student that will last a lifetime. 

North Dade Hours*: Monday thru Friday, between the hours of 8AM and 6PM**

South Dade Hours*: Monday thru Friday, between the hours of 4PM and 7PM

Apply here or request an application form by mail.

Questions?

Please e-mail empowerastudent@voices4.org to facilitate scheduling.

*subject to change during summer months
** With the exception of the following:

K5- 2nd Grade Monday - Friday, 11:00-11:30AM (lunchtime)
Tuesdays, 8:00-9:30AM
3rd- 4th Grade Monday - Friday, 11:00AM-11:30PM (lunchtime)
Wednesdays, 8:00-9:30AM
5th-6th Grade Monday - Friday, 11:30AM-12:30PM (lunchtime)
Wednesdays, 8:00-9:30AM
7th-8th Grade Monday - Friday, 12:00-12:30PM (lunchtime)
Tuesdays, 9:00-10:30AM

Artist Carlos Rodriguez reviews sketching technique with youth at painting workshop	Shawn Marion distributes holiday gifts to foster kids
Teen warms up on the court with Miami HEAT	Artist Terje Lundaas teaches foster youth glassblowing process during glass art workshop

In 2007, Voices also added life skills workshops, offered exclusively for our youth preparing to transition out of foster care. These education workshops teach participants about nutritious foods, budgeting, cooking, meal planning for the hurricane season, how to prepare for emergencies, job interview skills, etc. and are geared towards young adults who, more often than not, have been in the child welfare system since a very young age, and will soon be living on their own.

If you have any ideas for future workshops or would like to get involved with our current Children’s Needs projects, please contact Dorothy Marin at 305.324.5678 or dmarin@voices4.org.

We currently have 2,600 children in foster care who need your help.  And by the end of the day, at least two more children will be removed from their home due to abuse, abandonment, or neglect.

DONATE NOW! Your contribution has an extraordinary purpose! You can be that one, big difference in the life of an abused child by supporting our efforts to provide advocacy to children through the Guardian Ad Litem Program as well as help us meet their social, educational, and medical needs.

SIGN UP TO BE A VOLUNTEER. You can be the hero in the life of a child. By becoming a Guardian Ad Litem volunteer, you will ensure that at least one child has a voice in court and that their best interests are being preserved.

OR

The Voices For Children Annual Toy Drive benefits thousands of children in Miami-Dade’s Foster Care system each year.  Since 1989, this community-wide effort has ensured that every child in the dependency system receives a gift during the holiday season. There are many ways to be involved in the Annual Toy Drive: Donate, Sponsor a Child, Start a Collection and Volunteer.

Please join us in celebrating this holiday season by donating to Voices For Children so that every child in Miami’s Foster Care System can have the holiday they deserve, because it shouldn’t hurt to be a child.

A gift now means:

• $25.00       will give a toy to a child 13 and younger
• $50.00       will give a toy to a child between the ages of 13 and 17
• $120.00     will provide a youth leaving foster care with bed sheets, blanket and dinnerware to start them off on an independent path to success

Sponsor a Child

Your sponsorship of a child and your generous donation of a toy can bring a smile to the thousands of dependent children in Miami.

Toy donations are need for children between the ages of 0-17.  Donations should be new and unwrapped.  Donations are also needed for children who are leaving the foster care system and have nothing to start their own life. To learn more about how you can give to those transitioning out of foster care, please click here.

Toy Donations may be made at the following location (s): (Please call 305-324-5678 for hours of operation)

Alhambra West
95 Merrick Way, Suite 650
Coral Gables, FL 33131

Start a Collection

Make the holiday season magical for a child in foster care. Additional toy drive locations are always welcome! To start a toy drive location at your business please email Dorothy Marin at DMarin@voices4.org with the subject line “Start a Collection.”  Please include your location address, a contact phone number, and your email address, plus a description of your business. State that you want to volunteer to be a toy drop-off location and Dorothy will respond with additional information.

Volunteer

Volunteers are needed to start sorting, wrapping and labeling incoming toy donations.  To learn more information about hours and locations, please call Dorothy at Voices For Children Foundation: 305-324-5678.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Annual Toy Drive 2009: 21st HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE A GREAT SUCCESS

Every year as the holiday season approaches, Voices For Children holds a holiday toy drive for the foster children of Miami-Dade County.  In 2009, with the efforts of Voices board member Annabel “Bunchy” Gertner and her jolly faithful “elves,” every foster child in the dependency system received a toy, including the 600 transitioning youth who are preparing for independent life. This past year our transitioning teens received “starter kits” containing linens, towels, comforters, pillows, dishes, flatware and other household items.

Voices For Children would like to thank the countless individuals and corporations who donated toys and wrapped gifts.  In particular we would like to thank: The Continental Group; Florida Power & Light; Hasbro, Inc.; Latin Builders Association; The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald; Morgan Stanley Smith Barney; and Northern Trust.  Thank you all for your generous support.

“We are honored to host such a momentous event and to speak up for the abused, abandoned, and neglected children who go unheard every day in an overburdened foster care system,” said Nelson F. Hincapie, President & CEO, Voices For Children Foundation. “Let’s stand up for our foster children, so they can stand a chance for the future,” he added.

Residents, businesses and community organizations can become sponsors of one of these “forgotten children” represented in the life-sized cut-outs for $250. Following the march, guests are invited to stay and enjoy a Children’s Celebration at Bayside Marketplace. This family fun-filled event is comprised of various performances including Hip Hop Kidz, entertainment by Radio Disney AM 990, and a display auction of diverse art by the children in foster care. One hundred percent of the proceeds of the art are going to the child artists.

This fundraising campaign is being held by Voices For Children Foundation, the fundraising arm of the 11th Judicial Circuit Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) Program. The funds provided by Voices allow the GAL Program to recruit and train the volunteers who serve as the “voice” for the foster care children. When a GAL volunteer is involved, a child is less likely to move from home to home and they are 95-percent less likely to re-enter the foster care system.

This event will not be possible without the help and support from our sponsors:

Platinum Sponsors: Bilzin Sumberg;Baena Price & Axelrod LLP; The Children’s Trust; Bayside Marketplace

Gold Sponsors: Flagler Development Group; Leon Medical Centers;  Miccosukee Resort & Gaming;  Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.; Mayor Carlos Alvarez’s V initiative

Media Sponsors: Univision 23 / Telefutura 69; CBS4; Fuel Outdoor; The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald; Diario Las Americas; WLRN; Official Diamond Voice: Comcast; Official Silver Voice: Parrot Fish Studio

Voices For Children Foundation is a not for profit organization that raises funds to ensure that every abused, abandoned, and neglected child in Miami-Dade County has a court appointed Guardian Ad Litem and that financial assistance and other resources are available for their accompanying health, educational, and social needs. Guardians Ad Litem are trained, court-appointed adults who serve as the representative voice for abused, abandoned, and neglected children involved in dependency court proceedings. For more information and to sponsor a “child” visit www.voices4.org or call 305-324-5678.

For more information on artworks that are still available for bidding, please contact Paula Vargas at 305.324.5678 or pvargas@voices4.org.

A highlight of Miami’s social philanthropic scene, the 2012 Be A Voice, Build A Dream Gala will be hosted for the 11th consecutive year by Mandarin Oriental, Miami on January 14, 2012. The cocktail reception and silent auction will begin at 7:00 p.m., followed by dinner and dancing at 8:30 p.m.

This year’s event, co-chaired by Yolanda & Jeff Berkowitz and Beth & Richard Tasca, will honor Paul & Swanee Dimare, influential community leaders and inspiring philanthropists. Voices For Children Foundation’s annual Be A Voice Gala attracts 500 of South Florida’s most influential and active community members to celebrate the extraordinary contributions of those who advocate for Miami-Dade’s abused, abandoned, and neglected children.

Each year guests enjoy fabulous food, beautiful décor, exciting entertainment, unique action items, and a compelling testimonial demonstrating the importance and impact of Voices For Children Foundation and the Guardian ad Litem Program.

If you are interested in learning more about sponsoring the Gala, please contact Tania Rodriguez at trodriguez@voices4.org or 305.324.5678 ext 16.

To download the sponsorship commitment form click here.

If you are interested in donating an auction item, please click here.

________________________________________________________________________

About Mandarin Oriental, Miami: Mandarin Oriental, Miami is celebrating its 10th anniversary and the luxury city resort has completed an extensive renovation to mark this special occasion in grand style.  The new enhancements include the redesign of its spacious guestrooms, rejuvenated Oasis Beach Club with chic beach furnishings, remodeled Spa and a newly renovated Presidential Suite.

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Miami is the city’s only Five Star Spa and the new design blends gold, blue and brown hues within a peaceful spa environment. You’ll enjoy refurbished public and private spaces including a new welcome reception, spa boutique and beautiful relaxation lounges with heat and wet experiences.

Please see below for some footage of a past Voices For Children Gala:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jDBnxUFoYI