Local

Feeding South Florida Appoints New Board of Directors Officers

Paco Vélez, CEO of Feeding South Florida, is pleased to announce several recent appointments to the organization’s Board of Directors. Previous members of the board, Harris Siskind has been appointed as board chair, Diana Brooks as immediate past board chair, Benny Gonzalez as board treasurer, and Eddie Rivera as board secretary. New members appointed to the board include Michael Block, Carolyn Bolton and Don Hsieh. “We are very pleased,” said Vélez. “All of these individuals are highly respected members of the professional and local community, and are truly passionate about ending hunger in South Florida.” Feeding South Florida’s mission is […]

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Local Woman Fitted with World’s First-of-its-Kind Prosthetic Hand

Born missing her right arm below the elbow and three fingers on her left hand due to Amniotic Band Syndrome, Lizbeth Uzcategui, a 43-year old resident of Fort Lauderdale, has been wearing a prosthetic since she was three years old. Over the years, Lizbeth has experimented with a variety of prosthetics to maintain her busy and active lifestyle, but prosthetic options that fit her petite size were limited. On July 21, Uzcategui became the first woman amputee to be fitted with the i-limb™ quantum, the newest, smartest and smallest bionic hand. South Florida-based Hanger Clinician Matthew Klein CPO (L) and […]

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Veteran Receives New Home As A Gift

For USMC Lance Corporal Nick Ellis, July 17’s Building Homes for Heroes Welcome Home ceremony was both heartwarming and bittersweet. Ellis, a South Florida Marine Corps veteran, who was gifted a mortgage-free home in Oakland Park, Florida, just learned the news a few hours prior about his fellow Marine and friend, Sgt. Thomas Sullivan, being killed in a tragic shooting in Chattanooga, Tennessee the day before. On the verge of tears, Ellis said, “I believe, and I’m accepting this home on behalf of Thomas as well because he’s a good man.” Sullivan helped Ellis in 2005 during the Battle of […]

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Highlands Christian Academy Celebrates 50 Years

Highlands Christian Academy in Pompano Beach was established in 1965 against the backdrop of an innocent time when moviegoers stood in line to see “The Sound of Music” and the culture was in turmoil over the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement. As they celebrate their 50th anniversary, Highlands Headmaster Ken Lopez said, “We are called to prepare people for a great cultural shift taking place. At first Christianity was embraced, then it was tolerated, and I’m not sure how long it will continue to be tolerated, so we have to prepare our children for this time.” Envisioning a […]

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Preparing For The Unknown And Seeking Peace

My youngest daughter is beginning Kindergarten this year. She is excited, but a little nervous, as she prepares for this new grand adventure, filled with growing responsibilities and a charge to be a big girl. We can sense and clearly see that she is both filled with a sense of boldness, new kitty cat backpack and all, and battling a growing fear of the unknown. Just the other day she told her mother and me that she wants to be a baby again. While she answered, when pressed, that she wanted to stay home with mommy and daddy, I knew […]

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DOH-BROWARD EARNS NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH AWARDS

The Florida Department of Health in Broward County(DOH-Broward) is pleased to receive the Large Local Health Department of the Year award by the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) at the 2015 Annual Conference. The award recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of small, medium and large local health departments for their innovation, creativity and impact on their community. “We are proud to receive NACCHO’s Local Health Department of the Year Award,” said Paula Thaqi, M.D., M.P.H, director of the Florida Department of Health in Broward County. “The award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of […]

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Taking a Bite Out of Summer Hunger

“We’re encouraging our partners to start serving meals to kids who may struggle over the summer,” said Paco Velez, president and CEO of Feeding South Florida. As Summer BreakSpot sponsors, Feeding South Florida handles the administrative and financial oversight of the USDA program, which passes through a reimbursement for breakfasts, lunches and snacks that have all the components of nutritious meals at approved locations. Each lunch must include a serving of milk, two servings of fruits or vegetables, one grain and one protein. At Summer BreakSpots children receive meals in a safe and supervised setting, which may include faith-based organizations, […]

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How I Became A Direct Seller

Direct sales is as old-school as your mom selling Tupperware to your neighbors and as current as the Origami Owl party you “attended” last night on Facebook or Google+. According to DirectSellingAssociation. com, there are close to 16 million people in the U.S. involved in direct selling with almost 75 percent of adults reporting they’ve purchased products from a direct seller. From make-up to skincare, educational toys to cookware, gardening items to home décor, there are dozens of companies built on direct sales rather than a fixed retail location. These companies rely on independent contractors who are not employees of […]

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Chris Lloyd Joins HOPE South Florida as CEO

HOPE South Florida Founder and Board Chair Fred Scarbrough announced that Chris Lloyd started as its new CEO on June 15, joining Robin Martin and Steve Werthman to round out an already strong leadership team. Chris was the Executive Administrator at First Fort Lauderdale (formerly First Baptist Church of Fort Lauderdale) and brings extensive experience in finance in the health care field. “HOPE South Florida has grown significantly over the past several years and with the addition of Chris we are positioned to realize growth towards our mission of providing hope for the homeless and hurting through services and partnerships […]

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Food for the Poor Donor Gifts Eye Surgery to Girl in Haiti

A 12-year-old girl will undergo cataract surgery at Bernard Mevs Hospital in Haiti, thanks in part to a local Food For The Poor (FFTP) donor, who has made students’ eye health a priority. The eye examinations are led by ophthalmologist Brother James Kim from the Catholic order of Kkottongnae, Haiti. “[The 12-year-old girl] received trauma on her right eye by a thorn three years ago and needs a cataract operation on her eye,” wrote Brother James. “Her left eye is normal, but her right can just sense light. This surgery is more difficult than usual, because trauma caused this, and […]

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