House Parents Recognized for Nurturing Well-Being

The Florida Coalition for Children (FCC) recently recognized Enterprise house parents, Mike and Maritza Velez, with the Nurturing Well Being Award at FCC's Annual Conference. This award is granted to an individual, couple, team, or organization who is highly regarded by their peers and community for their extraordinary compassion in nurturing the well-being of those they serve. Mike and Maritza have served as dedicated house parents for more than twenty years. Mike and Maritza are known for their caring and gentle spirits, working with teenage girls teaching them important life skills in the pre-independent living cottage. After receiving the award Mike and Maritza were surprised by the girls in their care who through them a congratulations party (with a little help from other staff).

We recently had a visit from the Dion and Leena Hancock who serve as Local Church Representatives with Skycrest United Methodist Church in Clearwater. Dion and Leena, along with their family, brought a generous donation of household items and hygiene products collected by their church. Leena is following in the footsteps of her father, Ananda Selvaraj, as he served as a LCR with Grace United Methodist Church in Merritt Island more than twenty years ago. The family also took a tour of the Children's Home which included seeing our outdoor chapel area and butterfly garden. We are grateful for their visit and support of the ministry. If you or your church members are interested in a visit, please contact us.

Did You Know? In 2021, the Children's Home served 3,320 children, youth, and young adults through a variety of programs including: foster care, residential care, independent living, and early childhood education? Your donations and support matters!

We currently have the need for:

• AAA batteries
• Suitcases (new or gently used)
• Disposable razors (for girls)
• Cantu hair products

If your church is able to assist, please contact Volunteer Manager, Lynn Bellomy, via email at lynn.bellomy@fumch.org or call 386.668.4774 ext. 2321.

As the summer starts to wind down and the youth start to prepare for school, we share a few highlights from our Summer Fun Program:

• Youth received plenty of exercise with field games
• Youth and staff enjoyed a special visit by the Ice Cream Truck, thanks to our Recreation Department who modified one of our buses
• Teenagers learned valuable skills in our Carpentry Program

Florida United Methodist Children's Home| 386.668.4774| www.fumch.org
...empowering children and families to experience the transformative love of Christ
through (w)holistic care.