Friends of The Villages

A Big Thanks to Our Golf Classics Sponsors!

2010-08-23T10:50:00.000-07:00

As we gear up for our Villages' Golf Classic, on September 16th 2010, I would like to take a few minutes out of the preparation to thank our wonderful, generous sponsors! Without them, this event would truely never be possible. Here at The Villages, we deeply appreciate our sponsors continued support of our special children!!
Monroe Bank
Westport Homes
Baker and Daniels
Oak Motors
Katz, Sapper, Miller
Tim & Chris Franson
Rhonda Breman
Sharp Business Systems Indiana
Bose McKinney & Evans, LLP
Brightpoint
Gene and Sharon Sponseller
Dealers Wholesale
Stoeppelwerth & Associates, Inc.
ReeseWholesale.com
MBAH Insurance
Crosser Family Foundation
Jocham Harden Dimick Jackson PC
Zink Distributing Company
Tabbert Hahn Earnest & Weddle, LLP
postlethwait Family
Classic Concrete
Rain Flow Gutters
Kinder Electric Co., Inc.
Weber Concrete Construction
Kerman's Fine Flooring
Kreig Devault
Steve Pierce
Electric Contracting Services, Inc.
Advantage Health Solutions, Inc.
City Securities

Thanks again to these wonderful sponsors!

The Blind Side

2010-04-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

By Taryn Stark and Maggy McDaniel

This story is not fictitious. Michael Oher was an abused and neglected child in Tennessee not too many years ago. Because the Tuohy family recognized his great need, the young Michael was able to spend the rest of his teenage years in a healthy and loving family. As a result of this, Michael lives a fulfilling life surrounded by love. To learn more about his story, please visit this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FhlbsJUJ9Q

The reality is that there are countless children without homes, without families. The Villages of Indiana recognizes this sad fact, and has pledged to do something about it. We invite you to do the same.

IARCCA Executive Director, Cathy Graham, found “The Blind Side” to be a powerful inspiration: “The movie tells about the trust that develops and the challenges involved in merging two cultures, as well as the great gifts that both the family and the youth gained in the process of becoming family to one another. To see the resiliency of the young man, Michael Oher, who now plays professional football for the Baltimore Ravens, should continue to inspire the efforts of all of us who work with vulnerable youth. There are many more youth like Michael Oher in our communities; they just need a chance to have loving homes, adults who care about them and who will go the extra mile for them, and teachers and mentors who are committed to their success through the many challenges that youth face….Are we doing all that we can to help these vulnerable youth achieve success?”

The truth is that there are real kids in our state, our county that live without true homes. Our neighboring children, like Michael Oher, have never had a bed before, never experienced life as many of us have experienced it; as it should be experienced. The Villages is Indiana’s largest not-for-profit child and family services agency. As the month of April is Child Abuse Prevention month, we are committed to raising awareness of child maltreatment throughout Indiana and hopefully the world. If you are interested in getting involved with The Villages or learning more about our organization, please contact us:

Official Website: http://www.villageskids.org/
Donation Link: http://www.villageskids.org/donate_online.php
Personal Contact: 317.273.7575 or 800.874.6880

Cherishing Families...Affirming Families

2010-04-02T08:14:00.001-07:00

By Sharon Pierce, President & CEO of The Villages

April marks Child Abuse Prevention month and this year’s theme is “CHERISHING CHILDREN…AFFIRMING FAMILIES!” In partnership with Prevent Child Abuse America, Prevent Child Abuse Indiana has “re-framed” Child Abuse Prevention Month to focus on the “promise” that the future and well being of EVERY child affords us.

This year, champions for children planted 1,000 Blue Pinwheels in the lawn at the Indiana State Museum to represent the number of children born in Indiana last year. Just one Pinwheel represents eighty-seven (87) live births…that’s 87,000 children born in 2009 that need to be cherished, safe, and nurtured!

Imagine the “human capital” that 87,000 Hoosiers who are nurtured in a family… healthy, well educated, and self sufficient can have in just a few years on our neighborhoods, our schools, our communities, our businesses, our government, and our State!

That is the essence of both the challenges and the opportunities which lay before us. But by CHERISHING CHILDREN AND AFFIRMING FAMILIES… by treasuring and protecting each child to acknowledge how truly valuable they are, our vision can become a REALITY! We celebrate the HOPE which these 87,000 new infants stand for…but we are also creating a legacy which will honor the children who tragically lost their lives to child abuse and neglect in Indiana last year.

Prevent Child Abuse Indiana, a Division of The Villages, in collaboration with Dr. Eugene White, Superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools, has championed a THINK TANK of solution-minded community leaders and organizations who are working diligently to make supporting parents one of their highest priorities. The KIDS CAN’T WAIT initiative is a reminder to ALL of us that there is an urgent need for parental support and education for EVERY family.

Our collective message is a simple one… IT IS A SIGN OF STRENGTH, AS A PARENT OR CAREGIVER OF CHILDREN, TO ASK FOR HELP AND SUPPORT! WTHR has developed some new, dynamic public service announcements featuring several of our dedicated community leaders, which will air in the near future! Billboards reminding parents that sometimes WE are the ones who need a TIME OUT are placed throughout the city! Prevent Child Abuse Indiana operates a 1-800-CHILDREN line, to provide information for parents who are seeking a parent education class or a supportive service in their neighborhood. And for our technologically savvy parents, IndianaKidsCantWait.org is available as a “starting point” for parent information.

Our hope and prayer is that EVERY Indiana citizen will become engaged in the lives of our Hoosier children…and cherish each child as if he or she were YOUR OWN!

I often share that being blessed to be the parent of four children is the most difficult job of ANY listed on my resume…but it’s also the most important! This April, and EACH MONTH throughout the year, we are imploring EVERY citizen in Indiana to CHERISH OUR CHILDREN…
To TREASURE Our Children…
To PROTECT Our Children…
To NURTURE Our Children…
To TEACH Our Children…
And to CELEBRATE Our Children!

There’s an urgency in Indiana to keep our children healthy, loved and safe!

How? Start with YOUR OWN CHILDREN…making them your Highest Priority! Embrace the child next door to you who seems hungry for affection! Reach out to a Grandparent who is heroically raising her grandchildren! Or help the child in your school or faith community who most needs it!

Why? As our beautiful children remind us…we need to be CHERISHING CHILDREN AND AFFIRMING FAMILIES…

BECAUSE KIDS CAN’T WAIT!

Home Alone

2010-03-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

by Taryn Stark and Maggy McDaniel

Home Alone is one of America’s most beloved movies. Children dream of having an opportunity to run the house by themselves, fight the bad guys and come out on top! Most parents, however, dread the thought of accidentally leaving their child behind and realizing it miles and miles above ground in a 747. Whether we grew up with the dazzling flick or watched our children grow up with it, Home Alone is definitely a household favorite.

The sad reality of this movie, however, is that it illustrates a form of child abuse: neglect. The Macalister family (from the movie) was responsible for 8 children, Kevin included. Because of their flurry to catch a plane on time, Kevin was left abandoned to fend for himself over the Christmas holidays. We all know, of course, that this is depicted as a huge mistake in the movie. The parents are horrified at their lapse and do everything that they can to get back to Kevin as soon as possible. The reality of child abuse, however, is much less forgiving.

Here is one example: A Central Indiana couple left their 2 year-old son alone in a van for 40 minutes on a bitter cold night. Police say the family shopped inside a supermarket, leaving the young boy locked inside the van, with the temperature outside just 16 degrees. This seems like a harmless act: leaving your kid in the car for a bit while you go grocery shopping. It is not harmless; its child abuse. Neglect is a common form of child abuse that generally goes unacknowledged. However, The Villages, along with Prevent Child Abuse Indiana, know differently.

This example of child abuse illustrates why organizations like The Villages are so important to our society. Through our Healthy Families sector and Family Connection Network, adoptive, foster, and biological parents alike are trained and educated about the dangers of neglect. They are enlightened and encouraged in their journeys of parenthood. Just think: If the Macalister parents had gotten involved with an organization like The Villages, then they likely wouldn’t have left Kevin home alone. If you would like more information on The Villages, contact us at http://www.villageskids.org/ or 317.273.7575.

2010-03-18T13:04:00.000-07:00

Hell is for Children by Pat Benatar

Pat Benatar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz7A0MAvofE&feature=related

They cry in the dark, so you can't see their tears
They hide in the light, so you can't see their fears
Forgive and forget, all the while
Love and pain become one and the same
In the eyes of a wounded child

Because Hell
Hell is for children
And you know that their little lives can become such a mess
Hell
Hell is for children
And you shouldn't have to pay for your love with your bones and your flesh

It's all so confusing, this brutal abusing
They blacken your eyes, and then apologize
You're daddy's good girl, and don't tell mommy a thing
Be a good little boy, and you'll get a new toy
Tell grandma you fell off the swing

Because Hell
Hell is for children
And you know that their little lives can become such a mess
Hell
Hell is for children
And you shouldn't have to pay for your love with your bones and your flesh

No, Hell is for children

As the month of April is Child Abuse Prevention month, The Villages is committed to raising awareness of child maltreatment throughout Indiana and hopefully the world. If you are interested in getting involved with The Villages or learning more about our organization, please contact us:

Website

Donate Online

Call: 800.874.6880 or 317.327.7575

Matilda...everyone's favorite little girl!

2010-03-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

by Taryn Stark and Maggy McDaniel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfJAvIA9aJY

Whether we fell in love with Matilda as parents watching the movie with our children, or as children ourselves, most of us love the little girl! She is innovative and driven, intelligent and compassionate. Who wouldn’t love such a well-behaved and devoted daughter? Matilda, however, is an exception to the rule. Raised in an indifferent and clearly unloving family, Matilda proves to be an exception to the rule of an abused and neglected child. In 2007, 80% of 21 year-olds that were abused as children met criteria for at least one psychological disorder (more details found here: http://www.childhelp.org/resources/learning-center/statistics). Though this statistic is bleak, it does reflect the reality of the world in which we live.

Child abuse is not solely defined as physically harming one’s child, as many people today are inclined to believe. Child maltreatment is illustrated in a number of different ways, some of which include neglect, physical abuse, psychological abuse or emotional abuse and are all produced as a result of acts or omissions of acts by parents or caregivers.

At The Villages, we strive to not only lower the unfortunate reality of child abuse, but also to eliminate it all together. We believe that one-on-one personal devotion and love are the most positively influential things that a child can receive. Our vision is that every child we serve will flourish in a healthy, nurturing self-sufficient family. We hold that this kind of love and affection can be found most abundantly through foster-care and adoption, not institutions. As such, we are dedicated to servicing Indiana’s children to the best of our ability.

As the month of April is Child Abuse Prevention month, we are committed to raising awareness of child maltreatment throughout Indiana and hopefully the world. If you are interested in getting involved with The Villages or learning more about our organization, please contact us:

Official Villages' Website

Donated Online
Phone: 317.273.7575 or 800.874.6880

It's Super Bowl time for our Champions

2010-02-04T05:54:00.000-08:00

The Super Colts are in the Super Bowl, and we at The Villages couldn’t be more excited! For the past several years, the Indianapolis Colts have generously supported The Villages’ life-changing. From summer camp scholarships to filming our PSA…the Colts have proven to be true Champions for Children!

Indianapolis Colts former head coach, Tony Dungy, and current head coach, Jim Caldwell, have helped spread the word about The Villages by acting as a spokes person in our commercials and public service announcements. Both coaches encouraged families to open their hearts and homes to Villages’ child and become foster parents…by joining a team of champions.

Coach Tony Dungy poses for a picture with The Villages children after filming the 2007 commerical.

Coach Jim Caldwell brings The Villages children in for a post commerical huddle

In the summer of 2009, Villages’ children received camperships to attend Indianapolis Colts Defensive End, Dwight Freeney’s football camp. This three day long camp gave the children the opportunity to hone their football skills, interact with Dwight Freeney and meet some of Freeney’s Colts team mates, including Peyton Manning and Dallas Clark. The children learned important lesson that can be used on and off the field!

The Villages President and CEO, Sharon Pierce, and Director of Development, Katee Franson, gets their picture with Dwight Freeney at a post camp reception

Support from the Colts doesn’t end with the coaches and players. The Indianapolis Colts Women’s Organization have sponsored The Villages golf tournament for the past two years. Their financial support enabled us to raise critical funds needed to support our services and program for children recovering from the painful childhood trauma of abuse and neglect.

On behalf of 1,400 children The Villages supports each and every day … we wish the Indianapolis Colts the best of luck on Sunday! We are honored to have you as partners and we thank you for being Champions for our Children!

Might Ducks, Mighty Villages

2010-02-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

The Mighty Ducks is a phenomenal movie about joining together as a team of individuals. Some of you may know about this movie. At first, the kids are brought together as a group of individuals. Some of them had been on a Minnesota hockey team; others came in sporadically, hoping to join the clique of previous brothers. This proved to be both challenging and disheartening. Finally, the group of players was forced to truly join together as a new team. Yes, they were all individuals from different parts of the world, yet they were bonded through the USA team, through the Mighty Ducks team. This team, through all its up’s and down’s, through all its growth and hardships, is only able to succeed by coming together as a brotherhood. They can only become champions if they “fly together.”

photo courtesy of http://ducks.jp.land.to/d2teamphot.jpg

In this same way, The Villages believes that we can all become champions for children if we come together. As Indiana’s largest accredited not-for-profit child and family services organization, we cannot do it by ourselves. We cannot change the world alone. Vulnerable children, children such as those who make up The Mighty Ducks, are in need throughout Indiana. We have recognized this need and are now calling on you to help us answer the need. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. Together, we can do anything.

This month The Villages is hosting “Pack the House for Charity” night on February 28th. Tickets are on sale for $9.00, and $5.00 goes to Prevent Child Abuse Indiana. Last year, we raised over $12,000 for the children. Help us to raise even more this year! Visit our website at http://www.villageskids.org/indexnews5.php or call us at 800.874.6880.

The Villages and Colts...Champions for Children

2009-10-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

by Sharon Pierce, President and CEO

The Colts are on a roll…and so are The Villages’ Families. Thanks to the gracious support of Indianapolis Colt’s Head Coach, Jim Caldwell, The Villages has dynamic TV, radio and print ads urging people like you to consider being a heroic foster or adoptive parent!

Coach Caldwell and Villages' children who starred in our new commercial!

Check out our upcoming Information Nights at www.villageskids.org. And there are countless other ways to help Indiana’s most vulnerable children…you can donate to enrich children’s lives…volunteer…provide new books…purchase some gift cards….provide personal hygiene supplies for our older youth! Join The Villages’ team today!!

Thank You to Our Sponsors!!!

2009-08-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

As we're really starting to gear up for our 2009 Golf Classic(September 17th), we would like to thank our generous sponsors! Our sponsors have made the Golf Classic poswsible through their generous contributions, and unending support! Without our sponsors, we wouldn't be able to run the Golf Classic, our largest fundraiser of the year, and we wouldn't be able to meet the needs of the hundreds of kids who are directly helped by the Golf Classic. Thank you so much for all your help and support!

Title Sponsor:
Holladay Properties in partnership with AmeriPlex Indianapolis and Purdue Technology Center

Children's Champion Sponsor:
Don and Jen Knebel

Children's Hero Sponsors:
Ice Miller, LLP
Katz, Sapper, and Miller, LLP
Westport Homes

Champs FORE Children Sponsor:
Anonymous

Box Lunch Sponsors:
Baker and Daniels, LLP
Crosser Family Foundation
Sams Club
Monroe Bancorp

Beverage Cart Sponsors:
Venture Logistics
Wells Fargo Advisors

Matt Breman Memorial Awards Sponsors:
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Bose, McKinney, and Evans, LLP
Sharp Business Systems of Indianapolis
Shelbourne Knee Clinic at Methodist Hospital

Prize Sponsors:
Circle City Millwork
Dealers Wholesale
K-Squared Consulting
MBAH Insurance
Michael Binder/Frost Brown Todd, LLC
The Sherwin-Williams Company
Timberland Lumber

Hole Sponsors:
Aspire CPAs, P.C.
IKON Office Solutions
Kinder Electric Co., Inc.
Krieg DeVault, LLP
M&I Bank
Pellegrino & Associates, LLC
Postlethwait Family
Reese Wholesale
Steve Pierce, Sunbelt Indiana Business Resources
Tabbert Hahn Earnest & Weddle, LLP
Vectren Energy Delivery
Venture Logistics
Weber Concrete Construction
Zink Distributing Company

Banner Sponsors:
Linda and Skip Adams
Stephen Becker
Century 21 Diversified Realty
Citizens Gas
Classic Concrete Co, Inc.
First American Title
Henry Poor Lumber
Jupiter Leasing
Kerman's Fine Flooring
ParaPRO, LLC
Kyle Trick

Check out our facebook page to see some of the cool items that have been donated for the Silent Auction at www.facebook.com/villageskids!

Helping Handbags!

2009-08-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

Here at The Villages, we’re getting into the swing of a new idea from one of our donors, Elaine. She thought that it might be nice for kids to be able to give their grandmothers or other female guardians a handbag filled with goodies. We thought this was a GREAT idea too! From this idea came Helping Handbags. The Villages is collecting gently used handbags, so go ahead and clean out your closets ladies! In order to make the gift giving a little more even, we are asking that you do NOT donate expensive designer bags (Prada, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, etc). It would ruin the atmosphere a bit if one woman got a Guess bag, and the woman next to her got a Prada bag. If you have any questions about whether a particular brand of bag is okay to donate, give Alex or Katee a call at 317-273-7575. As a general guideline, steer clear of anything you can purchase at Saks. We’ll take bags of all different shapes, sizes, colors, patterns etc! The more styles we have, the more fun it will be for kids to pick out a bag that they think their grandma/aunt/etc will really love!

We are also collecting small (think travel size) items for the kids to pick out to put in the handbags. To start you off with some ideas, I thought I would start a challenge. I challenge every woman who reads this to look through her purse and pick out the 5 things she couldn’t live without. Then I want each woman to go out and purchase these items and bring them to The Villages’ Girls School Road office along with their old purses to donate! To start you off, here are my 5: Chapstick, lotion, hand sanitizer, advil, and gum. I will also put a list down at the end of this post with things that would be great to have for the bags!

You can drop off the bags and items at The Villages’ Girls School Road office ( 652 N Girls School Road Indianapolis, IN 46214). Thanks for your help ladies!

· Mints
· Travel size lotion
· Hand sanitizer or wet wipes
· Tide To Go Pen
· Lipstick in a neutral color(like the kind you get at the make-up counter in the “Spend This, Get This “ gift bag)
· Chapstick
· Lip Gloss
· Mini packs of Tissues
· Pack of gum
· Change Purse
· Anything small that you find in your purse!

New Teen Trend: Sexting

2009-08-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

As technology becomes more and more prevalent in our lives and the lives of our children, we often find ourselves wondering what the next big trend will be. Currently, the new trend for high school age adolescents is something called “Sexting”. I’m sure your kids know what Sexting is, but for those of us that are a little older, I’ll explain. Sexting is the sending of sexually explicit text messages or pictures by cell phone. In an article presented by the Indiana Youth Institute, research showed that 20% of teens have engaged in Sexting, and that older teens are more likely to have engaged in Sexting than younger teens. This is a very disturbing trend, as some courts have decided to prosecute children who engage in Sexting as sex offenders.

It’s up to parents like you to monitor your children’s use of cell phones. Unlike phone calls, texts are saved on the phone, and can be sent to anyone else the owner of the phone wishes to send them to, even without the original sender’s permission or knowledge. Help protect your teens from making a mistake they might come to regret. I’ll put the link to the Indiana Youth Institute’s website at the end of this post, but for those of you who are busy, and don’t have time to read the article right away, I want to share some of its tips with you.

I know it can be difficult to ask your child to see their cell phone, or even to monitor their use of their cell phone, but this is the best way to prevent your children from sending Sexts. At night, when it’s more difficult to monitor cell phone usage, ask your children to charge their phone in your bedroom, or in a common room such as the kitchen. Ask your child to turn their phone off while they are at school, another difficult time to monitor cell phone usage. This also encourages your teens to focus more on class, and less on texting during class. Remember to set guidelines for cell phone usage with your children, and if they break those guidelines, have punishments in place, and stick with your punishments.

For more tips, and more detailed research on the subject, visit the Indiana Youth Institute’s issue Brief on Sexting at http://www.iyi.org/resources/doc/Issue-Brief-SEXTING-Aug09.pdf.

Prevent Child Abuse Indiana

2009-07-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

By: Sandy Runkle, PCAIN Program Director

Typically, Prevent Child Abuse Indiana does not comment about specific cases regarding violence against children. However, sometimes situations arise that are so horrific, they require not just a comment, but rather a call to action. By now, most people in Indianapolis are aware of the killing of an eight year old boy during a domestic disturbance. After reading the story in the newspaper, I continued by reading the comments submitted by readers. Of course there was understandable outrage, as there always is after this type of tragedy. Predictably, many of the comments were directed at the perpetrator, and what type of consequences he should face. Although any type of violent act should have appropriate consequences, our question…one which we often ask, is what could have been done to prevent this act from occurring in the first place? The real issue is, when our children do not have the opportunity to grow up in healthy and safe environments, we all suffer, and potentially put our own futures at risk. These tragedies do not just impact the families and friends of the victim; they impact our society as a whole. We invest in our children, and if we do not protect those investments, we face a far more dangerous type of “recession”. By encouraging families to seek help when they are overwhelmed; by paying attention to children in our neighborhoods; by knowing community resources to be able to assist friends and family; by investing in education, appropriate childcare, early childhood programs…these are just a few of the things we can do for our children and families. We can also educate ourselves about policies that impact children, and contact our Legislators when we are concerned about these policies. In the time it takes to write a “Readers comment” at the end of a story, an e-mail or phone call could be made to a policy maker or community resource. If we mistakenly believe that all problems involving violence toward children exist within the family, then how can we, at the same time, believe that all of the problems can be solved within that same family?

These tragedies occur in all ethnicities and socioeconomic realms. Even if there are some out there who do not believe that statement, and unfortunately there will be, then without argument it can be said these tragedies impact all ethnicities and socioeconomic realms. In other words, we all have a stake in helping children. Despite what people have been led to believe, very little spending has been done on programs for children. In fact, over the last 20 years spending has decreased, and that trend is expected to continue.

I want to conclude by mentioning that one reader’s comment in particular struck me. They commented, and I’m paraphrasing, that because of the environment in which that child was growing, that he probably would one day grow up to be violent. However as research shows, he would have just as likely grown up to be a teacher, or police officer, or bus driver, or perhaps the doctor who finds a cure for cancer. We’ll never know will we, because any future possibilities were ended for him a few nights ago.

(Prevent Child Abuse Indiana is a division of The Villages and is committed to preventing child abuse in all its forms.)

Family Night at Victory Field presented by BKD

2009-06-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

What is your favorite childhood summer memory? Did you and your family load up the station wagon and travel the country in search of family adventures…did you go to a summer camp where you camped under the stars for a week…did you stay up late and at a slumber party watching scary movies? Well if you were a child in foster care these very normal summer activities are much different. You have to get approval to travel out of state, to stay away from your foster home and spend the night at a friend’s house.

At The Villages we want all of our children to have great summer memories so for the past four years we’ve partnered with the Indianapolis Indians to have Family Night at Victory Field. Our annual event is a fun-filled evening with plenty of hotdogs, nachos, and cotton candy…and of course great baseball!! This year’s event is presented by BKD, LLP and will be July 23. Through the generosity of donors and sponsors hundreds of Villages children and families will attend the game for free and create treasured memories.

Devon threw the first pitch at last year's game!

Do you want to help create wonderful childhood memories for an abused or neglected child? You can purchase tickets to the July 23rd game and donate them to a Villages’ child. Tickets are only $9…and $4.50 of every ticket sold will be donated back to The Villages to fund additional enrichment activities for our amazing, resilient children. To donate your tickets today visit http://www.villageskids.org/.

Go Indians!!!!

An Introduction to The Villages of Indiana

2009-06-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

“Championing Families for Children” is the core of The Villages of Indiana’s mission. Founded in 1978 by Dr. Karl Menninger, The Villages’ services embody a foundational premise that children grow, develop, and flourish best in a family!

The Villages’ hope is, always, that a child can be nurtured and loved by his or her own family. If this is not possible, our organization actively supports and sustains grandparents and kinship caregivers. When relatives aren’t available, The Villages has dedicated well-trained foster and adoptive families to nurture the child in need. Additionally, The Villages provides numerous services and programs that strengthen families and help parents be the best they can be for their children. Our organization also has child abuse and neglect prevention services available.

Thank you for visiting our “Friends of The Villages” blog! Here you will learn more about our agency and how you can get involved. The Villages’ need for volunteer assistance is endless…stay tuned to learn more about how you can be a CHAMPION for a CHILD!