Dress for Success honors two HOME residents

It's not often that the residents on the HOME campus get a chance for a day of total pampering, but thanks to the Dress for Success Program, two of our ladies are getting that chance!

Eve and Shaneek, two of our hardest working residents on campus, will be treated to an all-day make-over and spa day coming up January 20, 2010. The Ritz Carlton, Grand Lakes Orlando Spa, Dress for Success® Greater Orlando, Actualize Consulting Group, Orlando Health, AEGIS Law Firm, PA and WMFE will be giving the ladies a "Day of Hope," a day designed to empower women in Central Florida. The day will give the two HOME winners (and other deserving ladies across central Florida) a chance to make a fresh start in the new year and prepare for more job searching with a refreshed attitude.

To participate in the program Eve and Shaneek submitted applications and were selected because of their great answers to the following questions:

1. What type of employment are you seeking?
2. What challenges have you faced in your job search?
3. How would a fresh start impact your life?

Because both Eve and Shaneek have been looking for jobs daily, they had lots of information to provide, and they knew that by participating in the "Day of Hope," they could take a moment just for themselves and have a fresh start in 2010! Congratulations to our two winners, we hope you have a blast!

*Eve & Shaneek are both still looking for jobs in the Central Florida area. Eve has medical office experience and Shaneek has experience in the non-profit case-management sector. If you have any jobs leads please let us know! Sphere: Related Content

Holiday Musical Extravaganza Show— Proceeds will benefit homeless families in Central Florida

As the holidays quickly approach each one of us often look in our hearts and reach out to those in our area who are in need. With the help of Cabaret Espresso Productions you can do just that AND have fun while doing it!

On Friday, December 11, 2009, at 7:30 p.m., the Peace United Methodist Church of Hunters Creek, 13502 Town Loop Blvd., Orlando, FL 32837 will host a "Holiday Musical Extravaganza Show" as a fundraising effort for Helping Others Make the Effort (HOME).

HOME is a nonprofit organization working to break the cycle of homelessness by providing housing and lifeskills to homeless women and their children. There are over 900 homeless school-aged children in Osceola County alone, who are living out of cars, motel rooms or even on the street, HOME delivers services to these families to give them safe housing, life-skills classes, and the tools they need to get back on their feet.

Cabaret Espresso Productions, with their talented professional ensemble of singers and instrumentalists, will be performing this wonderful Holiday Show with popular Christmas songs ... beloved Christmas carols from around the world and a joyful "Boston Pops" style Christmas carol sing-along for the whole family. Santa Claus will, of course, be there; and taking center stage will be our hilarious British Comedian, Larry Larkin, of the London Music Hall and BBC Television.

All tickets can be purchased on the day of the event between 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Peace UMC or by calling 407-932-0943. Please make plans to join us this holiday season! Sphere: Related Content

HOME needs a Volunteer Bookkeeper

Do you have a knack for numbers? Then HOME has the perfect volunteer opportunity for you! Helping Others Make the Effort is seeking a volunteer bookkeeper who has knowledge of Quickbooks, corporate finance, and some accounting experience. We are looking for someone who can volunteer about 10 hours weekly to assist the Executive Director in HOME bookkeeping needs. If you are interested in lending your talents to HOME please call 407-932-0943 and ask for either Cara or Mary. Sphere: Related Content

Osceola Council on Aging -- Golf Tournament!

For more information please call 407-846-8532 or E-Mail info@ Oscecolagenerations.org Sphere: Related Content

Donate to HOME on Nov. 1 on Facebook to win $50,000

Helping Others Make the Effort just entered in America's Giving Challenge, which gives us a chance to win $50,000!

To win, between now and November 7 we have to get the most donations to HOME (every person can donate once per day and have it count as a unique donation). We can also win daily awards of $1,000 and $500 if we can get the most people to donate in any 24-hour period. The great thing about this Challenge is that it doesn't matter how much you give, but instead how much you do to encourage friends and family to get involved in supporting HOME. We all need to come together and start promoting the cause if we want to win.

Each of us has tons of friends on Facebook who we can ask to donate to our cause. But let's think big too—can you put HOME's challenge in your email signature, can you throw a party and get people to donate through the cause when they enter, can you organize other people to go out and fundraise from all of their friends? As you reach out to your friends be sure to tell them why HOME matters to you, that we are working to break the cycle of family homelessness. The possibilities are endless so let's talk about what we can do to win on the Wall of the cause or by replying to this bulletin.

We can do it! But it's going to take all of us. In fact, we want to ask each of you to donate on ONE special day — Nov. 1, 2009! If everyone works together and donates on the same day we have a higher chance of winning!

Check out the Giving Challenge (www.causes.com?m=566209a4),

Donate right now by going to http://www.causes.com/donations/select_donation_method?m=566209a4&cause_id=176488 Sphere: Related Content

Walk a Mile in My Shoes

Community Awareness walk to reveal the face of homelessness

Would you know I was homeless? It’s the question Helping Others Make the Effort is asking to those in Osceola County as we work to raise homelessness awareness through a community awareness walk on Nov. 14, 2009 at 11 a.m.

November is Homelessness Awareness Month and, with the help of the Osceola Teen Alliance, HOME hopes that through the event residents of central Florida can get to know who the homeless really are in their community.

Walk a Mile in my Shoes will be held at the Kissimmee Lakefront, in downtown Kissimmee, Fla.

Walkers are encouraged to arrive at 10 a.m. for registration and fun and then begin the walk at 11 a.m. The walk will conclude with a statement from HOME board members about homelessness in Osceola County.

To register for the walk simply go to www.osceolahome.org and fill out the quick and easy registration form.

Sponsorships are available for the event. For more information please e-mail walkamile@osceolahome.org.

We look forward to you being a part of breaking the cycle of homelessness in Osceola County and Central Florida! Sphere: Related Content

Hold 'em for Home(less)

Do you like poker? Want to help a great cause? Well, we've got the perfect opportunity for you! The Young Professionals of Osceola County are putting on a Texas Hold'em tournament and all the proceeds go to help homeless families in the community. The event will be Saturday night (Oct. 17) @ 6 p.m. on Dakin Ave. in downtown Kissimmee.

There will be enough room for 80 players to come out and show their poker skills, at only $40 a player! Also, if you lose the first round, for a suggested donation of $20 you can get back in the game!

So, want to have fun playing poker with your friends, and help HOME? Then head on over to http://www.osceolahome.org/poker.asp to sign up now! Sphere: Related Content