GRG OF BREVARD Issue #143 #141

GRG of Brevard

April 2013

GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN OF BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA INC. ISSUE # 143

Tuesday, April 9th

– Titusville Support Group Meeting

805 Century Medical Dr, Building B, Titusville. This group is partnered with Parrish Senior Solutions. 10:00 – 11:30 am

Thursday, April 11th

– Club Esteem Support Group Meeting

Libscomb Street Community Center 10:00 – 11:30 am.

Tuesday, April 16th

– Central Brevard Support Group

GRG of Brevard Office, 123 Barton Blvd., Rockledge 09:30 – 11:00 am

Thursday, April 18th

– South Brevard Support Group Meeting

Memaw’s Restaurant, 4916 Babcock Blvd, Palm Bay 6:00 – 7:30 pm

(Dinner is available at member's expense)

Please contact the office 321-631-7776 if you are interested in attending an evening meeting at the above location.

Thursday, April 25th

– Beach Side Support Group.

Memaw’s Restaurant, Indian Harbour Beach, 9:30 – 11:30 am (Breakfast is available at member's expense)

Thursday, April 26th

– Quarterly Board of Directors Meeting GRG of Brevard Office, 123 Barton Blvd., Rockledge 12:00 – 1:00 pm

This meeting is open to all GRG of Brevard members

WELCOME to the new

edition of our newsletter!

I hope that you find it to

be informative,

educational and

entertaining.

Mary Ann Sterling,

Executive Director

GRG of BREVARD

Office: 321.631.7776

Cell: 321.848.8006

123 Barton Blvd.

Rockledge FL 32955

www.grg-brevard.org

Page 1

April 2013 Meetings

GRG OF BREVARD SUBTITLE | Issue 143 2

E-Newsletter Help us Go Green and be environmentally responsible.

The newsletter can be delivered to you each month via email. This new capability could enable GRG to save up to $4,000 each year in paper and printing costs. If you would like to receive your newsletter via email, send your name, current mailing address and the email address where you would like to receive the newsletter to

grg.brevard@gmail.com

Otherwise you can access the electronic version of the newsletter and information on our organization at: www.grg-brevard.org

Just a Reminder We have moved our offices from the back of the building located at 123 Barton Blvd, Rockledge, FL to the center of the building. The entrance will now be the front door facing Barton Blvd.

Cyrah Livingston, a 3rd grader at Imagine Schools at West Melbourne has the answer to that question. Cyrah won a Red Ribbon and 2nd Place in her very first Science Fair experiment in the Botany Category for her efforts in finding the answer to that question.

Cyrah's hypothesis was that Golden Delicious apples have the most seeds. After conducting the experiment 3 times using 5 different types of apples her hypothesis was wrong. The conclusion of the experiment was that Granny Smith apples have the most seeds.

Congratulation Cyrah! Keep up the good work!

Summer Camp

DON’T KNOW WHERE

TO GO?

CALL THE WARM-LINE!

321.631.7776

DO DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPLES HAVE THE SAME

NUMBER OF SEEDS?

Get answers to questions on

custody, guardianship, adoption

issues, public benefits, legal

services, support with groups and

other community services. When

you call, be prepared to leave a

message and contact number.

SHINING STARS

If you have a great story or news about your grandchild please let us know; we would love to publish it in our newsletter.

Older children are welcome to submit stories, photos or poetry.

Please email grg.brevard@gmail.com

Autism April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day, and to celebrate, thousands of people are coming together to Light It Up Blue. Wear blue on April 2nd to show your support.

Autism is a complex brain disorder that inhibits person’s ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by behavioral challenges.

Facts about Autism

1 in 88 children is diagnosed with autism

1 in 54 boys is on the autism spectrum

There are 24,000 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. per year, average of 67 daily

More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes and cancer combined

Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/

We will have some assistance for summer camps so please let us know if you are making plans. First come first served. You must submit:

Name and location of the camp

Cost

Name and ages of children Contact the GRG office at

321.631.7776

EARTH DAY 2013

We're encouraging intergenerational families to get outside, be active, have fun and connect with nature..

Brevard Zoo Through the efforts of a great friend of GRG we have once again received six passes to the Brevard Zoo. The pass will get 2 adults and up to 4 grandchildren in free of charge.

If you are interested you must request the pass and have it back in an allowed amount of time, so that other grandparents can utilize this great gift. Please call the office at 321.631.7776 and leave your name and telephone number to acquire the pass.

GRG OF BREVARD SUBTITLE | Issue 143 3 #141

Legal Assistance GRG of Brevard requirements for legal assistance; individuals will sign a contract with the organization upon receiving legal assistance. This contract requires that the member stay in contact with GRG and let them know when they meet with the attorney, the issues discussed and the final outcome. Also if a change of address or telephone GRG must be notified.

In order to receive legal assistance the individual must be a member and have attended two support group meetings. If you work other criteria can be arranged.

Unfortunately, these conditions are not being met by the members receiving this service which has jeopardized the conditions of continued legal services. If you have received legal assistance please call and give the requested information to GRG as we have to keep records in order to receive future grants.

Smiles by Yasmena Have you ever seen a rainbow and wondered why it frowns, but if we look from above its smiles are raining down? It's not that hard to smile because there are so many things that do go right, and just like rainbows sometimes it looks like we might frown. But we have to look from up high to see how we can turn it around.

It takes fewer muscles to smile then it does to frown. Just look around and see how many smiles that can be found. I have to bit of a challenge for you. You're very bright, I'm sure. Look around and find your favorite reason to smile. Have your grandmother or grandfather take a picture of you and what makes you smile. Tell me what you think makes a rainbow smile.

I will go first, my ballet shoes make me smile.

Rainbows smile because they are a bridge to a child who needs a good smile. Like they say, monkey see monkey do.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month

During this month and throughout the year, GRG of Brevard is dedicated to supporting families and reducing the risk of child abuse and neglect.

By working together as a community, we all can play a part in promoting children's emotional well-being and strengthening families.

We would like to thank the following organizations for their contributions to GRG of Brevard!

And Special Thanks To: Memaw’s Restaurant & Club Esteem who provide meeting space for our monthly support meetings. Our community partners who work by side with us to create a better world for children and families.

Thanks too to our faithful volunteers and donors across the county.

Diligent Search and Inquiry We will be conducting a class on how to conduct a Diligent Search and Inquiry. Some of us are counseling with Culmer and Davidson and this is a necessary tool if we do not know where the parents of our grandchildren are. This will save us money if we do it on our own.

Lillian Hobson has given us a wonderful guideline to conducting this search. If you are interested in attending please contact 321-631-7776. A date for this training will be scheduled in the near future.

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Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

of Brevard County, FL, Inc.

123 Barton Blvd.

Rockledge, FL 32955

HELP THE GRANDPARENTS AND CHILDREN OF GRG OF BREVARD

BECOME A MEMBER AND/OR FRIEND Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard County FL, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.

All gifts are deductible on corporate, foundation and individual tax returns to the extent provided by state and federal laws.

Members of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard County, FL, Inc.

receive our newsletter and invitations to events where they can meet others in

similar situations

Name

Date:

Address:

City/State:

Zip:

Phone:

Email:

[ ] Annual Membership $20 [ ] Annual Corporate Membership $500

I want to be a friend of the GRG of Brevard and enclose an additional donation of: [ ] $25 [ ] $50 [ ] $75 [ ] $100 Other: $

I am raising children who are not my own I am their:

[ ] Grandparent

[ ] Aunt / Uncle

[ ] Sister / Brother

[ ] Other (please specify)

[ ] I am not in this situation but I want to join GRG of Brevard because I am interested in what you do.

Please make your check payable to: Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

of Brevard

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