March 2017 Editor: Carol Dobi

Dear FOCUS Members, With our big Spring fundraiser, Kickin’ It Up For Kids, coming earlier than usual this year the committee members have been working double time putting it all together. The big day, March 26th, will be here in less than three weeks, and yet many of you haven’t purchased your tickets yet! You don’t want to miss out so make sure to get your checks mailed today. Please see the flyer further down in this newsletter for more information. We’ve had a wonderful response to our requests for underwriting donations for the fundraiser; thank you to everyone who has already contributed and thank you to Ethel Kallsen for sending letters to all of our membership. If you haven’t sent in a donation yet you still have time. All donation checks, marked ‘underwriting’ can be mailed to FOCUS, P.O. Box 180023, Coronado, CA 92178. Every donation, regardless of the amount, is greatly appreciated. I hope to see many of you at our line dancing class on March 9th. If you’re unsure about attending the fundraiser because you’re not into country music, then come to the line dancing class. You’ll have so much fun learning to dance you’ll be looking for every opportunity to get onto the dance floor. More information on the dance class can be found further down in the newsletter.

May Love and Laughter Light Your Day And Warm Your Heart and Home

May Good and Faithful Friends Be Yours Wherever You May Roam

May Peace and Plenty Bless Your World With Joy That Long Endures

May All Life’s Passing Seasons Bring the Best to You and Yours!

Author Unknown Wishing all of you a very happy St. Patrick’s day!

Lorna Perez-Caster

TREASURY ROGER CLAPP

Treasurer’s Report for February 2017

Starting Balance $ 72,710.34 2/01/2017

Deposits $ 31,436.45

General Expenses $ 86.86

Project Expenses $ 1,100.46

Fundraising Expenses $ 4,859.86

Ending balance $ 98,186.47 2/28/2017

Net Income for the Month $ 25,476.15

Member Dues $ 2,700.00

Meeting income $ 650.00

Fundraising Event-Kickin’ it up for Kids (Total)

Income $ 29,080.00

Expenses $ 5,449.37

Total Income $ 23,630.63

Expenses

Monthly Meeting Advance $

General Expenses $ 86.86

Projects $ 961.14

Project Budget for 2017 $ 80,000.00

Approved Project Expenses for 2017 $ 33,130.00

Project Expenses thru February 2017 $ 27,061.60

Encumbered Funds $ 32,469.32

Available Funds $ 65,717.15

This includes $25,000, which was in the 2016 Budget for the Urban Street Angels van.

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

Well. Let's hear it for Happy Hours!

If the meeting this month at Miguel's Cocina was any kind of an indication, apparently our members like Happy Hours. We had 60+ members and guests in attendance! The staff did a fine job and, and as Lorna already said, we apologize for the sound system difficulties.

We'll be together again March 26th at our "Kickin' it up for Kids" event. The committee is working hard to make this a really fun and special evening. Ticket sales have been good so, if you haven't already done it, be sure to make your reservations ASAP!

Next regular meeting ... April 20, 4-6 PM, Happy Hour at the Trinidad Village Clubhouse. Details to follow.

SHARYN BLONGIEWICZ

FUNDRAISING

If you haven’t yet purchased your tickets to the Kickin’ It Up For Kids fundraiser, what’s holding you back? You’ll be kickin’ yourself if you miss out on this fun filled evening of great music, dancing, food and auction items. This is going to be one heck of a party and the best part is the more money we raise, the more kids we can help!

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

Don’t forget, FOCUS is holding a FREE line dancing class for all who want to learn country line dancing or just brush up on their dancing skills. We will have a professional instructor there to teach you the steps so that you’ll be all set for dancing at our Kickin’ It Up for Kids Fundraiser.

When: March 9th, at 4:00 PM

Where: Grand Caribe Room

501 Grand Caribe Causeway, Coronado

(Coronado Cays Homeowner’s Association Building)

Cost: FREE

Silent Auction Items Still Needed

First of all, thank you to all who have been working hard soliciting items for the silent auction portion of our Kickin’ It Up For Kids fundraiser, as well as to those individuals who have donated their own items or services. The silent auction is taking shape, but we are still in need of additional items. If you haven’t already secured or donated something, please consider helping us out.

One of the easiest ways to secure an item is to talk to those businesses that you do business with on a regular basis, such as your manicurist, massage therapist, hairstylist, stores and restaurants you frequent, etc. Share with them some of the great work that FOCUS does and ask them if they will help us with our fundraising efforts by making a donation of an item or service for our silent auction.

Since we’ve already targeted a lot of businesses throughout the county, please check with Lorna Perez-Caster at landgcaster@aol.com or 760-470-4666 beforehand to make sure the business hasn’t already been asked to donate. Lorna can also e-mail you the packet of information that we’ve been providing to businesses, which includes our 501(c)(3) tax ID #.

If you prefer not to have to solicit from businesses, please consider personally donating a store or restaurant gift card.

Another option, for those of you with an artistic talent, is to donate an original piece of art, for example a painting, sculpture or piece of custom jewelry.

Just think, if we had just one item from each of our members (whether solicited or personally donated) we’d have an awesome silent auction! Can we count on you?

PROJECTS LISA ALVES AND JEAN BAUER

PROJECTS APPROVED IN FEBRUARY

VISTA HILL CARE FACILITIES - $2,750 - Shopper: Sharon Shelton www.vistahill.org The Therapeutic Learning Center, located on-site at Vista Hill’s ParentCare Family Recovery Centers, is a licensed specialized childcare center and preschool. It focuses on the multiple needs of children who have been exposed to drugs and alcohol in-utero and/or have spent their first years of life in substance abusing, dysfunctional homes. Currently approximately 150 mothers, and their young children, are served annually at ParentCare East and an additional 100 mothers and their children at ParentCare Central.

A $200 monthly allocation to support the ParentCare TLC in La Mesa as well as a $75 monthly allocation to support the new childcare center in Central ParentCare facility has been approved. The funds would be used to purchase equipment and materials for childcare centers at both ParentCare sites, including diapers and other infant supplies, educational materials, supplies for arts/crafts/educational activities, toys and other childcare supplies.

BURRITO BOYZ-KIDS KORNE - $1,800 on-going gran - Shopper: Nanci Copley www.BurritoBoyz.org The Burrito Boyz/Kids Korner mission is to help nourish the spirit of the Street Homeless of San Diego County by providing Hot Food & Comfort. Every Sunday volunteers meet at Long Island Mikes Pizza Kitchen on Murphy Canyon Road to make over 600 breakfast burritos for our SD Homeless community. We approved KIDS Korner with an on-going grant of $1,800 to supply healthy snacks and school supplies for kids.

Reading Legacies “Family Connections Shared Reading Program” - $3,000 - Shoppers: Fran Becker and Marsha Frisbie www.readinglegacies.org The mission of Reading Legacies is to empower children and youth as valued family and community members through intergenerational shared-reading experiences. Their vision is that shared-reading will connect all children and youth to their families and communities. The primary focus is to help the most vulnerable children and youth in their community, especially those in underserved, low-income areas. The children who receive these books experience great joy knowing that their loved one is safe and still able to communicate with them through the simple act of reading a book on DVD. The books focus on messages building character values. We approved to purchase 750 children’s paperback books, these will be sent to children of incarcerated parents who participate in the Family Connections program.

The David’s Harp Foundation - $4,200 www.davidsharpfoundation.org The David’s Harp Foundation is a San Diego non-profit organization since 2009 that inspires, educates and empowers at-risk and homeless youth to achieve academic success through teaching sound engineering, music education, song writing and multimedia production. The program taught after school teaches students how to produce the media that they consume everyday through their project-based curriculums, which include Podcasting, Modern Music Production and Videography.

The 2 room studio is located downtown San Diego and has been started with donated state of the equipment and supported by volunteer professional musicians and music/video production engineers. The volunteers teach specific curriculums, mentor students to succeed academically and socially and provide encouragement to do well in school by providing extra studio and instructor time for increasing school grades. We approved 1 iMac computer 2.8 GHz processor 8GB onboard memory, 2 lighting kits and tripods, to be used to teach kids how to produce music and music vide

SUNSHINE MARJORIE LOGAN

IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS

Condolences go

out to Carol Dobi

and her family on

the passing of

Carol’s mother.

We are deeply saddened by the loss

of member Patricia Clabuesch, who

passed away on February 14th.

………………………… We send our good wishes

for a speedy recovery

to Vicki Bernitt who had brain

surgery and seems nicely

on the road to recovery

with her new

hairstyle!

THANK YOU FOCUS!

THANK YOU FOCUS

Last year, through Coronado Safe, the FOCUS Board learned about a homeless high school student who was found sleeping in the garage of a vacant home in Coronado. Originally from downtown San Diego, he had found his way to Coronado in hopes of attending Coronado School of the Arts. A family living in the Coronado Cays took him in and they assisted him with getting enrolled in CoSA. His dream is to become a professional dancer. The FOCUS Board voted to approve purchasing $250 worth of clothes, shoes and other items needed for some of his dance classes. Below is a thank you letter he sent to FOCUS.

EVENT PHOTOS CARMEL FLECK

FEBRUARY

February

Happy Hour

HAPPY HOUR