December 2015 Ounce Newsletter

Winter

2015

Chris Evert Charities Annual Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic and Black Tie Gala

Chris Evert Charities hosted the Annual Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic and Black Tie Gala, which raised another $600,000 for programs that serve Florida's most vulnerable children and families. Every dollar raised during this weekend event is matched by the State of Florida through the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida, bringing the total contributed since 1989 to over $18 million.

The Ounce of Prevention Fund combines public and private funding to invest in a variety of innovative prevention programs that provide measurable benefits for children, families and communities throughout Florida. Many of Florida's children and families now have a brighter future thanks to the ongoing efforts of Chris Evert Charities and the Ounce of Prevention Fund.

To find out more about the Chris Evert Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic and Black Tie Gala, visit www.chrisevert.org

Vitas Gerulaitis Memorial Scholarship Awarded to Orlando Parramore Kidz Zone Graduate!

Chris Evert, Asha Davis

Asha Davis of Winter Garden, Florida, was recently awarded a Vitas Gerulaitis Memorial Scholarship from Chris Evert and the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida. The Vitas Gerulaitis Memorial Scholarships are awarded each year to women who have participated in social service programs offered by the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida. This scholarship program has empowered dozens of women to improve their lives, and the lives of their children, by allowing them to pursue their educational goals.

Raised by a single mom until she was 14, Asha witnessed firsthand how difficult it is for a young woman to raise a family on her own. When her mom eventually married, Asha was happy for her, though she knew living with her stepfather would be a big adjustment. In 2012, at the age of 18, she moved to Orlando to attend Valencia College. She didn't have a place to live so she moved from house to house, sleeping on the couches of friends and relatives in the Orlando area.

Asha became an intern at Harvest Baptist Church and her hard work soon landed her a job with the City of Orlando Parramore Kidz Zone. There she participated in their youth development and career exploration components. However, Asha was still homeless. She started suffering from depression and struggled to figure out what she wanted to do with her life.

In September 2014, she found out she was pregnant and feared her dreams of an education and a better life were over. Her supervisor encouraged her to enroll in the Parramore Baby Institute program. She began in January of this year and had perfect attendance during the 9-week, 54-hour course. Parramore Baby Institute helps participants build knowledge and skills that result in better parenting and improved parent/child interaction which contributes to better school outcomes for their children. The guidance she received from her instructors and the encouragement of other moms in the program helped Asha realize that she wanted to pursue a career path that would enable her to help others. Now, thanks to her scholarship, she can pursue her goals.

Asha finished her associate degree at Valencia this month and transfers to the University of Central Florida in January where she will study sociology. She hopes to eventually become a social worker so she can build a better life for herself and her 6-month-old son Jerad while also helping others in her community.

Doug Sessions Celebrates 20 Years with the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida!

Doug Sessions

Congratulations to Doug Sessions as he celebrates 20 years with the Ounce of Prevention! Under his guidance, the organization has grown to become a critical provider of innovative social service programming in Florida. His tenure at the Ounce of Prevention follows a lifetime of career successes in both the public and private sectors. Doug also currently serves as vice chair of the Florida Afterschool Network's board of directors and is an active member and leader at St. John's Episcopal Church in Tallahassee.

Thank you, Doug, for your commitment and dedication to Florida's children and families!

Prevent Child Abuse Florida

Chris Lolley

As many of you probably know, this quarter saw the loss of a tremendous asset for the Ounce and Prevent Child Abuse Florida. Ms. Anita Odom, former Director of PCA Florida, resigned her position effective September 11. Those of you who had the pleasure of knowing and working with Anita will join with me in bidding her a fond farewell and in thanking her for her ELEVEN years of dedicated service to the children and families of our state. That's the bad news. The good news is we will continue to benefit from her knowledge and expertise as she now works with all state chapters of PCA in her new role as Senior Director of Chapter Services for Prevent Child Abuse America.

It is my pleasure now to step into the giant shoes of a lady who dedicated so many years to working to prevent abuse and neglect in our state. I do so humbly and with tremendous gratitude for the opportunity. I look forward to working with all of you toward our continued success and long-term goals.

I come to this position from our local community-based care agency where I served in a variety of positions, most notably as a trainer, project manager, and, most recently, as the foster parent liaison for the Tallahassee area. Some of you may also remember I was the training manager for Healthy Families Florida a few years ago, so returning to the Ounce of Prevention was an easy decision to make. I have been privileged to work in the field of child protection for more than 25 years, serving first on the "front line" as a child protective investigator, Abuse Hotline counselor, foster parent recruiter, trainer and licensing counselor. I am also proud to have worked in the DCF headquarters office as an adoption specialist, statewide foster home licensing specialist, and the prevention specialist for the state. On a personal note, I have been married to the same beautiful woman for more than 25 years. We have one son who is currently attending college and becoming a very good man. It is indeed my honor to be here. I look forward to working together with all of you to put our children first and stop the vicious cycle of abuse and neglect.

Innovative Initiatives

The Ounce of Prevention Fund is proud to partner with the Florida Department of Health to implement the Healthiest Weight Florida initiative which helps Floridians make informed choices about healthy eating and active living.

To order Healthiest Weight Florida educational materials, visit: http://www.ounce.org/HWF_order.html