| FY 08-09, Issue 1 | " I n t e r n a l l y Y o u r s " Monthly Newsletter for FSC Insiders! |
October 2008 |
THE "ORIENT" EXPRESS
Attention all new staff! Please mark your calendars for the next New Employee Orientation meeting to be held Thursday, October 23rd from 8:45am to 5pm. All new staff who have not yet completed orientation are required to attend. A presenters' schedule will be emailed shortly.
BIRTHDAY BASH...
EQUALS FSC CASH!
Not sure what you want for your next birthday? Or simply don't need any more "stuff"? Consider following in the footsteps of Board Member Chris Hilton. Inside the printed invitations she mailed out for her recent birthday party, she asked that a donation be made to FSC instead of purchasing a gift. The result: $1,175 for FSC in just a few weeks!! 
A big "thank you" to Chris for her creative, selfless act of generosity!
A repeat listing of yet another way to help raise funds for FSC...
"PHONES FOR (FSC'S) GOOD"
Own a cell phone? Good! Need a new one? Gooder! Need a new phone AND a new plan? Goodest of all! Click the below image to browse a multitude of phones and plans - with even better prices than the stores! And with each purchase, FSC receives the following donations:
- plan extension: $20
- new activation of one line: $40
- new activation of family plan (2+ lines): $50
So check out Phones for Good today and support FSC at the same time. It just couldn't be gooder!
Click below to shop!
JUST MARRIED!
After working closely together for one full year, FSC's partner programs officially became a combined FSC entity on 10/1. Click on the picture below to see more photos from the acquisition ceremony.
The new marriage will continue to be named the "Ways to Work/Partners in Self-Sufficiency Program", or "WtW/PSS". For details on an exciting award received by this program, please see right column of this issue.
Quotes of Motivation and Inspiration
This Issue's Theme:
SURVIVING
THE AGE OF INSTABILITY
"A wise man adapts himself to circumstances just like water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it."
- Chinese Proverb
GSM Postponed,
Now November 5th
"Third time's a charm!", says General F.S.C.Staffmeeting (pictured left). FSC's next General Staff Meeting, previously scheduled for October 14th, and then Oct. 15th, has now been officially moved to Wednesday, November 5th at the usual time of 8am - 12pm. Among other activities, this first all-staff meeting of the new fiscal year will showcase FSC programs through a special "agency fair". Each department will staff a table and provide updated information to colleagues. More details about the fair, as well as food and agenda items, will be emailed as we get closer to the event date.
The meeting will take place at the historic Feed Store building located within the Largo 
Cultural Center. Address of the Feed Store is 295
Please remember to email or mail (no faxes, please) any Star Award nominations to Sheryl Vaughn by October 20th. You can retrieve extra copies of the nomination form by clicking here.
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On Saturday, September 13th, the 3rd-annual artHEALS charity auction shined brightly in the sun - and moonlight - of south St. Petersburg. Over 130 friends, donors, partners, and volunteers joined FSC staff at the Rutland Estate to celebrate our work toward a future free of sexual violence.
A huge thank you to the artHEALS planning committee led by co-chairs Elise Minkoff and Sherry Mathews for their tireless efforts in making this event possible. Thanks also to the dedicated volunteers who gave of their time and talents on event day.
MORE PICS: View the expansive artHEALS 2008 online photo album, with over 240 high-quality images, including those above. (Thanks to Dana Fluet and Annette St. Pierre for their volunteer photography services!)
MEDIA: Read the St. Petersburg Times feature on artHEALS 2008.
CONGRATULATIONS All Around!
One of FSC's own awarded prestigious individual honor!
Childnet Family Support Worker Margianna Speights received quite a surprise on September 25th. During a routine staff meeting that morning, JWB Communications Director Ben Kirby (pictured left) and Communications Specialist Eddie Burch barged into the room. With video camera rolling, the sharply-dressed intruders announced Margianna as winner of the quarterly Cooperman-Bogue Award honoring outstanding human service workers in Pinellas County. 
Along with a beautiful certificate, she was bestowed with a cash prize, several gift cards, and a gift basket.
For 15 years, the Cooperman-Bogue Awards have recognized exceptional direct service employees who consistently perform above and beyond their job descriptions, exceed expectations, inspire other workers, and who exemplify the belief that the human element makes a difference in the lives of others and whose compassion extends beyond the confines of a standard work day.
After 29 years of dedicated service to Family Service Centers and countless children and families, Margianna is truly an FSC legend. By virtue of receiving this quarterly award, she is now a candidate for the big annual award to be selected next spring.
The 2008 Cooperman-Bogue Awards are sponsored by the JWB Children's Services Council of Pinellas County, and AEGON.
To view more pictures of Margianna receiving this award, please click here.
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WtW/PSS Receives National Accolades...and funds, too!
The national office of Ways to Work, Inc. honored FSC's local Ways to Work/Partners in Self-
Sufficiency program in a grand way at its 2008 Performance Awards on September 26th in Milwaukee. WtW/PSS received a "Premier" designation for meeting high-quality performance standards, was named this year's "Most Improved Program", and received an incentive award of $7,000!!
Congratulations to the successful staff of WtW/PSS for embodying FSC's entrepreneurial spirit through hard work!
PRESS ROOM
In addition to artHEALS, FSC was featured in another media story last month concerning the tough economic struggles non-profits are enduring today.
Click here to read "Social Workers Dig Deep in Own Pockets" (published in the St. Petersburg Times, September 22, 2008).
U-HAUL FURNITURE BONANZA
Beginning Monday, October 13th, used desks and other office furniture located in the Admin Annex (not including computers) will be made available for purchase at nominal prices to the highest-bidding staff members. Click here to view 4 photos containing some of what will be available. In addition, one glass table (approximate size: 4' x 8') is available for purchase/pickup from the downtown Clearwater, Chestnut St. location. To schedule an appointment to browse the inventory in person, please call Gyda DePeppe at ext. 5268.
*Please note: any staff still looking to upgrade their FSC office furniture will be given priority over an item being sold for personal use. If you might need an item for your office, please contact Gyda immediately. Of course, no charge if for work use.
Purchasers are responsible for timely removal of furniture.
OTHER PROGRAM CHANGES FOR 2008-09
As FSC enters a new fiscal year, some programs have changed schedule or location. Therefore, compiled below is an updated list of when and where each FSC program will function:
- Office-based services at FSC satellite locations (SAFE Center, Wes Jenkins, and Downtown Clearwater (Chestnut St.) will operate Monday - Thursday, 9am to 8:30pm, closed on Fridays. Programs will still continue to operate Monday - Friday, including evenings, for all community- and home-based servces. Administration hours remain Mon - Fri, 8:30am - 5pm.
Locations of office-based services by program:
- Family Counseling: SAFE Ctr, Dntwn Clearwater, Wes Jenkins, Pasco, Hillsb.
- Youth Intervention Services: SAFE, Wes Jenkins, Admin, Pasco, Hillsborough
- Sexual Assault Services: SAFE, Wes Jenkins, Downtown Clearwater
- Childnet: Downtown Clearwater, Wes Jenkins, Help A Child
- WtW/PSS: Wes Jenkins, Downtown Clearwater
(The Admin Annex and Abilities buildings will no longer be used by programs.)
- All staff timesheets are STILL due by noon on Monday of payroll weeks! 