Everyone responds to music, and Nordoff Robbins is using it to transform the lives of vulnerable children and adults in the UK. The state's leading provider of music therapy services, Nordoff Robbins delivers more than 50,000 music therapy sessions annually in schools, hospitals, day centers, care homes, and its own facilities. The charity's trained network of music therapists work with people of all ages living with various challenges, including autism, dementia, stroke, depression, brain injury, mental health problems, and cancer. Music affects our minds, bodies, and feelings. It has the ability to improve physical health; address emotional and behavioral difficulties; promote creativity, confidence, and self-esteem; and nurture social and communication skills.
Nordoff Robbins has been educating music therapists since 1947 and its masters training is globally recognized as a gold standard in music therapy training. The charity also offers short courses and workshops that are open to everyone interested in learning more about music and well-being.
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
The Stuttering Foundation Provides Support for Stutterers
The Stuttering Foundation of America is the world's first and largest non-profit organization working toward the prevention and improved treatment of stuttering, an often misunderstood disability that affects more than 3 million Americans. Based in Memphis, Tennessee, the Stuttering Foundation was founded in 1947 by Malcolm Fraser, who decided to change career paths at the age of 44 so he could help people who stutter. Understanding the disability from personal, often painful experience, Fraser met with Dr. Charles Van Riper, a renowned speech therapist and fellow stutterer, to discuss the idea of a charity dedicated to helping those who stutter.
The Stuttering Foundation's goal is to provide the best and latest tools available to prevent stuttering in young children and treat the disability in teens and adults. The Stuttering Foundation offers free online resources, services, and support to individuals who stutter and their families; delivers training programs on stuttering for professionals; and supports research into the causes of stuttering.
Reaching millions of people each year, the Stuttering Foundation of America manages an extensive public awareness campaign to dispel misconceptions about stuttering and inform people that help is available. The charity's press releases have led to thousands of print stories and broadcast segments in media outlets such as The Today Show, CBS This Morning, NPR, CNN, and AP. The Stuttering Foundation also produces public service announcements and advertisements featuring nationally recognized spokespersons.
In addition, the charity has published 29 books, 27 brochures, and 35 DVDs for people concerned about stuttering, including parents, employers, and professionals. Written by leading experts in the field, these publications have been translated into other languages and many are used in speech pathology departments in universities worldwide.
Malcolm Fraser and the Stuttering Foundation were honored with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Distinguished Service Award for “dedication and effective contributions to the field of speech pathology.”
The Stuttering Foundation's goal is to provide the best and latest tools available to prevent stuttering in young children and treat the disability in teens and adults. The Stuttering Foundation offers free online resources, services, and support to individuals who stutter and their families; delivers training programs on stuttering for professionals; and supports research into the causes of stuttering.
Reaching millions of people each year, the Stuttering Foundation of America manages an extensive public awareness campaign to dispel misconceptions about stuttering and inform people that help is available. The charity's press releases have led to thousands of print stories and broadcast segments in media outlets such as The Today Show, CBS This Morning, NPR, CNN, and AP. The Stuttering Foundation also produces public service announcements and advertisements featuring nationally recognized spokespersons.
In addition, the charity has published 29 books, 27 brochures, and 35 DVDs for people concerned about stuttering, including parents, employers, and professionals. Written by leading experts in the field, these publications have been translated into other languages and many are used in speech pathology departments in universities worldwide.
Malcolm Fraser and the Stuttering Foundation were honored with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Distinguished Service Award for “dedication and effective contributions to the field of speech pathology.”
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Aurora Warms the Night: Breaking the Cycle of Homelessness in Aurora, CO
Aurora Warms the Night (AWTN) is a non-profit organization focused on preserving the life and well-being of homeless men, women, and children in Aurora, Colorado. AWTN provides shelter and comprehensive services that meet homeless families' and individuals' most basic needs. These include paid vouchers for motel rooms, transportation to motels, food, blankets, warm clothing, hygiene products, heatstroke prevention, and referrals to partner agencies. In addition, all clients are matched to Aurora Mental Health Care's PATH program to help them transition out of homelessness.
AWTN's other community partners like Hunger Free Colorado, Aurora Community Outreach Team, Metro Care Providers Network, Denver Department of Veterans Affairs, Aurora Arts District, and more also help provide mental health and substance abuse counseling, job coaching, veteran services, and food stamp application assistance. All services offered by AWTN and its partners are free of charge.
Aurora Warms the Night is a GuideStar Exchange Gold Participant and has received the Great Nonprofits Top-Rated Award for two consecutive years.
AWTN's other community partners like Hunger Free Colorado, Aurora Community Outreach Team, Metro Care Providers Network, Denver Department of Veterans Affairs, Aurora Arts District, and more also help provide mental health and substance abuse counseling, job coaching, veteran services, and food stamp application assistance. All services offered by AWTN and its partners are free of charge.
Aurora Warms the Night is a GuideStar Exchange Gold Participant and has received the Great Nonprofits Top-Rated Award for two consecutive years.
Inheritance of Hope: Hope for Families With a Terminally Ill Parent
Based in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina, Inheritance of Hope is dedicated to inspiring hope in young families facing the loss of a parent. To this end, the charity provides quality books and literature; life-changing family retreats; and ongoing emotional, financial, and spiritual support for individuals and groups.
Inheritance of Hope believes that preparing for the death of a parent while they are still alive yields significant long-term benefits for children and families. A faith-based organization, Inheritance of Hope serves under Christian core beliefs while welcoming families of all backgrounds.
Inheritance of Hope was founded by Kristen and Deric Milligan, whose passion for helping families living with a terminally ill parent was born out of firsthand experience. After being diagnosed with liver cancer in 2003, Kristen looked for children's literature to help her kids cope. When she couldn't find anything suitable, she wrote her own book, A Train's Rust, a Toy Maker's Love. In the book, the mother of a train family starts to rust, prompting the toy maker to ask questions about what will happen next.
In 2007, Kristen and Deric launched Inheritance of Hope, which began selling Kristen's books. The following year, the non-profit hosted its first all expenses paid Legacy Retreat in Lake George, New York. Since then, Inheritance of Hope has given more families the opportunity to enjoy a worry-free, cost-free vacation. Legacy Retreats also provide a chance for families with a terminally ill parent to interact with other families facing similar challenges, creating a community of support that can be maintained long after the event is over.
Kristen died on October 26, 2012 after enduring her illness for almost a decade. She has written three books, two for children and one for adults. Deric, who holds an MBA with distinction from NYU's Stern School of Business, continues to serve as Inheritance of Hope's executive director.
Inheritance of Hope believes that preparing for the death of a parent while they are still alive yields significant long-term benefits for children and families. A faith-based organization, Inheritance of Hope serves under Christian core beliefs while welcoming families of all backgrounds.
Inheritance of Hope was founded by Kristen and Deric Milligan, whose passion for helping families living with a terminally ill parent was born out of firsthand experience. After being diagnosed with liver cancer in 2003, Kristen looked for children's literature to help her kids cope. When she couldn't find anything suitable, she wrote her own book, A Train's Rust, a Toy Maker's Love. In the book, the mother of a train family starts to rust, prompting the toy maker to ask questions about what will happen next.
In 2007, Kristen and Deric launched Inheritance of Hope, which began selling Kristen's books. The following year, the non-profit hosted its first all expenses paid Legacy Retreat in Lake George, New York. Since then, Inheritance of Hope has given more families the opportunity to enjoy a worry-free, cost-free vacation. Legacy Retreats also provide a chance for families with a terminally ill parent to interact with other families facing similar challenges, creating a community of support that can be maintained long after the event is over.
Kristen died on October 26, 2012 after enduring her illness for almost a decade. She has written three books, two for children and one for adults. Deric, who holds an MBA with distinction from NYU's Stern School of Business, continues to serve as Inheritance of Hope's executive director.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Pharrell Williams' From One Hand To AnOTHER Gives Kids the Tools to Succeed
Musical artist and producer Pharrell Williams believes every child could be successful if they had the right tools. As he was growing up in the Seatack neighborhood of Virginia Beach, Williams faced difficult times with his family but they stayed strong and he was lucky enough to find his tool for the future, music. He attributes his success to that discovery and believes that if every community with underserved youth had a community center dedicated to augmenting the learning experience and providing exposure to different resources, arts, and technologies, children could find their own tool and create a successful future.
Thus in 2008, Williams founded From One Hand To AnOTHER (FOHTA), a non-profit organization to support the Pharrell Williams Resource Center (PWRC), whose learning programs are developed for underserved youth ages 7 to 20 in at-risk communities across the US. FOHTA aims to change the world one kid at a time by providing the tools and resources to help them reach their unique potential.
The first in a series of Pharrell Williams Learning Facilities, PWRC in Virginia Beach, Virginia currently offers educational STEAMM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, and motivation) tools to children in the city's schools, churches, and parks and recreation facilities. Looking to modernize the community center concept, PWRC provides project-based learning activities, life coaching, tutoring, and motivation lessons in a safe and technologically enhanced environment.
Today, a quarter of Americans who start high school do not graduate. Several countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom have a larger percent of college graduates than the US. A largely uneducated workforce will lead American corporations to look for employees overseas in the next 20 years. FOHTA is dedicated to reversing this trend by developing a prepared workforce and the nation's future leaders.
Thus in 2008, Williams founded From One Hand To AnOTHER (FOHTA), a non-profit organization to support the Pharrell Williams Resource Center (PWRC), whose learning programs are developed for underserved youth ages 7 to 20 in at-risk communities across the US. FOHTA aims to change the world one kid at a time by providing the tools and resources to help them reach their unique potential.
The first in a series of Pharrell Williams Learning Facilities, PWRC in Virginia Beach, Virginia currently offers educational STEAMM (science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, and motivation) tools to children in the city's schools, churches, and parks and recreation facilities. Looking to modernize the community center concept, PWRC provides project-based learning activities, life coaching, tutoring, and motivation lessons in a safe and technologically enhanced environment.
Today, a quarter of Americans who start high school do not graduate. Several countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom have a larger percent of college graduates than the US. A largely uneducated workforce will lead American corporations to look for employees overseas in the next 20 years. FOHTA is dedicated to reversing this trend by developing a prepared workforce and the nation's future leaders.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Introduces Kids to the Magic of Reading
In 1996, singer-songwriter Dolly Parton founded Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to foster a love of reading among the children and families of her home county in East Tennessee. By sending a hand-selected, high-quality, age-appropriate book directly to their home each month, Parton wanted children to be excited about books and ensure that they would have books at home regardless of their family's income.
The program was such a huge success that in 2000, Parton offered it to any community that was willing to partner with her to support it locally. Today, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has mailed approximately 40 million books to children in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. More than 1,600 local communities are currently participating in the program, sending books to over 750,000 kids every month.
According to independent studies, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has helped improve early childhood literacy and literacy scores for the children enrolled in the program.
The program was such a huge success that in 2000, Parton offered it to any community that was willing to partner with her to support it locally. Today, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has mailed approximately 40 million books to children in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. More than 1,600 local communities are currently participating in the program, sending books to over 750,000 kids every month.
According to independent studies, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has helped improve early childhood literacy and literacy scores for the children enrolled in the program.
Monday, June 9, 2014
Create: Transforming Lives Through the Creative Arts
Create believes that everyone deserves the chance to fulfill their potential. The London-based charity uses the power of the creative arts to help the UK's most disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals develop creativity, social skills, learning, and self-esteem. Create mostly works with community partners that understand the locality and know where assistance is needed the most. The non-profit focuses on seven priority groups – young patients, young and adult carers, schoolchildren and teachers in underserved areas, disabled children and adults, young and adult offenders, marginalized children and adults, and vulnerable older people.
In addition to working extensively across London and the South, Create has delivered projects as far as Derby, Manchester, and Glasgow. Each project is designed to give participants a sense of self-worth and some programs bring different groups together to break down barriers and foster shared understanding. Create's programs are delivered by exceptional artists who are professionals in their field, passionate about their art form, and genuinely care about people.
In addition to working extensively across London and the South, Create has delivered projects as far as Derby, Manchester, and Glasgow. Each project is designed to give participants a sense of self-worth and some programs bring different groups together to break down barriers and foster shared understanding. Create's programs are delivered by exceptional artists who are professionals in their field, passionate about their art form, and genuinely care about people.
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