An Ounce of News

2019 Chris Evert Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic and Black Tie Gala

Chris Evert Charities will host the 30th Annual Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic and Black Tie Gala on November 22-24. The event raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for programs that serve Florida’s most vulnerable children and families. Every dollar raised during this weekend is joined with public dollars through the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida, bringing the total contributed since 1989 to over $20 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 2019 Chris Evert Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic and Black Tie Gala, visit www.chrisevert.org .

Governor Ron DeSantis Recognizes April as
Child Abuse Prevention Month

Cap Month Kick off

Governor DeSantis proclaimed April as Child Abuse Prevention Month to remind Floridians of the importance of preventing child abuse and neglect and in recognition of the annual Pinwheels for Prevention campaign. The annual campaign promotes happy, safe and healthy childhoods for all of Florida’s children.

Department of Children and Families Secretary Chad Poppell said, “We care deeply about the health and well-being of our children and are excited to have the First Lady serve as the voice for all children in Florida. Connecting families with the resources they need and working together to create strong communities that support families are keys to helping children thrive. Everyone can do something to help prevent abuse – adopt, foster, mentor, support, donate. Even the smallest actions can make a big impact in the life of a child.”

Pinwheels for Prevention is part of a national movement to change the way people think about prevention. Florida’s campaign emphasizes the importance of learning about healthy child development, reinforcing positive parenting practices and taking action on behalf of the children and families in our communities. The blue and silver pinwheels represent the safe, happy and healthy childhoods we want for all children. The campaign is sponsored by the Florida Department of Children and Families in partnership with the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida, Prevent Child Abuse Florida and numerous partners throughout the state.

For more information about Florida’s Pinwheels for Prevention campaign, visit www.PreventChildAbuseFL.org.

Prevent Child Abuse Florida logo

Healthy Families Florida Host Workshop at Kiwanis Internation Convention

In June, Doug Sessions and Jennifer Ohlsen presented a workshop at the 2019 Kiwanis International Convention in Lake Buena Vista. Thousands of Kiwanis members from around the world attended the conference. In the workshop, Sessions emphasized the importance of prevention activities and highlighted Healthy Families as a nationally-accredited program that is proven to prevent abuse and neglect.

Kiwanis empowers communities to improve the world by making lasting differences in the lives of children. Florida Kiwanis clubs have partnered with Healthy Families Florida for over 15 years on projects that are highly impactful to families in their communities. Past projects include Hurricane Michael recovery kits, Zika prevention kits, donations of portable cribs and safe sleep supplies, and diaper drives. Contributions from Kiwanis clubs have taken stress off families and helped them provide healthy and safe environments for their children.

To learn more about how Kiwanis supports Healthy Families, visit www.HealthyFamiliesFla.org/Kiwanis.html.

children spell out READ stock photo

The Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida is proud to partner with the Florida Department of Health to promote Reach Out and Read through the distribution of age appropriate, children's health related books. Reach Out and Read gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together.

Doctors, nurse practitioners, and other medical professionals incorporate Reach Out and Read's evidence-based, three-part model into regular pediatric checkups:

Trained doctors and nurses speak with parents about the importance of reading aloud, starting in infancy.
At each regular checkup from 6 months through 5 years of age, the child receives a new book to take home.
Many Reach Out and Read program sites create literacy-rich environments that include gently-used books for waiting room use and/or volunteer readers to model for parents the techniques of reading aloud to young children.

As a result of this intervention at the doctor's office, parents become more engaged and read to their children more often at home. Research shows that children served by Reach Out and Read score three to six months ahead of their non-Reach Out and Read peers on vocabulary tests. These early language skills help children succeed when they enter school.

The program serves nearly 4.5 million children and their families across the nation, with a special emphasis on serving those in low-income communities. In June 2014, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared literacy promotion to be an "essential component of pediatric care" for all children, referencing Reach Out and Read as an effective intervention to engage parents and prepare children to achieve their potential in school and beyond.

AmazonSmile is a website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices, and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com. The difference is that when customers shop on AmazonSmile smile.amazon.com, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the Ounce of Prevention Fund of Florida. Thank you for helping to make a difference in the lives of Florida's children and families. Amazon Smiles Logo