Mid-Florida
Get Involved
There are so many exciting opportunities to make a difference in the life of a child! We'd love for you to join us in "Embracing Children. Inspiring Lives."
Auxiliary
Join the Auxiliary!
Are you interested in being a part of Children's Home Society of Florida’s events? Many of these events greatly rely on the support and help of our Gainesville Auxiliary. The auxiliary is a group of dynamic women volunteers passionate about our mission, vision and values who provide exciting ideas to benefit the children in our community at risk for abuse and neglect.
The Gainesville Auxiliary focuses on fundraising and community education for Children's Home Society of Florida, our programs and our services. The women coordinate and manage the Family Visitation Center Holiday Party, Inspiring Lives Fashion Show and Puttin’ on the Ritz.
Contact:
Board of Directors
Children's Home Society of Florida's Mid-Florida Division Board of the Directors supports Children's Home Society of Florida through fundraising, political advocacy and community development.
2011-2012 Mid-Florida Board of Directors
Dan Kuhn, Chair
Aaron Bosshardt, Vice Chair
Franklin Lentz, Jr.
Alan Chatman
Representative Charles Chestnut
John Donahue
Mayor Kent Guinn
Mailande "Becker" Holland
Michele Kavanagh
Sally Lazo
Truitt Oliver
Carl Walls
Dana Parker
Kelly Hamer
Missie Schneider
Susan Parrish
Rev. Karl Anderson
Contact:
The Mid-Florida Division Board of Directors is currently looking for board members from any of the 18 counties that we serve. If you live in Madison, Taylor, Hamilton, LaFayette, Suwannee, Dixie, Columbia, Baker, Union, Bradford, Gilcrist, Alachua, Levy, Marion, Lake, Citrus, Sumter, or Hernando County and are interested in serving on our Board of Directors, Please contact Jennifer Anchors at (352) 334-0955 or Truitt Oliver at(352) 376-3780.
Internships
Our “Embracing Children. Inspiring Lives.” Internship Program offers hands-on learning and experience in a variety of settings. We have internship opportunities in programs dedicated to breaking the generational cycle of abuse and neglect for increasing numbers of children.
The following is a list of possible internships:
- Family Visitation Center (Help to monitor and document family visits for children in foster care.)
- Family Treasures Thrift Store (Assist with marketing projects, providing clients with needed items and retail support. )
- Development (Support our team with media, events, donor cultivation and volunteer coordination.)
- Adoptions* (Help children find their forever families.)
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Dependency* (Assist case managers in helping abused and neglected children.)
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Healthy Families* (Provide families with information, guidance, emotional and practical support.)
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Family Partners Program* (Help provide counseling, parent education and support services to at-risk families.)
* Master-level internships also available for these programs.
Though our internships are not paid, you’ll benefit from working closely with seasoned professionals dedicated to serving children and families in our community. As you apply your knowledge in the workplace, you’ll see firsthand how your contributions and expertise can change lives.
Qualifications
You must be enrolled as a college or university student at the time of your internship in order to receive college credit for the internship.
Application
If you’d like to gain valuable experience while making a considerable difference in the lives of children and families, we invite you to apply to join our team. Simply fill out the
Intern Application and e-mail it to
InternMidFlorida@chsfl.org with your resume.
Applications will not be accepted without a resume.
Contact
jive -Teen Leadership Program
The goal of jive is to empower, motivate and inspire teens to develop their leadership skills by providing an atmosphere in which teens can make positive changes in our communities. To learn more about jive, please visit the jive webpage.
Search and Shop
Speakers' Bureau
Speakers' Bureau
Our Speakers' Bureau is an outreach program to raise awareness of and educate about the importance of child abuse prevention and intervention within our communities. This free program is available to the business community, churches, clubs, homeowners' associations, schools and other organizations. Qualified, professional staff members speak on a variety of subjects, including:
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Adoption process
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County facts and affairs
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Importance of family counseling and mentoring
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How to make a difference in the community
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What children expect from their forever families
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Current issues and statistics
We can help you choose the right topic, or you can request a speaker to tailor a presentation to your audience’s specific needs. Once we find the right speaker for you, we’ll coordinate his/her participation, and we’ll also ensure the presentation meets your needs. We look forward to sharing CHS’ heartwarming stories and fascinating history with your group.
Please note - We need to know specifics relating to audio-visual equipment, as well as the size of the audience.
Contact:
Volunteers
You can help to break the cycle of child abuse for more children in our area! Together, we'll strive to ensure more children are safe, healthy and prepared for life. Volunteer opportunities include:
Thrift Shop Volunteers
One hundred percent of the proceeds from the Children's Home Society of Florida Family Treasures Thrift Shop support our programs in adoptions, family counseling and education to stop child abuse and neglect for increasing numbers of children. Individuals and groups are welcome at the store year-round. Volunteers at the shop help sort and process donations, greet customers, operate the cash register, and make sure the store is in tip-top shape. Volunteers also help us to "shop" for program clients, who recieve donations of items from the store ranging from back-to-school clothes to racecar beds! After a month of service, volunteers earn five "Tot Spot Bucks" for each hour served.
Volunteers are asked to commit to two hours per week of service for at least a semester. If you are unable to make this commitment, please contact us. We are willing to work with you to accommodate your schedule.
To ensure safety and privacy for our clients, all volunteers are required to fill out a volunteer application and complete a full background check and fingerprint scan.
Thrift Shop Community Event Volunteers
The Children's Home Society of Florida Thrift Shop offers monthly community events. We are in need of individual and group volunteers who would be interested in assisting with these events. Some examples of events include reading days and arts and crafts.
Family Visitation Center Volunteers
Volunteers are needed in Ocala and Lake City to monitor and supervise court-ordered supervised visits between parents and their children. Volunteers must commit to volunteer for a minimum of three months for one to two hours a week. The Gainesville Family Visitation Center is no longer accepting volunteers for Spring 2011. We are still seeking volunteers and interns for the Ocala and Lake City Centers.
Special Event Volunteers
Individual and group volunteers are needed throughout the year to assist with special events. Check back often for updated special event needs, or send your e-mail address to volunteermidflorida@chsfl.org to be added to our monthly e-newsletter listing these opportunities.
Flyers
We need volunteers to help post flyers around town and on campus for our Thrift Shop and for special events throughout the year.
Donation Drives
Holding a donation drive is a great way to help Children's Home Society of Florida! Some ideas for what can be collected include: clothing, diapers, books, school supplies, holiday gifts, etc. Contact us for more information.
Application:
If you’d like to gain valuable experience while making a considerable difference in the lives of children and families, we invite you to apply to join our team. Simply fill out the Volunteer Application and mail to:
Children's Home Society of Florida
Attn: Volunteer Coordinator
711 NW First Street
Gainesville, FL 32601
To ensure safety and privacy for our clients, all volunteers are required to fill out a volunteer application and complete a full background check and fingerprint scan.
Wish List
Mid-Florida
Wish List
Amusement park tickets
Sporting goods (ex: tennis rackets)
Children's toys
Children's books
Photo albums
Scrapbook supplies
Disposable cameras
Toddler beds
Cribs
Bedding
Bunk Beds
Suitcases
Baby items
Strollers
Diapers
New car seats/booster seats
Personal items
Personal hygiene supplies
Household items (ex: brooms)
Gift certificates (Publix, Walmart, Target, etc.)
School supplies
Family Visitation Center
Our Family Visitation Centers provide safe, nurturing, home-like environments for children and their parents to spend time together during court-supervised visits.
New roof
New video monitoring system
Junior League of Ocala's Haven House
The Junior League of Ocala's Haven House is a six-bed residential program for girls ages 10-18 who can no longer live safely at home. While at Haven House, the girls receive emotional, physical and nurturing resources from positive role models who work to empower the teens with skills to build their self-confidence and social abilities so they may pursue their dreams and achieve their goals.
Tree trimming
Kitchen cabinets
Pavers/stepping stones
Paint for front door
New landscaping
Contact