September 2014 color

GRG of Brevard

September 2014 GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN OF BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA INC.

ISSUE # 159

HAPPY GRANDPARENT’S DAY Sunday September 7th is Grandparents Day. You provide a safe and loving home to your grandchildren or other relatives children in your care. We think you are a HERO for children every day of the year. GRG of Brevard recognizes, honors, and thanks all of our relative caregiver families!

What are you doing to celebrate? Send us your stories and pictures for the newsletter and Facebook page. Email: grg.brevard@gmail.com

BANK ON MY DREAM GRG of Brevard was chosen as a finalist for the Bank on MY Dream Contest sponsored by the Florida Bankers Association. We were awarded the grand prize $5,000 to provide holiday support for our relative caregiver families! Please check out the website: http://bankonmydream.com/the-child-first/

TARGET TRAINING Thank you for your participation in the first two sessions of TARGET Training. We hope that you will attend the remaining sessions. There is so much more to learn as you aim for your TARGET! Workshops start at 10:00 am and go til noon at the GRG of Brevard office. The dates and organizations that will present information are:

Sept. 3rd - Cliff Valentine, LMHC Your Lifestyle: Changed & Challenged, How to Cope With Your New Role Sept.10th-Early Learning Coalition & IMPOWER Child Care Options, Case management of children Sept. 17th FIT Scott Center for Autism Functional behaviors assessment, Life & social-skills training DCF/Economic - Self-Sufficiency Division Medicaid & Insurance Options/EBT/SNAP/TANF Sept. 24th – Brevard County Sheriff Office Sheriff Wayne Ivey Parenting Again Help is just a Call Away: Office: 321.631.7776 Cell: 321.848.8006 123 Barton Blvd. Suite 102 Rockledge FL 32955 www.grg-brevard.org

[Pick the date] [Edition 1, Volume 1]

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Issue 159

GRG of Brevard

THE TRAIN RIDE OF OUR LIVES! (Adapted from Mark Anthony, author of Never Letting Go Reprinted with permission from Jack Levine, founder 4Generations Institute)

At birth we boarded the train and met our parents and other caregivers, and we believed they would always travel by our side.

However, at some station our older family members will step down from the train, leaving us to take this journey without them.

As time goes by, other people will board the train; and they will be significant.....people such as our siblings, relatives, friends, teachers, coaches, and colleagues.

If we're fortunate, we will travel with the love of our life and perhaps children and grandchildren if we're graced to have them.

Some of these riders will step down and leave a permanent vacuum.

This train ride will be full of emotions...joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, heartfelt hellos and sorrowful good-byes. Some will leave the train with unexpected departures, others with a more natural passage.

Success consists of having as good a relationship with as many passengers as we can....requiring that we give the best of ourselves.

The mystery to everyone is we do not know at which station we ourselves will step down. So, we must live in the best way.....to love, to forgive, and to offer the best of who we are.

It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to step down and leave our seat empty we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life.

I wish you a joyful journey. Reap success, share love, make a positive difference in the lives of others and be thankful for the journey. Last, I thank you for being one of the passengers on my train.

You're Stronger When We're Together! Come and get support for parenting the second time around!

SEPTEMBER 2014 ~ SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS Tuesday, September 9th – Titusville Support Group Meeting 805 Century Medical Dr, Building B, Titusville. This group is partnered with Parrish Senior Solutions. 10:00 – 11:30 am (This meeting is always the second Tuesday of each month) Thursday, September 11th – Club Esteem Support Group Meeting Libscomb Street Community Center 10:00 – 11:30 am.

(This meeting is always the second Thursday of each month) Tuesday, September 16th – Central Brevard Support Group GRG of Brevard Office, 123 Barton Blvd, Rockledge 9:30 -11:00 am (This meeting is always the third Tuesday of each month) Wednesday, September 17th – South Brevard Support Group Meeting Memaw’s Restaurant, 4916 Babcock Blvd, Palm Bay 6:00 – 7:30 pm (Dinner is available at member's expense) (This meeting is always the third Wednesday of each month) Thursday, September 25th – Beach Side Support Group Memaw’s Restaurant, Indian Harbour Beach, 9:30 – 11:30 am (Breakfast is available at member's expense) (This meeting is always the last Thursday of each month) Page 2

Issue 159

GRG of Brevard

UPCOMING EVENTS

SMART SNACKS

Amie Harris from Take Stock in Children will be the guest speaker at the Support Group Meeting at 123 Barton Blvd, Rockledge on September 16th.

Take Stock in Children is a program that targets deserving 7th, 8th & 9th grade low-income students to receive tuition-paid scholarships for college or vocational school.

If your grandchild is in one of the grades listed, come to this important meeting. Learn how this program works. Learn all of the requirements that your grandchild has to maintain.

YOU are urged to attend this meeting Come prepared to ask questions.

Under the new “Smart Snacks in School” nutrition standards most foods sold in schools will have limited fat, calories, sugar and sodium Snack foods sold in schools will have to be less than 200 calories, have less than 35 percent saturated fat, zero grams of transfat and contain some sort of nutritional value instead of just empty calories, according to the guidelines.

They also have to be a “whole grain-rich” grain product or have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product, or a protein food.

It doesn't make sense to focus on healthy breakfast and lunches if you're going to give students junk food.

When junk food isn’t available, students will usually have healthy breakfast instead.

Most of us buy things that are in front of, so if we improve the variety of things in front of us it's easier to make healthier choices. The new standards, introduced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in June 2013, are meant to help tackle childhood obesity in the United States, which affects about 17 percent of children and adolescents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A separate set of rules already applies to lunch meals.

Remember if you are packing your grandchildren’s lunches please try to give them healthy choice of fruits, vegetables, fiber and protein.

ZOO PASSES GRG has two Brevard Zoo passes. Each pass is admission for two adults and four children.

The pass is available on a first come, first serve basis. Call 321631-7776 to reserve the use of the pass. You are required to come into the office to sign the pass out and return is within seven days (1 week).

CLOTHING EXCHANGE Are you interested in a children’s clothing exchange?

A number of grandparents have expressed an interest in exchanging good clean clothes that their children have outgrown.

We know that children’s clothing is very expensive. Exchanging clothes can be a way to save money.

If you would be interested in participating call 321-631-7776.

REFLECTION OF THE SUMMER GRG of Brevard Families had an awesome summer break this year! Thanks to our volunteers and generous donors we were able to provide recreational activities nearly every week of the summer.

We visited the Sherriff’s Dept.

Camp Chance with over 40 children and their families.

Great presentations by the Canine and Dive Teams – everyone was impressed.

The children attended a variety of Summer Camps thanks to Community Foundation for Brevard and Brevard County CBO. There were sport camps, zoo camp, horseback riding camp, and the county park and rec camps. Thank you to Camp Shiloh for once again for providing scholarships to many of our children.

Over 100 of our caregivers and children ended the summer with a blast at the GRG annual picnic, with bounce houses, waterslides and A Sporting Chance. Mary Ann was giving pitching lessons.

Thanks to Capt. Mark, a GRG grandfather and owner of Blue Dolphin Tours for the boat ride.

The children were able to see and learn about dolphins, manatees, waterfowl, and the environment.

We also distributed nearly 70 backpacks thanks to the Elks Club and the Brevard County CBO Grant.

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Issue 159 Raising Grandchildren Grandparents of Brevard County, FL, Inc. 123 Barton Blvd., Suite 102 Rockledge, FL 32955

GRG of Brevard NON-PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID MELBOURNE FL PERMIT NO. 495

HELP THE GRANDPARENTS AND CHILDREN OF GRG OF BREVARD BECOME A MEMBER AND/OR FRIEND Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard County FL, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.

All gifts are deductible on corporate, foundation and individual tax returns to the extent provided by state and federal laws.

Members of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard County, FL, Inc. receive our newsletter and invitations to events where they can meet others in similar situations Name

I am raising children who are not my own I am their: [ ] Grandparent [ ] Aunt / Uncle

Date:

[ ] Sister / Brother

Address:

[ ] Other (please specify) [ ] I am not in this situation but I want to join GRG of Brevard because I am interested in what you do.

City/State: Zip: Phone: Email: [ ] Annual Membership $20

[ ] Annual Corporate Membership $500

I want to be a friend of the GRG of Brevard and enclose an additional donation of: [ ] $25 [ ] $50 [ ] $75 [ ] $100 Other: $

Please make your check payable to: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard

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