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    Be Connected with Annie Ifill

    The Glades is Getting its Green On!

    Antoinita (Annie) Ifill, Project Director for Healthier Glades, and a team of community leaders organized the first-ever resident-led Get Your Green On in the western communities. By engaging people who live and work in the Glades and conducting resident surveys, Annie and her team from BRIDGES, the Federation of Families and PBC Youth Services created activities for the community to heal while recognizing the qualities that make the Glades a special place, including:

    ·        “Soil to Soul,” a program connecting nature with nurturing for youth who plant seeds in self-decorated pots and talk monthly about their growing experiences.  

    ·        Movie night featuring Disney’s Soul, the first Pixar film to feature an African American protagonist.

    ·        A four-part mental health learning series on Facebook Live with topics chosen by the community covering stress and anxiety, grief and loss, trauma and depression.

    ·        Mental Health First Aid trainings for youth and adults.

    ·        An online screening of the documentary The Mask You Live In with a panel discussion to follow. (See more about this event and register below!)

    “Being part of the GYGO countywide committee helped us create our own events close to home that were driven by the ideas and needs of Glades residents,” said Annie.

    Annie’s Mental Health Tips for Right Now

    1.      Have patience. Others may not be in the same place as you for returning to “normalcy.”

    2.      Go slow. Take your time reconnecting with people in small groups, safely.  

    3.      Count your blessings. Recognize COVID’s losses but appreciate life’s good things to heal.

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    Tech Savvy Wellness Solutions for Seniors

    The goal of the program is to implement a practical model that addresses isolation and loneliness among senior residents. This grant will provide assistive technology-based interventions and training to seniors to improve communication and social connections with their families and the community.

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    I See You

    *In Memoriam, Carlos Edwards: January 15, 1982 – March 2, 2024.*
    The project will provide education on trauma and how it affects the lives of African Americans. This project will serve as a way to provide a safe outlet where men can come together and feel safe sharing with each other and learning new ways to deal with emotion, trauma and other internal issues that are taboo to the African American community.

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    Sharing Survival Stories Saturday

    “Sharing Survival Stories Saturday” will target families living in homelessness. There are three components to the program: 1) prevention/diversion 2) shelter and 3) stabilization. Eight times within twelve months, Family Promise will host a speaker, a single mother who has survived the challenges of being homeless. The outcome will be that mothers in the program will gain strength and motivation.

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    In The Garden with Tabernacle

    The garden is a raised bed and container community garden organized, planted, and harvested by the community and distributed freely to the homeless and residents living in the food desert which encompasses the historical Northwest Neighborhood. The garden produces fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers for the benefit of residents in order to provide food security, nutrition education, and mental health respite.

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    “Sister to Sister” Project

    The project advances the behavioral health and wellness of 50 black and brown women who are first-time college students.
    Motivational speakers engage students in a series of health education topics through collaborative activities, video tutorials, and mental health counseling. Life skills sessions are conducted by the Student Counseling Center and Academic/Student Services Advisors, empowering participants and impacting the community.

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    Celebrating Diversity

    Palm Beach County youth ( ages18-25), impacted by homelessness, will come together to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion through artistic expression. This project will nurture wellness via youth showcasing, facilitating, and promoting diversity aimed to unite, bring awareness, and educate the community. Youth will work on projects throughout the year leading to a month-long celebration in June 2021 (Pride month, Juneteenth celebration, and a multicultural performance and art showcase).

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    Obstacle Course That Leads to Serenity

    School staff and students will design and create an obstacle course leading to a serenity garden to promote healthy habits. Everyone will track his/her fitness progress at home/school and earn participation in quarterly competitions. This project will provide opportunities for collaboration, problem-solving, creativity, and reflection with the ambition to improve attendance, perseverance, self-esteem, physical fitness, and mental health while strengthening the school community.

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    Prepare Our Youth for Tomorrow

    A project designed to empower and instill confidence in teens and youth of color who come from under-served, low socioeconomic backgrounds and zip codes. The curriculum for this program will center around preparing our youth to thrive as they encounter adult responsibilities and will include resume writing, interview skills and preparation, leadership skill development, financial literacy, and internship/apprenticeship opportunities.

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    Healing the Healers

    When the Center for Child Counseling (CFCC) first envisioned their “Healing the Healers” workshop to support front-line mental health and medical workers in June 2020, little did they know how significant their training would become for a post COVID-19 world.