Better Together

🌟 Double your impact 🌟 The giving window is open now: https://ow.ly/VKmo50TovuY Give4Marion — and an opportunity to double your impact in helping build strong families — is now live. This 33-hour campaign is dedicated to raising funding and awareness for nonprofit organizations in Ocala and Marion County, Florida. It’s a flurry of fun challenges and Matching Moments that ultimately impact the entire community. Support is welcome from all over the state, even the world. 🌟The first match: All online gifts up to $100 will be double matched up to $15,000 or until the money runs out. Give now➡️: https://ow.ly/VKmo50TovuY Thank you for helping us build strong families and communities! #Give4Marion #Ocala #MarionCounty

A 'gardener' of hope joins the Better Together family! Jarvis Jackson is our Family Support Manager in Central Florida. He helps families resolve crises that could result in their children being placed in foster care. Jarvis accomplishes this by connecting parents with vetted volunteer host families who are willing to temporarily care for their children while they work through their challenges. He also connects parents to mentors, volunteers, community partners, and our job teams for support. Most importantly, Jarvis meets families in their crises without judgement. He listens, encourages, and supports them as they work towards reunification and beyond. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to cross paths with these families," said Jarvis, who likens his role to that of a gardener. "I'm planting life-giving seeds, which God will water and grow. It's humbling," said Jarvis. He also understands the uplifting power of having someone by your side when life hurts. A week after Jarvis joined Better Together, his father, Herman Jackson Jr., died. While grieving with his family, Jarvis received calls and a digital card from the Better Together team. He knew his family would be there for him but wasn't expecting the outpouring of love from team members he hadn't met yet. "I was so surprised. There were all these heartfelt messages. I felt the love. It meant a lot to me, said Jarvis. When not helping families, Jarvis, a Tampa Bay native and Trinity College graduate, loves being with his wife and their three children. Let's now unpack the incredibly cool photo of Jarvis taken 12 years ago in this post. Jarvis is a supreme musical artist. He writes songs and participates in beatbox battles. "I find that dressing up like a character grabs the audience's attention," said Jarvis. So cool! Welcome, Jarvis and family. (Story by Kinfay / Better Together)

📣 Show your support 📣 Better Together is participating in Give4Marion, a 33-hour campaign dedicated to raising funding and awareness for nonprofit organizations in Marion County, Florida. The big event is September 17-18. Join in the fun the day of or pledge your support today. Support is welcome from all over the state, even the world, to further our mission to build strong families and prevent the need for foster care. Pledge now: https://lnkd.in/etdDu7d7 Thank you for helping us build strong families and communities! #Give4Marion #Ocala #MarionCounty

🌟A Night to Reignite🌟 We believe that, together, we can create a world where every family has someone to call in their greatest time of need. Help us make that world a reality. Join us for A Night to Reignite, a fundraiser to support Better Together programs to build strong families and prevent the need for foster care. Mark your calendars for this special evening, October 29 at the Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala. RSVP or become a sponsor: https://ow.ly/vP5H50TlsA1 #ANightToReignite #BetterTogether #Ocala

We’re kicking off Give4Marion this year with a special event today (September 10) at the Chick-fil-A at 5048 SW 48th Ave. in Ocala. Between 4 and 7 p.m., when you use the Chick-fil-A app to place your order for dine-in, carry out, or mobile drive through, and use the code BT4MARION, 10% will be donated to Better Together to help families flourish. Plus, make a pledge now to be entered into a gift basket raffle. Pledge today: https://lnkd.in/etdDu7d7 Support is welcome from all over the state, even the world, to further our mission to build strong families and prevent the need for foster care. #Give4Marion #Ocala #MarionCounty

Swing for families! We are so excited for this golf tournament. By participating, you can enjoy a friendly golf competition and after-party while helping build strong families in Southwest Florida. The World Famous Cigar Bar Golf Tournament takes place October 6 at Stoneybrook Golf Course in Estero, with the after-party at the Cigar Bar. Sign up to attend or join us as a sponsor: https://lnkd.in/eGUhJaZh Special thanks to additional sponsors: Simplified Technologies LLC and CoolAir Air Conditioning & Heating #BetterTogether #GolfTournament #Fundraiser

☀️ Supporting families ☀️ Taylor Hatch is director of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, and we were honored to be a part of APD’s panel, “Budding Practices: Supporting Those You Love,” at the 2024 Florida Children & Families Summit this week. Better Together has been working with the agency to help provide respite and support to families with children with disabilities. At the summit panel, Better Together CEO Megan Rose, and one of our dads, Brandon Stott, shared Better Together’s model and how it helps provide respite to families. Together, we’re building strong families and communities! #BetterTogether

An inspiring family joins our family! Barbara Valdez is our Director of Human Resources, Legal, and Government Affairs. She helps shape HR initiatives, systems, and policies that promote an environment where employees feel valued, heard, and supported. She leads recruitment and retention efforts and helps create an empowering experience for employees and the communities we serve. Barbara learned about Better Together from a friend and volunteered to be a job coach at our job fairs. When the opportunity to join the team full-time presented itself, Barbara believed her passion for helping people, her education, and her 15+ years of human resources experience would be valuable to our team. "We have a great group of people. They have different talents and personalities and are very passionate," said Barbara. She also values staying connected to the team as they work to keep children out of foster care. "I feel like they're my family, and seeing them do well brings me happiness," said Barbara. Speaking of family, Barbara's son Ethan, 19, illuminates her life with joy. Ethan attends the University of Central Florida on a Bright Futures scholarship. Barbara occasionally reminisces about Ethan's younger days, but seeing him make his way in the world brings her pride. "He's amazing," expressed Barbara. "I love him so much." Welcome, Barbara and Ethan. #bettertogether #family #community #hope #florida #careers #care #heart #inspiring

Our life-changing team grows and serves! Jennifer Kaplon is a Partnership Manager in Southwest Florida. She presents opportunities for churches, employers, and key community partners to help in our efforts to keep children out of foster care. She does so with passion and an understanding of their impact on everyone involved. "These are opportunities to not only change lives, but to have your life changed. And the families we work with may end up helping others through their redemptive story," said Jennifer. Jennifer's journey to Better Together began when she and her husband, Dylan, listened to a presentation at church. "We basically ran to sign up as volunteers," said Jennifer. During the volunteer training, Dylan felt that Jennifer would one day join our team. "She is in the mission field her heart has been asking for," expressed Dylan. Jennifer, a University of Colorado graduate, taught first grade for several years and is a lifelong learner. She is also very competitive. Just ask Dylan and their sons, Andrew and Caleb, who bravely play tennis with Jennifer. Game. Set. Match. Welcome Jennifer, Dylan, Andrew, and Caleb. #florida #bettertogether #family #community #hope

Big Thanks to World Famous Cigar Bar! We’re grateful to have their support in building stronger families. Please join us for a fun day of golf on October 6, 2024, at Stoneybrook Golf Course in Estero, FL. It’s going to be an amazing day with: 🏌️♂️ A friendly golf competition 🍽️ An exclusive after-party with dinner and spirits 🎁 A silent auction Let’s come together to prevent the need for foster care and have some fun on the greens! For ticket and sponsorship info, visit https://ow.ly/H2E250T6USV #StoneybrookGolf #CharityGolf #EsteroFL