October 28, 2011|By Chris Guanche, Forum Publishing Group

It was still dark out at 6 a.m. when an army of volunteers began pouring in to transform the Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center in Pembroke Pines.

More than 1,100 volunteers took part in the effort as part of the United Way of Broward County's 20th Annual Day of Caring. The United Way draws on supplies and volunteers from corporate sponsors and puts them to work on projects that help the community, including at schools and nonprofits.

The Day of Caring provides a direct connection between corporate donors and project beneficiaries, said Jennifer O'Flannery Anderson, president and CEO of the United Way of Broward.

"They get to see and touch where their donations go," Anderson said.

Those donations translated to more than 400 gallons of paint used before the project's halfway mark, along with 20 pallets of sod, 1,000 plants and 200 cubic yards of mulch. Work consisted of several projects in painting and landscaping. Outside, some volunteers installed new landscaping. Inside, volunteers painted the administration building, as well as the residential building where mothers live with their children while combating drug abuse and other problems.

The center provided a life-changing experience for Susan Nyamora, who came first as a client and later returned as an employee to help other women. After fighting drug addiction, Nyamora was reunited with her children and went back to school, earning a degree in psychology and health care administration. Nyamora's experiences allow her to relate to women now in the position she was once in.

"It gives them hope to hear my story," she said. "If I can make it, so can they."

Nyamora said the effort to improve the center was welcome.

"It's amazing. It's incredible how people can come out and give so much of themselves," Nyamora said.

Volunteers also created a mural along the first floor's hallway of an undersea environment with a variety of fish. About seven months of planning went into the effort, said project co-chairman Nelson Fernandez of the ANF Group.

"It's an incredible undertaking to coordinate the amount of work taking place in one day and the amount of people taking part in that effort," Fernandez said.

Fernandez estimated that volunteers squeezed about four weeks' worth of work into a single day, and that about half of the total materials for the project were donated, with other materials like paint sold at a heavy discount. Project co-chairman Bill Manzie of Memorial Healthcare System said the materials and manpower would translate to at least $30,000 to $40,000.

"If we didn't have the volunteers, it wouldn't be possible," Manzie said.

In the lead-up to the Day of Caring, the center shut down for two days to prepare the buildings for painting, said Susan B. Anthony's CEO, Marsha Currant. Currant said the experience of having volunteers come in to help will have a positive impact on the center's residents.

"For some women, it's the first time they experience being part of a community and being told they're worth something," Currant said.

 

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20th Annual Day of Caring Project Announcement

SUSAN B. ANTHONY RECOVERY CENTER RETAINS DR. KRISTA A. BLOOM, PH.D.
AS NEW CLINICAL DIRECTOR

    PEMBROKE PINES – Dr. Krista A. Bloom, Ph.D., a Licensed Clinical Social Worker has joined the Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center, one of the nation’s few recovery centers where pregnant women and mothers can reside together with their children while they get the treatment they need to start a new life in our community.

    A resident of Sunrise, Dr. Bloom is the Founder of a private practice Healing Couch, Inc., where she has provided clinical services, published and spoken internationally.    In her new role, Dr. Bloom will be responsible for overseeing the residential and outpatient programs offered at the Center.
Dr. Bloom received her Doctor of Philosophy degree from Maimonides University and her Masters of Social Work from Loyola University of Chicago.  She maintains active memberships in NASW, and ABS.  She is also a board-qualified Clinical Supervisor for Clinical Social Work and Mental Health Counseling, and a board certified Clinical Sexologist.  She has over 20 years of experience in social services. 

ABOUT SUSAN B. ANTHONY RECOVERY CENTER

     The Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center provides comprehensive treatment services for substance addicted and/or homeless women with children.  .SBARC is a full service rehabilitation center, providing expert care, diagnosis and treatment of alcohol and drug addiction. The Center is accredited by C.A.R.F. - the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.

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Current Grant Cycle Updates

For Immediate Release:	Contact: Mark S. Wright
February 18, 2011	904-905-6935

2010 Sapphire Award honors top nonprofits for improving Floridians’ health

Annual program presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida’s foundation,
The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida
ORLANDO, Fla. - Today, five Florida nonprofits were honored for their dedication to improving the health of the state’s uninsured and underserved populations at The Sapphire Award ceremony, presented annually by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida’s foundation, The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida.

The Sapphire Award is Florida’s only statewide honor that recognizes and promotes organizations that have demonstrated excellence in addressing community health care needs.

The 2010 Sapphire Award honorees are:

Winner ($120,000)
Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center -- provides medical care for homeless and recovering women; treatment services and quality physical and mental health care for uninsured and underserved families
Award of Distinction ($75,000 each)
Hebni Nutrition Consultants – educates high-risk, culturally diverse populations about nutrition strategies to prevent diet-related diseases among African-American adults and youth in Central Florida
Tykes and Teens – provides mental health counseling and substance abuse prevention/treatment to some of the most impoverished children and their families in Martin County
Honorable Mentions ($25,000 each)
DLC Nurse and Learn – provides year-round nursing care, specialized therapies, child care and special education to children with disabilities
Okaloosa AIDS Support and Information Services (OASIS) -- prevents the further spread of HIV infection and supports those affected by the syndrome.

Established in 2005, The Sapphire Award recognizes and rewards nonprofit community health programs that have demonstrated success and high merit and have a record of improving the health of their community through measurable outcomes. The event also celebrated the 10-year anniversary of The Blue Foundation.
Sapphire Award Honorees Announced
“We commend this year’s honorees for their ceaseless efforts in improving the health of individuals and families in their communities. These nonprofit organizations have truly stepped up to make a difference and we applaud their efforts,” said Susan Towler, vice president, The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida. “It is our hope that other nonprofits will follow their lead so that we can truly help those Floridians who need it the most.”

To be eligible for The Sapphire Award, organizations must be recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that are officially located and incorporated in the state of Florida with programs offering health-related services. Programs are nominated by three persons familiar with the organization and are reviewed by an independent selection committee comprised of medical, public health and health communication experts from across the country and Florida. A total of 36 organizations were nominated for the 2010 Sapphire Award.

Since The Sapphire Award’s inception in 2005, 37 nonprofits and health programs have been nominated for excellence in community health programming. Of that number, 12 Winners, eight Awards of Distinction, 13 Honorable Mentions and four Finalists have been recognized, sharing more than $2.1 million in award funds.

The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida is a separate, philanthropic affiliate of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) incorporated in the state of Florida. The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida, and its parent, BCBSF, are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information on The Blue Foundation for a Healthy Florida, please visit its web site at www.bluefoundationfl.com.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida and its foundation are on Facebook and Twitter.

 

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SHERIFF'S FOUNDATION SUPPORTS THE SUSAN B. ANTHONY CENTER
Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center. 1633 Poinciana Drive, Pembroke Pines. Sheriff Al Lamberti will join members of the Susan B .Anthony Board of Directors, ...  Click Here

 

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Davie event celebrates the 100 Outstanding Women of Broward County ...
Proceeds from the event were split between the Boys & Girls Club of Broward County and the Susan B. Anthony Recovery Center in Pembroke Pines. ...  Click Here

 

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  The Miami Herald: Prescription drug abuse: babies born addicted - Click Here

   The Miami Herald: Unique rehab center feels funding pinch - Click Here