Community Christmas: Families Strengthening Families

Community Christmas 2011

 "Every good and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights."James 1:17

Have you ever experienced a time where the love of God is displayed, gifts are wrapped, where the life changing power of Jesus Christ is shared, and a festive dinner with Christmas music is enjoyed with old and new friends?  It is an atmosphere filled with God’s love that is given and received from person to person.  That’s what we call a Community Christmas!

 

Families like Paulina Louis are served.  Here is a portion of her story: “When I was having a hard time, Frontline jumped in like a true family with role models and male figures that really helped my son and daughter.  In the heart of Orlando, one-parent families often live on the edge of survival. Not long ago, I was hard pressed as I held down two jobs. My son struggled academically and The Frontline team reached out and provided him with Early Childhood Education classes and enrolled him in the After School Program.  Today, Brandon’s name sparkles as a high school student.  My daughter Denise is involved in the weekly Read and Succeed Program.  Thanks to the Frontline team for linking arms with me,” said Paulina.

 

This year the the Robinson Bush Team, Love Orlando and the Bob and Cheri Vander Weide Foundation is enabling us to serve more families effectively. Robinson Bush is providing logistical support to organize Community Christmas. Love Orlando has provided matching funds to the Circle of Friends at Frontline to  increase support the families throughout the year. Gifts made to directly support families are being matched.  The Vander Weides' support helps fund some of the expenses for Community Christmas.

Here is the process to become engaged with Community Christmas:

•    The Frontline team selects the families from the one's served during the year.

•     The families' list the ages, clothes sizes for their children, and other gift requests

•     Your family chooses a family from the pool of those selected and you buy the gifts based upon the need expressed and your budget at www.communitychristmas.eventbrite.com

•     The day before Community Christmas you drop off your gift at Frontline to be catalogued

•     On the day of Community Christmas (12/10/11) your family arrives at 10 am  or noon to wrap the gifts and have lunch you bought for the Special Guest family

•     During the program you will have lunch with the family to hear about the life changing power of Jesus Christ

•    You are encouraged to get their prayer requests, pray for them throughout the year and engage in opportunities to mentor their children and encourage the family as they equip themselves at Frontline through the Parent 2 Parent sessions.

Thank you for sharing the Love of Christ and helping us to equip families with a vision for success and service! All past Sponsoring Families will receive a courtesy call from the Robinson Bush team to determine your commitment this year soon. If you are a new Sponsor please register at www.communitychristmas.eventbrite.com. email giving@fl-o.org or call the Frontline team at 407-293-3000 extension 122.  Blessings!

You can make a year end gift also www.flcof.eventbrite.com or www.fl-o.org

FALL FLO

Read and Succeed 

Read and Succeed celebrates 12 years of helping urban children become academically competitive. It is one of Frontline's highlighted ministries that is focused on reading and mentoring. The budget for 2011-12 enables the Frontline with key volunteers to serve 50 students per session. As we prepare for our first session to begin on October 11th we still have 15 spots open for new servant leaders (volunteers) to make a total of 50. This ministry meets once a week on Tuesday nights from 6:00pm to 7:00pm. The goal is to have each student connected with a servant leader so that they can read at or above grade level and grow through a one on one mentor relationship. Servant leaders who are already registered please be sure to attend the orientation on October 11th at 6:00pm to find out what student you will be working with and what our theme will be for the first session. Kids like Jerran and Mike have participated over the last seven years with the same mentors. Read and Succeed is a life changing process for both the kids and mentors.

The After School Experience

After School Experience's goal is to ensure every student is competent at grade level and prepared for success in middle and high school. The elementary students are local people in the 32805 area and attend 4 schools in the area. The students are picked up from schools in the area and brought to Frontline where they receive snack, participate in a daily devotion, and work on homework. Servant Leaders assist as tutors from 3:30pm to 5:30pm to help each student with their homework. We are currently in need of 5 Thursday volunteers, but the FLO team is accepting more names as we build the student base to 51 students. Also, subject matter volunteers in science, music, math and finance, art, and public speaking can sign up to serve once a week or twice a month. Please email the FLO team at volunteering@fl-o.org.

Helping Kids Lead: The Circle of Friends

The Circle of Friends is simply the group that enables children at Frontline to become leaders. They are volunteers who mentor students in Read and Succeed, coaches of the basketball teams, and donors who sponsor students. “Our goal is that every student who needs a sponsor and mentor has one”. In order for young people to fully reach their God-given potential they need to be able to engage and be served in this ministry regardless of their parents’ ability to pay and they need people to help them to grow (mentors).

Frontline's leadership, the Executive Board members and team are all members of the Circle of Friends where they sponsor students and or mentor them, we are making a commitment to help urban youth connect to God's purpose for their lives and become leaders. We invite each of you who love children to help sponsor a young person so that they will discover their purpose and live with passion as leaders.

Most of the children in Read and Succeed are reading on grade level. Eighty percent of our high school leaders graduate and go to higher education; there are 20 in college this year. We know our model of developing young people in the context of relationships rather than programs works. Ask Dawit, Shava, or Davarius young people who are high achievers that started at Frontline in preschool and after school and had mentors. Please join us in supporting young people at Frontline Outreach where our team is," Preparing tomorrow's leaders with a vision of success and service.

Register to be a Circle of Friends sponsor today at: http://flocof.eventbrite.com

MSI Golf Outing for Children

The 27th Annual MSI Golf Outing will be held on Friday, October 21, 2011 at 7:45 am. Join Frontline's Board Chair Bill Dillard and the MSI team as they celebrate the children in serving children and raise support at the MSI Golf Outing at: http://golf.msifla.com/. In almost 30 years MSI team, friends and supporters have invested over $500,000 support for children. Foursomes and sponsorships are still available the goal is to have at least 200 holders and raise $100,000 in direct support for children. Please consider golfing or supporting.

Community Christmas       

In these challenging times support for families who struggle economically is needed now more than ever. On Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 10:30 am till 1:00 pm the 14th Community Christmas on Frontline Outreach campus. Community Christmas is the Frontline teams's biggest outreach event of the year where we get the opportunity to bless 50 families and share the love of Jesus with them. The Resource Team leading the effort this year is the Robinson Bush Company. Sponsors are needed to adopt families and volunteer for the event are needed please email Volunteer@fl-o.org to learn how to become a sponsor or to serve.

For a continuous update on what Frontline Outreach is doing please like us on Facebook by clicking on the following link: FLO Facebook. Or connect with us on Twitter at FrontlineO and view our videos on YouTube. If you have any questions or comments regarding any of our events or service opportunities please contact Ashley Caycedo via email at Volunteer@fl-o.org or via phone at (407) 293-3000 Ext. 122.

Frontline Equipping God's Children

Frontline Outreach: Equipping God's Greatest Gifts—Children

We worry about what a child will be tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. Stacia Taucher

Five year old Shamile and her two year old brother were being raised alone by their mother, a native of Haiti in the shadows of the Citrus Bowl just outside of downtown Orlando. A smart girl with great dreams she wondered if she would ever accomplish them. Living on the edge of survival with a mother working multiple jobs in a community where less than 50% of the people graduate from the local high school her vision seemed more like an impossible fairy tale than an attainable dream.

Today, she is an alumnus of Jones High, a National Achievement Scholar and second year full scholarship student at the University of Florida. Her days in Nichols Apartments and Washington Shores Elementary seem like a distant memory.

How did she escape teen pregnancy, high school drop out, low achievement, and lack of drive? First, she would tell you by God's grace. Then she'd say, the hard work of her Mom and the ministry of Frontline Outreach (www.fl-o.org)

What is Frontline Outreach?

Can you imagine a place where an urban child can connect to God's purpose for their lives as early as age one? Where these same children will be engaged in relationships that will enable them to enter kindergarten ready to read, write and learn while they in grade school. A place where children who are being raised alone by mothers and grandparents learn the truth of Jeremiah 29:11 which says For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”  Where young people can learn to serve and become leaders in middle and high school in their community and prepare for life after high school.  That is Frontline Outreach, a five-decade-old parachurch community education ministry that has preschool, after school, leadership ministries on a campus with a 42,000 square foot complex with a pool serving close to 500 young people annually.

Founded by C.R. And Estelle Smith in 1967, Frontline for five decades has been Orlando's leading community education ministry where people like Orange County Sherriff Jerry Demings were equipped with God's purpose and encourage to lead. The mission is preparing tomorrow's leaders with a vision for success and service.

What is the Frontline Advantage?

As the Chief Servant (Arto Woodley www.box.net/awjr) at Frontline I am best able to answer that question. There are many ministries and programs for young people. Frontline has served for five decades in the inner city. Our ministries comprehensively develop young people from ages 1-18 in preschool, after school and leadership ministries. Kids don't want programs but rather relationships. Frontline's dedicated Board and team recognize if young people connect to God's purpose and continually equipped and encouraged like Shamile nothing will hinder their destiny. Finally, we are unique in the emphasis on developing leaders rather than chasing problems after young people engage in destructive behaviors. Leaders like Dawit, a sophomore at the First Academy, who started at Frontline as a toddler will be world changers because they are know the character traits of leadership, serve and know God's purpose of their lives.

All of the young people the Frontline team serves are not at risk kids raised in single parent homes in a poor neighborhoods with struggling schools. They are God's greatest gifts created with purpose and destiny. According to Ephesians 2:10, they are His workmanship, a veritable work of art for His glory.

How can you become a part of this ministry movement? First we need as many active prayer partners praying for our team, children, and those serving at Frontline. It takes over 300 people serving (volunteers, email volunteering@fl-o.org) every year to accomplish our service goals. We need people willing to connect personally and share God's love with children. Close to 500 young people are served every year at Frontline almost half need sponsors and mentors to engage directly with them (learn more at http://flcof.eventbrite.com). To learn more about Frontline in person you can attend one of our fall events as my guest by call me directly at (407) 293-3000 extension 111.

Thank in advance for your prayers and consideration of God's greatest gifts -- children. Blessings!

Why Preschool Education is so Important for Urban Children

President Obama wants to make preschool available to every child in
the United States. In Europe, universal preschool is a pillar of
society, allowing women to work and kids to be socialized. In France,
children start school at age 3. - More at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128328858&f=3&sc=17

At Frontline Outreach the team is endeavoring to create a model of early childhood education that is world class and prepares urban young people to enter school ready to read, write and learn. Equity starts with helping them discover God's purpose for their lives and giving them an early start to their education. This is where the battle is won and lost.

Leadership Lessons of Michael Lewis, Sr. V.P Progress Energy, Florida

How often do two young urban leaders get a private lunch with a high ranking corporate executive? It is rare. Today Shawn Collins and Tylore Mays two members of the 2010 Leadership Council the governing body of the Leadership Academy did. They traveled to St. Petersburg to meet with Mr. Michael A. Lewis, Senior Vice President of Progress Energy to glean wisdom to prepare for their purpose and futures careers.

They were initially introduced to Mr. Lewis at the American Association of Blacks in Energy’s 2009 Youth Summit in Orlando organized by Progress Energy’s Melvin Philpot, Mikle Gordon and Malcolm Barnes. This opened the door for these young men to connect further Mr. Lewis one of Florida’s key energy executives.

Sitting with the one-time youngest district manager at the age of 27 and the second in command for Progress Energy in Florida was a rare treat for Shawn 17 and Tylore 16. Both agreed that their experience was transformational and will mark the rest of their lives as men and leaders.

Shawn: Wow, this experience was simply incredible! I had the opportunity to sit down and have a life changing conversation with Michael Lewis, Senior Vice- President of Progress Energy. Most people do not get an opportunity like this. Mr. Lewis spoke to my life in a way that helped confirm my future/purpose and my journey in achieving it. He shared the secrets and fundamentals behind integrity and leadership. I am looking forward to more experiences like this one and will use what I have learned to help better others in the future.

Tylore: Integrity and the self worth to challenge yourself to follow. Determination is the focus you put forth for your goal. Preparedness is the ability to be ready two steps beforehand. I learned these lessons in the meeting with Mr. Lewis. This experience was a blessing. It reiterated and taught me aspects of the importance of the process of becoming a successful leader.

The Executive Board and leadership at Frontline Outreach (See how kids become leaders at Frontline ) are extremely grateful to Mr. Lewis and Progress Energy for assisting in the developing of the next generation of urban leaders at Frontline Outreach. The Leadership Academy is a premier initiative in preparing young people in high school for leadership, service, and workplace readiness through job shadowing. See where the Academy’s student leaders job shadowed in the last year: Leadership Academy Job Shadowing .

To learn more, get involved, or give go http://www.fl-.o.org/ , email giving@fl-o.org or call (407) 293-3000 extension 122.

2010 Leadership Summit @ FLO

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/os-juneteenth-youth-leadership-20100617,0,6306580.story

Thank you to BOA, Mechanical Services, Florida Hospital, FAMU Law, Chatlos Foundation, State Farm, Urban Trust Bank, OUC, Orlando Food Partners for their support.

Thank-a-Thon Survey

Thank You! The Frontline team is indebted to you and your family for enabling us to continue to equip the next generation of urban leaders starting at preschool. In 2009 over 500 young people were served at Frontline Outreach with 80% of the students in Read and Succeed improving their reading by one grade level and 75% of the high school students in the Leadership Academy successfully completing job shadowing at places like Barton Marlow Construction and Florida Hospital.

This is strong evidence that your investments are crucial to young leaders like Marjorie Felix, a leadership alumnus, who received a full scholarship via Frontline and is graduating from the University of South Florida in May. She and many others from urban Orlando depend on you to help them develop their God given purpose and become leaders.

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