2018 Year in Review

Take a look at our favorite highlights and impacts from 2018!! What a busy year while redefining what is possible by creating cradle to career pathways that help kids and young adults with special needs excel in their communities!

 

Community Impact: Creating Compassionate Children

700 Creating Compassionate Children™ toolkits were distributed to preschool and elementary schools to create a culture of understanding, acceptance, inclusion, and respect by encouraging meaningful change in preschool and elementary school classrooms. 

Community Impact: Project SEARCH

7 interns are participating in the Boca West Country Club Project SEARCH program where they are learning competitive, transferable, and marketable job skills in an integrated setting.  

Community Impact: REST

Our Program Operations Coordinator has become a REST Master Trainer to teach high quality respite techniques to providers.  85 companions have been trained to give families a much needed break from caregiving responsibilities.

Meet Gian Paul

You still have time to make a difference and redefine what is possible for kids and young adults with special needs with a tax-deductible donation for your 2018 tax return. We want to introduce you to Gian Paul, an individual who has benefited from Unicorn Children’s Foundation cradle to career initiatives. Donate Now: https://www.giveffect.com/checkout/4565

Donate Your Gift Cards

Did you receive any gift cards over the holidays that you probably won't use?

Don't let them sit in a drawer... Consider donating them to Unicorn Children's Foundation!

We are currently seeking auction items for our upcoming Unicorn Ball: #GetDownwithMotown on 2/16/19. Some items in need are gift cards (dining, etc), unique experiences, items for pets, items for men, travel, jewelry, and more.

Please contact Amy with any questions: amy@eunicorn.org

Complete a Contribution Form here:

http://unicornchildrensfoundation.org/auction

Merry Christmas from Unicorn Children's Foundation!

Merry Christmas from Unicorn Children's Foundation! Wishing you all the timeless treasures of Christmas: The warmth of home, the love of family, and the company of good friends.

Merry Christmas Eve, Everyone!!!

Community Impact: Special Needs Advisory Coalition

Special Needs Advisory Coalition has grown to over 400 individuals representing more than 170 agencies who are working to create a comprehensive, integrated system of care which supports and connects individuals with special needs and disabilities and their families to community- based services and opportunities.

- 107 people attended the 2nd Annual Supportive Housing Solutions Summit.

- 200 people attended employment fairs.  15 individuals with special needs became employed.

Community Impact: Unicorn Village Academy

27 students are attending Unicorn Village Academy Scholarship where they are developing life-skills and a passionate interest in an area where they can find success upon completion of high school. 

-  Nearly half of these students were awarded scholarships from Unicorn Children’s Foundation.

-  100% of graduates of Unicorn Village Academy have progressed to employment or post-secondary continuing education program

Community Impact: ESDM Scholarship

4 families just finished the Early Start Denver Model Parent Coaching Program, for a total of 19 families, and have been empowered with the tools and strategies to teach crucial developmental skills in a child’s everyday routines.

3rd Annual Halloween Masquerade featured in Boca Raton Observer

Thank you to the Boca Raton Observer magazine for featuring our 3rd Annual Halloween Masquerade in the December 2018 issue!

Thank You for Gift Wrapping, Angela!

Thank you to our Secretary Angela Fisher for volunteering at Barnes & Noble today for Unicorn Children's Foundation! She wrapped gifts purchased in the store in exchange for donations to help redefine what is possible for kids with special needs.

Congratulations Dr. Carlos Gadia!

Congratulations to Dr. Carlos Gadia of NeuroNetwork Partners, LLC for winning the Quantum Foundation Healthcare Provider of the Year Award at the 2018 Community Inclusion Awards!!

Hop on the Soul Train!

Hop on the #SoulTrain at the Unicorn Children's Foundation annual #Gala. Join us for a #funky evening of #groovy auction items in both the silent and live auctions, indulge in #MotorCity soul food, cocktails, and of course get down to the Sound of #Motown, the music that changed #America.

Join Co-Chairs Julissa Caballero and Phillip DiPonio for The Unicorn Ball: #GetDownwithMotown on February 16, 2019 at The Polo Club of Boca Raton!

Purchase your tickets here: http://UnicornChildrensFoundation.org/Gala

Old Timey Cocktail Affair Tonight

Thank you to Jay Shapiro and The Luxury Chamber of Commerce for hosting an Old Timey Cocktail Affair at Temper Grille tonight! We were so lucky to be joined by actor Rich Graff aka “Lucky Luciano” of Making of the Mob New York on AMC. Guests enjoyed Lamborghini Champagne and art by artist Art J. Williams, who generously donated his Marilyn Monroe painting to Unicorn!! We appreciate everyone who came out to redefine what is possible for kids with special needs!

Unicorn Village Academy Donates to Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue

Via Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue: A HUGE thank you to the wonderful students of Unicorn Village Academy who do so much for the animals of Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue. We thank you so much for doing the fundraisers & kind donation. You are all "PAWSOME"

TD Bank Affinity Program

Do you want to make a difference just by having an account with TD Bank? It's that easy!

There's Still Time to Save on Your Tickets!

The Advanced Saver Tickets have been EXTENDED!!

$35 before 12/14 at midnight or $50 at the door.

https://luxurychamber.com/Next-Event.php

Just Announced: Meet Rich Graff of Making of the Mob New York!!

$35 TODAY ONLY or $50 at the door.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Unicorn Children's Foundation

https://luxurychamber.com/Next-Event.php

Barnes and Noble Gift Wrapping Today

Thank you to our volunteer Cynthia Ackerman and our Board Members Patti Chiaia and Michelle Yellin for volunteering at Barnes & Noble (Boca Raton, FL) today for Unicorn Children's Foundation! They wrapped gifts purchased in the store in exchange for donations to help redefine what is possible for kids with special needs.

Come by our table on Wednesday December 19th from 10am - 4pm to get your shopping AND wrapping done while making a difference!

Happy Birthday Julissa!

Happy Birthday to our Gala Co-Chair, Julissa Caballero!!! We hope you have the absolute best day ever!!

Help make her birthday extra special by showing your support for The Unicorn Ball: #GetDownwithMotown!!

Tickets are on sale now, and we can't wait to see you at The Polo Club of Boca Raton on February 16th!! This is NOT your average gala!

http://UnicornChildrensFoundation.org/Gala

Community Impact : REST Trainings

At Unicorn Children’s Foundation, we are dedicated to support families and individuals challenged by special needs. That is why we have a REST (Respite Education and Support Tools) certified trainer to train Companions and Trainers. One of our volunteers, Lachyn, was inspired to start a club after she completed a REST Training course with our Program Operations Coordinator, Ivonne Rodriguez! Here's her story in her own words...

High school is the time in our lives when we meet new people, create the biggest friendships, build the strongest connections with each other, and just enjoy our teen lives that are fulfilled with happiness and joy brought by loved people around us. However, we all have had moments in our lives when we felt lonely, as if we had no friends at all, and the only ones we could have relied on, were our family. In my experience, having a language barrier during my first years in America, made creating new friends, or even completely understand what was going on around me, extremely difficult, so most of the times, my only company was my family. These circumstances made me feel isolated from the rest of society, leading to a reduced self-esteem, and even ability to start a conversation.

Now, four years later, I went back to being social, as I realized that not understanding people because of not being able to speak the same language was normal; however, I started noticing that I was not the only one experiencing this problem. I was shocked by how many people would isolate themselves from everyone else, which I thought was wrong, so with a help of Ivonne Rodriguez, who I volunteer for at the Unicorn Children's Foundation, as well as a person who gave me an incredible opportunity to learn more about the Respite Care, I decided to start the Best Buddies Chapter at my school, West Boca Raton High School. I thought that children that have the most difficulty creating new friends, should have an opportunity to have the same high school experience as everyone else. Therefore, with a help of our amazing faculty advisor, Nancy Rademacker, club’s crew, and of course, Chrissy Reynoso, who made this all happen, we are on the way to our journey, consisting of wonderful new friendships.

Make a change now, join our mission to put an end to loneliness in our society.

One week from today!!

Complimentary Cocktail

Tapas / Hors d'Oeuvres

Lamborghini Champagne

Mingle With Local Notables and Luxury Brand Professionals

Event Photos Published in South Florida Monthly

Door Prize and Prize for Best Old Time Costume

Business Card Exchange

A portion of the proceeds will benefit Unicorn Children's Foundation

https://luxurychamber.com/Next-Event.php

Ivonne Rodriguez named REST Trainer of the Quarter

Unicorn Children's Foundation is very proud to anounce that our Program Operations Coordinator, Ivonne Rodriguez, was nationally recognized as the REST Trainer of the Quarter! Congratulations Ivonne on work well done!