Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Brevard

Support Group Meetings for July 2012

Please note meeting location changes for this month only!

Tuesday, July 10

th – Titusville Support Group Meeting

805 Century Medical Dr, Building B, Titusville. This group is partnered with

Parrish Senior Solutions. 10:00 – 11:30 am

Titusville members- our last meeting no one showed up, if you are interested in

continuing this group please contact us.. Call 321-631-7776 or 32-.848-8006

Thursday, July 12th – Club Esteem Support Group Meeting

10:00 am. - This month’s support meeting will be held at PUMP IT UP located

at 4195 W. New Haven Ave (192), West Melbourne, FL (next to Sam’s Club).

Entrance for children will be covered by GRG, adults are free.

Tuesday, July 17th – Central Brevard Support Group

10:00 am - This month’s meeting will be at The Dinosaur Store located on East

520 Cswy, just west of A1A. Entrance for the children will be covered by GRG,

adults are free.

Thursday, July 26th – Beach Side Support Group.

10:30 am – This month’s meeting will be held at Brunswick Lane Bowling

Alley located at 1099 Wickham Rd., Melbourne, FL (near intersection of Sarno

Rd. and Wickham across from Wal-Mart’s). Children will bowl and be treated to

a hot dog. Entrance for the children will be covered by GRG.

South Brevard Support Group Meeting

This support group is suspended at this time until further interest. Please contact

the office for more info.

A NEWSLETTER FOR GRANDPARENTS AND OTHER RELATIVES IN A PARENTING ROLE.

DON’T KNOW WHERE TO GO?

CALL THE WARM-LINE!

321.631.7776

ISSUE #134

123 Barton Blvd.

Rockledge, FL 32955

321.631.7776 office • 321.848.8006 cell

www.grg-brevard.org

GRG OF BREVARD

JULY 2012

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

Happy 4th

of July!

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.

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

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters

compared to what lies within us." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

SUMMER FOOD PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN

Family budgets are pretty tight these days. When the school year ends,

so do free meals for the children who depend on them most. There are

resources available to help families make ends meet in these tough

times. There are approximately 21 Summer BreakSpot sites around

Brevard County that provide free meals and snacks to low-income

children through age 18 when school is out for summer vacation.

To find the Summer BreakSpot sites nearest you, call the Florida

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services toll-free at 1-800-

504-6609 or visit www.SummerFoodFlorida.org.

And A Special Thanks To: Memaw’s Restaurants, Parrish

Senior Center and 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.

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK

THE FOLLOWING

ORGANIZATIONS FOR THEIR

CONTRIBUTION TO

GRG OF BREVARD!

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.

ISSUE #132 JULY 2012

PAGE 2

THE CHILD FIRST PROGRAM

LEGAL ASSISTANCE There will be new 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. Unfortunately, these conditions are not being met by

the members receiving this service which has jeopardized the

conditions of continued legal services.

In the future 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.

Due to the high demand for legal assistance our funds are very low at

this time. When we receive more funding you will be notified.

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.

You can apply for Social Security or SSI payments for your grandchild by calling

Social Security toll-free at 1-800-772-1213 or by visiting your local Social

Security Office. If you are applying for SSI payments for your grandchild you

should have his or her Social Security number and birth certificate with you when

you apply.

Taken from Social Security brochure entitled, “Benefits for Children with

Disabilities.” www.socialsecurity.gov

SOCIAL SECURITY INFORMATION

TELL US ABOUT YOUR

GRANDCHILDREN

If your grandchild has had a special event

or done something you would like to

share please write an article. Send a

picture along with the article as

grandchildren like seeing themselves in

print. Email: grg.brevard@gmail.com

A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE

WELLS FARGO BANK We have received a $1,000 grant from the

Wells Fargo Bank. We wish to express our heartfelt thanks

for such generosity.

HELPING HAND RESOURCES We have infant/toddler supplies available.

These items were made possible by our

grant from the Brevard County CBO. All

supplies are new. Please take advantage

of these wonderful items. Call the office

for more information 321.631.7776.

UPCOMING GRG of Brevard EVENTS

***Annual Children’s Summer Picnic – July 7th

, 12noon – 4:00pm at Kiwanis Park, 520 Cswy Merritt Island

(1/2 mile east of Merritt Square Mall) Please RSVP at 321-631-7776 or grg.brevard@gmail.com – please let us know

how many children will be attending and their ages. Hamburgers, hotdogs and drinks will be provided, please bring a

covered dish to share. Bring a towel, bathing suit and sunscreen for the waterslide.

***GRG of Brevard Open House – Saturday, September 8th

2012 (More to come next month)

INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING WITH GRG OF BREVARD? CONTACT MARY ANN STERLING AT 321-631-7776 OR EMAIL: GRG.BREVARD@GMAIL.COM VOLUNTEER TRAINING COURSE WILL BE HELD IN AUGUST - AFTER THE CHILDREN RETURN TO SCHOOL

QUARTERLY MEETING GRG BOARD OF DIRECTORS

YOU ARE INVITED! This meeting will be held on August 3, 2012, at 10:00 AM at the Rockledge City

Hall, 1600 Huntington Lane, Rockledge, FL (located at the corner of Barton Blvd.

and Huntington Lane not far from our office).

The Board of Directors will be present and all members are invited to attend.

ISSUE #134 JULY 2012

PAGE 3

This Month’s Shining Star:

Ralph and Jane McDuffie of

Rockledge adopted their great-

grandson, Jesse, on Tuesday, June 5,

2012. Here is the happy family with

Judge Turner who presided at the

proceedings. Jesse has been a part of

Ralph and Jane's home since the day he

was born eight years ago. The adoption

rounds out a happy story of eight years!

REALITY CHECK PROGRAM Opening a person’s eyes to the consequences of bad choices is the first step in

helping your loved one. The Reality Check Program helps Juveniles see where

they are headed if they keep making bad choices. Understanding what the prison

system is REALLY like opens eyes. It’s about choices and making good

decisions.

If you have a child between 11 and 18 that needs guidance with their behavior this

is a wonderful program. July 19th. 1–3 PM, Hampton Inn – 130 Sherriff Dr., Viera

(Back of Bob Evans’s Restaurant at the corner of Wickham Rd. and I-95)

Call 321-631-7776 or 321-848-8006 for sign up.

Once again the River Cruise will be

provided at the Annual Children’s

Summer Picnic

Thanks Capt. Mark &

1st Mate Michelle!

Please make your check payable to:

Grandparents Raising

Grandchildren of Brevard

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: $

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren

of Brevard County, FL, Inc.

123 Barton Blvd.

Rockledge, FL 32955

ADDRESS LABEL

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.

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.

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