Children’s Home Society of Florida to Reunify More Families with Success of Spring Luncheon

Palm Beach, FL – Patrons and friends of Children’s Home Society of Florida (CHS) gathered Wednesday, March 1, for its 3rd Annual Spring Luncheon at The Colony Hotel. Chaired by Gale Brophy, Giselle Parry, Wendy Roberts and Lori Stoll, the luncheon was sold out and raised more than $180,000 for CHS’s Family Visitation Center in West Palm Beach.

Margaret Donnelley and Kathy Leone served as Honorary Chairs. In recognition of her efforts to bring the Family Visitation Center to Palm Beach, Kathy was also honored with CHS’s Child Advocate of the Year Award. “Today in Palm Beach County, many of our neighbors are struggling at a level most in this room can’t even begin to imagine; struggles that are pushing parents to their breaking point with the fallout landing on the littlest ones. When these children are forced to separate from their parents and everything else familiar in their life, our dependency system works hard to reunite them as quickly as possible, but the process can still take nine months to over a year. This is where the Family Visitation Center plays a vital role. It meets the critical need for services that not only help a family stabilize and feel supported but give them the opportunity to spend time together to maintain familial bonds and minimize the traumatic effects of separation as much as possible,”Leone shared in her acceptance speech.

Prior to lunch, guests enjoyed a silent auction and shopping at the exclusive Jennifer Tattanelli pop up boutique. After lunch, guests had the opportunity to hear directly from a mother who shared her personal account of having her young children removed from her home. With help and hope from CHS, she was reunited with her two sons after being separated for over a year.

The luncheon ended with a Grand Finale Call to the Heart hosted by “Mr. Palm Beach” himself, Rob Russell. Knowing the critical needs of the center, guests displayed immense generosity, including Lois Pope, who stood up to make the first pledge, taking home a European River Cruise courtesy of AmaWaterways and Travel Leaders.

The only facility of its kind in Palm Beach County, the Center provides families with a safe, home-like atmosphere where they benefit from consistent, quality visits together. The ultimate goal is to permanently reunify in a safe, stronger home – together. Funds raised from the luncheon will allow CHS to hire additional staff and provide transportation opportunities, meaning a waiting list of families in need can turn into more families being served.

Luncheon sponsors included Presenting: Valerie Winchester; Champions: Shawn M. Donnelley, Leone Family Trust, Mrs. Lee Munder and The Sovereign Order of St. John; Advocates: Margaret Donnelley, Nancy Richter, Wendy Roberts, Sunny Sessa, and International Society of Palm Beach; Supporter: Lois Pope, Patrons: Jane Brickell, Aileen Carlucci, Gita Costa, Pamela Fiori, Arlette Gordon, Grace Haggerty and Ed and Barbara O’Sullivan.

How to Decide Which Birth Control Method is Right for You

With multiple contraceptive methods available, including sterilization, contraceptive pills, intrauterine devices and condoms, many women may wonder which is right for them. Because many lifestyle and health-related factors can influence this personal and intimate decision, there is no one option that is a good choice for all women.

The best method of birth control a woman can choose is one that she knows is safe, that she is comfortable using, and that she is able to use consistently and correctly.

When evaluating contraception options, experts suggest that women consider several factors, including:

• Do you plan to get pregnant in a few years or a few months?

• How frequently do you have sex and how many partners do you have?

• How effective is each method of contraception?

• How safe are your options and what side effects or risks do they pose?

• Do you have religious or cultural beliefs that need to be considered?

• Is the method you might choose convenient and affordable?

• Do you have any health issues that might make some options unsafe for you?

Health History

There are both hormonal and non-hormonal forms of birth control. While millions of women have successfully used hormonal contraception like the birth control pill for decades, it is important for women to speak with their healthcare provider about their health history when choosing a birth control method.

Birth control that contains estrogen can increase a woman’s risk for heart attack, stroke and dangerous blood clots. In fact, according to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, women who use hormonal contraception have a three- to nine-fold greater risk for blood clots compared to women who do not use birth control that contains estrogen. When women have other risk fac- tors for blood clots, like obesity or a personal or family history of clotting, their risk can dramatically increase. For example, research shows that blood clot risks are doubled in women who are obese, and the risk for dangerous blood clots is 35 times greater among women who use hormonal birth control and are also affected by the most common genetic clotting disorder factor V Leiden.

Birth control methods that contain estrogen also present health risks to women with medical conditions like severe diabetes, hypertension and breast cancer.

Women considering their contraception options can get information that will help them navigate the range of birth control methods available, and also complete a health history questionnaire to share with their healthcare provider, by visiting the Alexandra Rowan Foundation at www.alexrowanfoundation.org.

Women should never feel pressured by partners, friends, family or their healthcare provider to choose a form of birth control. Birth control is a woman’s choice and, when fully informed, women can select a contraceptive method that is safe, effective, and meets their specific needs.

Spring Cleaning: Don’t Toss That ‘Junk,’ It May Be Valuable!

It’s time to hit the garage, basement, attic and closets for that age-old task of spring cleaning! Before hauling unwanted possessions to the curb, you may be surprised to learn they might be valuable -- especially if you have sports cards and memorabilia gathering dust.

With prices of sports cards rising in recent years, take time to determine if yours are valuable and how to best sell them.

“Older sports cards and memorabilia aren’t just highly collectible; they can be worth lots of money. Recent sales of scarce vintage cards have topped anywhere from thousands of dollars to tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands. And really rare cards can go higher,” says Al Crisafulli, Auction Director at Love of the Game Auctions, an internet sports auction house that helps families identify and sell valuable items.

Crisafulli has assisted people in selling such keepsakes as a grandparent’s autograph collection and an uncle’s childhood baseball cards, for tens of thousands of dollars. In one life-changing event, he helped a family determine that a baseball bat that spent decades protecting their home was used by Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig -- and Love of the Game Auctions sold it for almost half a million dollars. Today, that bat could bring more than a million dollars.

The key is understanding what makes old sports collectibles valuable. To help, Crisafulli is sharing some tips:

Older is Usually Pricier

Cards from the 1960s and earlier are collectible, and those from before the 1940s can be worth a lot of money, especially those depicting stars. Do you have cards of Hall of Famers, such as Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner or Ty Cobb? Even non-stars from the early days of a sport can be worth big bucks, especially if the cards have no creases and retain sharp corners and original gloss. If you have very old cards from the 1880s through the 1930s, look for tobacco, gum and candy brands, such as Old Judge, Piedmont, Sweet Caporal, Goudey or American Caramel.

If you want to sell sports items for the most money, consider a specialty auction, such as Love of the Game, which has the expertise to properly research sports ephemera and maintains bidder lists of collectors specializing in sports. More information is available at loveofthegameauctions.com.

Postcards and Photographs

We all have keepsakes of vacation destinations, but most aren’t valuable. However, photographs and postcards depicting sports stars and ballparks can be significant. Look for early “real photo” postcards from the 1900s through the 1940s, which are photographs printed on postcard backs.

As with sports cards, star power matters, so preserve those Babe Ruths as opposed to images of your great grandma’s baby cousin once-removed. And when it comes to photos, look for old markings on the back, such as photographer, publication and date stamps.

Memorabilia

Set aside old advertising posters depicting sports stars and food, tobacco or sporting goods brands. Ads from magazines aren’t valuable, but those used as store displays and for other marketing purposes can be pricey. Tin signs from the 1960 and earlier can be highly prized, but reproductions aren’t.

Your family’s sporting goods, such as balls, gloves and bats, can be valuable. Pre-1950s uniforms and catcher’s masks, helmets and other equipment are highly collected, especially when endorsed by star players. Top condition brings the highest prices, but even used equipment can be valuable.

“The golden rule is the older the sports card or item, the more valuable it usually is. Pre-1975 pieces start to get interesting and are worth researching,” says Crisafulli.

Don’t just clean out your “junk” this spring, examine it closely to potentialy maximize its value.