Eight Waves Shared their Mission With Us Today

HAPPY DOLLARS
Happy dollars always kick us off on a positive note as members and guests share something they are currently happy about! Today $110 was collected to go towards the our guest speaker organization - Eight Waves Children and Family Services.

GUEST SPEAKER - SARA MEYER WITH EIGHT WAVES CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES

Tete Sara as she's called, has 3 of her own kids and 55 kids from the east part of the city of Winter Garden who Eight Waves provides an after-school style service to that enrich their quality of lives and provide family stability.

Eight Waves started in 2018 when Sara noticed activity in an east area neighborhood in the downtown Winter Garden area where kids didn't have knowledge and support found in more well off areas. 

To address the literacy issue that was evident, reading tutoring services in an after-school environment was one of the first initiatives provided. 

Food & basic hygiene supplies and services were another evident need. This has evolved to providing healthy meals and a cooking club where they learned how to prepare their own food and practice their reading skills by following the recipes.

Hygiene drives through Eight Waves now regularly provide 300 children in Winter Garden schools with items such as shampoo, deodorant and toilet paper.

Around 70 kids at West Orange High School are part of a Wednesday lunch program where an outside meal is provided to the 20% of kids that are most at risk from graduating and each gathering includes a talk and discussion around a topic or skillset designed to help them in life skills that can help them after they finish their high school experience.

These examples are just part of the eight areas of initiatives they are currently providing services within: Reading Intervention, Mentoring, Birthday Wish, Mothers Community, Books for Babies, Hygiene Help, Life Experiences, and Family Stability.

The organization is currently housed within the West Orange Dream Center and has plans for a community center to provide underserved West Orange County kids with the opportunities they deserve.

Eight Waves is one of the core organizations that the Rotary Club of Horizon West supports through our fundraising initiatives, but please also connect with them to learn how you can help directly.

FACEBOOK

https://www.facebook.com/eightwavesyouth

WEBSITE

https://www.eightwaves.org/ur calendar now!

ROTARY HAPPY HOUR • LAST WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH

To further our club's focus on community service, networking & fellowship, save the last Wednesday of every month from 5:30 - 7:30pm on your calendar now!

Next Event: Wed Jan 25th - New York Beer Project

WELCOME TO NEW MEMBER - ELIZABETH STEPHENSON

Elizabeth is a new member that joined recently. She lives in Summerport here in Horizon West and is working as a realtor within our Horizon West community. She checked out Rotary based on recommendations of others as a great place to network and then realized the opportunity to serve our community and realized it really was a place she wanted to be.

UPCOMING MEETINGS
February 1st

Cheryl Sharpe with House of Hope

MAXEY ELEMENTARY STUDENT MENTORS NEEDED

Please contact Francisco to get signed up to be a mentor to one our our Maxey Elementary children that are in need of an adult mentor. Half hour a week is all it takes to make a huge difference in the children's lives and our members that have been doing this for several years share over and over how much it actually has enriched their life as well.

Definitely time worth committing to.

francisco@rentcare.net

REMINDER OF THE ONGOING CHALLENGE TO OUR CURRENT MEMBERS

Our District Governor Andres Goyanes' challenged us to the 4 Way Challenge so we are ramping up our efforts to invite others to come check out our club:

1) a Family Member

2) a Friend

3) a Co-worker

4) a Customer 

And if you can't find one of them to come, ask a Veteran or a First Responder.