Download Independent Living Newsletter - Our Kids of Miami-Dade

Independent Living
Newsletter
Volume VI November, 2014
It’s Time To Be Heard!
Thanksgiving Recipes
ROAST TURKEY
1 18 pound Whole Turkey
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 quarts turkey stock
8 cups prepared stuffing
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place rack in the lowest position of the oven.
2. Remove turkey neck and giblets, rinse the turkey, and pat dry with paper towels.
Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in the roasting pan. Rub the skin with the softened butter, and season
with salt and pepper. Position and aluminum foil tent over the turkey
3. 3. Place turkey in the oven, and pour 2 cups turkey stock into the bottom of the roasting pan. Baste all over every 30 minutes with the juices on the bottom of the pan. Whenever the drippings evaporate, add stock to moisten
them, about 1 to 2 cups at a time. Remove aluminum foil after 2 1/2 hour. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 180 degrees, about 4 hours.
4. Transfer the turkey to a large serving platter and let it stand for at least 20 to 30 minutes before carving.
MACARONI AND CHEESE
GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
8 Ounces elbow macaroni,
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/4 Teaspoon ground black pepper
8 Ounces Cheddar cheese blend
1 1/4 cups light cream
4 Tablespoons butter, cut in small
pieces
1 Can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's Condensed Cream of
Mushroom Soup
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Teaspoon Soy Sauce
1 Dash Black Pepper
4 Cups Cooked Green Beans
1 1/3 Cups French’s French Friend
Onions
Heat the oven to 350°. Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Cook
macaroni following package directions. Drain in a colander
and rinse with hot water. Scoop about 2 cups of the
drained macaroni into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle
with about 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper, then top with about half of the cheese. Layer the remaining macaroni on the cheese layer and sprinkle with
another 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper.
Top with the remaining cheese and dot with the butter.
PUMPKIN PIE
3 Eggs
1 Cup canned pumpkin
1 Cup evaporated milk
1/2 Cup sugar
1/4 Cup maple syrup
1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 Teaspoon maple flavoring
1 Frozen Pie Shell (9 inches)
Whipped Cream (optional)
1. Stir the soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and
2/3 cup onions in a 1 1/2-quart casserole.
2. Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture
is hot and bubbling. Stir the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the
remaining onions.
3. Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.
DIRECTIONS:
1.
In a large bowl, beat the first 10 ingredients until smooth;
pour into pastry shell. Cover edges loosely with foil.
2.
Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to
350; bake 40-45 minutes longer or until a knife inserted
near the center comes out clean. Remove foil. Cool on
a wire rack.
Food Pantries in Miami Dade County
Food banks & pantries can provide free groceries and food for individuals and families who are in need. Services are provided on an as
needed basis, and may be limited as funding allows.
First Assembly of God - Food Pantry
824 West Palm Drive
Homestead, Florida 33034
Call the center at (305) 248-0794
First Baptist Church of Coral Park
8755 SW 16 St.
Miami, FL 33165
Telephone number - 305-812-1880
Boxes of food may be offered as donations allow. Call the church for information on their services as
well as hours of distribution.
Riverside - Food Pantry
Address - 10775 SW 104 Street
Miami, Florida 33176
Call (305) 595-0542 to get information
Salvation Army - Community Pantry
1907 NW 38th Street
Miami, Florida 33142
(305) 637-6700
Resources include a food pantry, Christmas and Thanksgiving meals. On occasion Dade County
families may also receive financial assistance for basic needs such as rent or cooling bills.
Volunteers of America of Florida
1492 W Flagler St.
Miami, Florida 33135
305-644-0335
Food & financial assistance programs may be provided. Also learn about government aid and food
stamps too. Focuses on housing & employment issues for those who need jobs or are homeless.
Escarment Foundation
7777 N Miami Ave
N Miami, Florida 33161
786-273-0698 Call to find out about free food, clothes, and other support.
Call 954.518.1818 for the locations and application process for additional pantries and soup kitchens
in the Dade County region. Free groceries, hot meals, and programs such as Meals on Wheels or
summer snacks for children may be available too.
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Shining Star
CONGRATULATIONS TO RAQUEL PERRY!
Raquel Perry is truly one of our Shining Stars. Raquel is a 24 year old former foster
youth that graduated from Florida A & M University in 2011 and is studying to become
a lawyer. Raquel will be graduating from Florida A & M College of Law in May, 2015
and is currently interning at the Public Defenders office in Orlando. She sent us the
email below to thank Our Kids for the assistance we have provided over the years and to
hopefully inspire other youth with her success story. Congratulations Raquel!
_____________________________________________________________________________
Hello,
My name is Racquell Perry and I am a former foster child. I wanted to reach out and say thank
you to everyone at Our Kids.
I was featured in the September 2011 newsletter featuring an article that was written about me. It
is my sincere hope that I am able to inspire someone. Currently, I am in my last year of Law
School and will be graduating in May 2015 with my Juris Doctorate and I am interning at the Public Defender's office in Orlando. Transitioning from foster care to the "real world" is pretty frightening but the transition was pretty smooth for me in large part because of you guys.
I was apart of the Spring 2012 graduation that you guys hosted and all of the gifts that i received
have helped me so much. I'm not sure if you guys still have the graduation ceremony but if so i
hope to walk across the stage again next year.
Once again, thank you!
Racquell Perry
Florida A&M, College of Law
Juris Doctorate Candidate, 2015
Florida A&M University
B.S. Criminal and Juvenile Justice & Political Science, 2011
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ACT and SAT Calendar
ACT Calendar
Test Fee : ACT (no writing) - $38.00 ACT (plus writing) $45.00
Late Registration Fee: 45.00
Register online at www.actstudent.org
Test Dates
Registration Deadline
Late Registration
*Late Fee Required*
September 13, 2014
August 8, 2014
August 9-22, 2014
October 25, 2014
September 19, 2014
September 20-October 3,
2014
December 13, 2014
November 7, 2014
November 8-21, 2014
February 7, 2015
January 9, 2015
January 10-16, 2015
April 18, 2015
March 13, 2015
March 14-27, 2015
June 13, 2015
May 8, 2015
May 9-22, 2015
SAT Calendar
Test Fee : SAT - $52.50 SAT Subject Tests $26.00
Late Registration Fee: $28.00
Test Dates
Registration Deadline
Late Registration
*Late Fee Required*
October 11, 2014
September 12, 2014
September 13-30,2014
November 8, 2014
October 9, 2014
October 10 - 28, 2014
December 6, 2014
November 6, 2014
November 7- 24, 2014
January 24, 2015
December 29, 2014
December 30-January 13,
2015
March 14, 2015
February 13, 2015
February 14-March 3, 2015
May 2, 2015
April 6, 2015
April 7-21, 2015
June 6, 2015
May 8, 2015
May 9-27, 2015
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YOUNG ADULT REGISTRATION
The Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Carlos A. Gimenez, partners with CareerSource
South Florida (CSSF) to provide young adults the opportunity to enhance their
work-readiness skills while earning an income. This partnership is part of the
Mayor's Actively Investing in Miami-Dade (AIM) Initiative and is critical for the continued economic growth of the community.
The CareerSource South Florida will assist young adults in obtaining entry-level positions within the County, and local businesses with the goal of learning work-skills
and to pursue the best jobs possible, while earning $10.00 an hour.
You may qualify to participate if you are:
 Between 18-24 years of age
 Live in Miami-Dade County
 A U.S. citizen or eligible to work in the U.S.
 Income Eligible
 Not in High School
The selection for young adults will be achieved through a lottery process. If you are
interested in learning what it takes to find and keep a job, please go to the following
website to register:
https://iapps.careersourcesfl.com/2013AIM/jsreg.aspx
For more information, call 305-594-7615
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I’M PREGNANT… WHAT NEXT?
Domestic Violence during Pregnancy
What is it?
What do I need to do?
 Admit there is a problem.
 If you think you are being
abused in any way, talk to
a trained person such as a
counselor, social worker or
doctor. Make a plan to get
to a safe place.
 Talk to your doctor, your
health plan case manager
or call a crisis hotline.
 One place to go to is the
National Domestic Violence
Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
(SAFE) or
www.thehotline.org. They
can help you come up with
a plan to keep you safe.
 Help is out there. Be
strong for you and your
baby.
 Domestic violence during pregnancy is when physical, sexual, mental or emotional violence is directed towards a
pregnant woman.
 It can also be threats of physical or sexual violence such
as, someone keeping track of how many miles you have
driven your car, not allowing you to call your family or
friends, or not being allowed to use the cell phone.
 There is an increase in violence towards a woman when
she is pregnant. The most common reason is the father/
partner feels more stressed because a baby is coming.
 The mans stress gets directed to the source of the new baby, the mom!
 Pregnant teens have a higher risk of violence from their
partners.
 When a couple didn’t plan the pregnancy, the new mom is
four times more likely to suffer increased abuse. It may be
that your pregnancy was not something you had wanted,
or it may have been because you were raped or not allowed to use birth control.
 If you are living with violence you might feel very scared,
anxious, or panic easily. You might feel guilty, depressed
or ashamed.
 Sometimes a woman doesn’t want to get help because she
is embarrassed or afraid her partner will get even madder.
 You might feel that it is hopeless and no one can help you
and your baby. You are stuck living this way.
What does this do to me and my baby?
 Domestic violence makes the mom have more stress and
depression. She may turn to things like tobacco, drugs and
alcohol. These actions all harm the baby’s growth and development.
 If you are depressed you can have a loss of interest and
not take as good care of yourself as you should. You might
miss prenatal appointments or not take your vitamins.
 If a man abuses his partner he is also likely to abuse his
children.
Reference:
Article acquired from:
http://www.sunshinehealth.com/files/2012/04/
Domestic-Violence_SSFYB__Centene-10.10.pdf
www.StartSmartForYourBaby.com
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Safety Tips
General Safety Tips:

Be ALERT and AWARE of your surroundings at ALL times!

Be careful when cashing your monthly check and carrying the cash with
you.
 Pay attention to your surroundings when leaving the bank
 If there is a strange person that you think has been following you, look for a policeman or
stay in a crowded, well lit place.
 Consider opening a Bank Account so you don’t have to carry cash.

Act confidently (even if you aren't)!

Be Brave, Be Strong!
 Study a Martial Art or take a Self Defense Class

Trust your Gut Feelings
 If someone or something feels creepy, scary or weird, trust your feelings and get out of
the situation quickly.
 If you think someone is following you call 911 or do to the nearest Police Station

Go out in pairs at night and in dangerous situations
Internet Safety Tips:

Keep your online identity secret on social media sites
 Don’t use your full name and never post your address or neighborhood

Never share your Usernames and Passwords
 Don’t let friends log into a site and pretend to be you

The internet has a GREAT memory!
 Watch what you post about yourself (pictures, comments…) because you will have to
live with it for a long, long time.

Be Good Online
 Writing “hate” emails, hacking into other people’s computers, illegally downloading music
or movies and making online threats are just as illegal on the Internet as they are in the
real world!

Almost Everything on the Internet is Traceable!
 Every search, every web visit, every online posting and email is registered or recorded somewhere on the internet! Once you send something out, it is almost impossible to take it back. Be careful, not impulsive!
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HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM NOW
AVAILABLE TO ASSIST LOW INCOME RESIDENTS
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
is assisting low-income households with utility payments.
Low-income individuals can receive assistance with their utility costs through the
Community Action and Human Services Department Low-Income Home Energy
Assistance Program (LIHEAP) beginning on Monday, April 1, 2013. To qualify, applicants must not exceed 150% of the U.S. Poverty Income Guidelines. Qualified applicants facing a crisis situation may be eligible to receive up to a $600 payment toward
their outstanding electric or gas bills. Regular energy applications may receive between $150-$300 dollar payment applied to their utility bill.
LIHEAP applications are available at Community Service Centers, Monday through
Friday 8 AM-5 PM. Applications and a listing of Community Service Centers are
available online at
http://www.miamidade.gov/socialservices/housing-assistance-energy.asp.
For additional information call (786) 469-4600.
Who:
What:
Miami-Dade Community Action and Human Services Department
LIHEAP Program
Providing financial assistance with utility bills (electric and gas)
Where:
Community Service Centers throughout Miami-Dade County
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SCHOLARSHIPS
ONLINE TUTORING
Fastweb : Scholarships, Financial Aid, Student
Loans and Colleges
Having trouble with some of your classes?
On line tutoring is available in Math, English, History and
other subjects. Check out the on-line tutoring websites
below that can help improve your grades.
Search for scholarships with our free scholarship
matching service, get student financial aid and find
money to pay for college at FastWeb.
www.fastweb.com/
Math Video - Free Subject Help - Brightstorm
Free Homework Help for math, science and English videos
video’s for high school and college subjects.
www.brightstorm.com/math/
Sallie Mae's Scholarship Search
Sallie Mae's Scholarship Search. Sallie Mae's free
Scholarship Search offers access to an award database that contains more than 3 million scholarships
WebMath - Solve Your Math Problem
WebMath is designed to help you solve your math problems.
www.webmath.com/
www.go.salliemae.com/scholarship/
College Board
Get connected to your college. Find official college
planning and preparation tools to help you succeed.
Visit the College Board website - your inside source to
free online college scholarship search.
Math.com - World of Math Online
Free math lessons and math homework help from basic
math to algebra, geometry and beyond.
www.math.com/
www.collegeboard.org/
Scholarships.com: Free College Scholarship Search
| College ...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy is on a mission to provide a free worldclass education to anyone anywhere. Physics, finance, and
history and 200 practice exercises, helping students learn
whatever they want,
www.khanacademy.org/
Conduct a college scholarship & financial aid search
at Scholarships.com. Free scholarship search and
college search for students of all ages. Find Free Money ...
www.scholarships.com/
ScholarshipExperts.com: Scholarships, Free Scholarships, College ...
Mathway: Math Problem Solver
Free math problem solver answers your pre-algebra, algebra, trigonometry, calculus and statistics homework questions with step-by-step explanations.
www.mathway.com/
Find scholarships and free college money. ScholarshipExperts.com has a fast and easy free scholarship
search service to help students and parents find free ...
www.scholarshipexperts.com/
Scholarship Hunter: FREE and EASY Scholarship
Search
Free Math Help and Free Math Videos Online at MathVids.com
Get free math help by watching free math videos online
from algebra and geometry to calculus and college math.
www.mathvids.com/ www.mathexpression.com/
FREE Tools to Find SCHOLARSHIPS Online. No Login
or Password Required. Free Scholarship Search.
Free College Scholarship Sweepstakes, Contests,
and more.
9
What does S.H.I.N.E stand for?
Striving High for Independence & Empowerment
What is Miami Youth S.H.I.N.E?
An advocacy organization led by current and former
foster youth ages 13 to 23. They strive to empower
youth and advocate for changes to improve the child
welfare system.
How can I join?
For more information, please call (305) 671-1345
Get the help you need!
The Foster Youth Legal Services collaborative between the Legal Aid Society, Legal Services of
Greater Miami and the American Immigrants for Justice can assist if you need help with any of the following: Housing, Employment, Benefits, Special Education, RTI, Family Law, Domestic Violence,
Guardianship, Immigration, and Work Permits.
Aging out of Foster Care? If you were in licensed foster care for six months or more, you
receive free medical services through the end
of the month when you turn 21.
Call (305) 579-1010
Hours of Operation: Monday—Friday
To update your address,
please call Our Kids at 305455-2595. If you need to
choose or switch a provider,
please call Medicaid Options
Do you have something you’d like to contribute
to this newsletter? We’d love to hear from you!
Please email your ideas, articles, announcements to: [email protected], or
give us a call at 305-455-6227.
Check out these helpful websites to assist you in
finding a job:
 www.careerbuilder.com
 www.monster.com
Do you have questions about your monthly stipend, education, housing, resources or other
areas?
Our kids has a help-line and e-mail address
available just for you.
 www.floridaunemployment.com
 www.indeed.com
 www.employflorida.com
Start Applying Today!!
Phone number: 1-866-572-9493
 E-mail address: Independentliv
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