Making it Happen

Erin Hagan 02/03/2016

Making It Happen

What are some of your biggest goals? Graduating college? Finding your perfect soulmate? Traveling the world? Making a family? Buying a home? Losing weight? Owning a business?

Here at Upstate Family Resource Center, we are setting goals with clients in our community in order to help them reach financial stability. Some goals may be simple while others may be a bit more challenging to achieve. However, no matter the challenge we want everyone to realize that anything can be achieved if they only set their mind to it. It all begins with determination and a plan. But what do we do when our goal(s) fail?

I remember graduating high school and having a big goal of being a respiratory therapist in the future. So off to college I went. I was prepared with books, scrubs, a stethoscope, and anything else this program would require of me. I was on top of the world and no one could stop me. I was learning new things daily about this career path I had chosen and loving every minute of it. Until something changed and my dream was shattered. We began clinical's and working with patients who weren’t going to survive. We started working with premature babies whose lives were hanging in the balance. It was just too much to take on. I got attached to these patients easily and when their life was over here on earth it was so overwhelming to me. So I made the hard decision to withdraw from my classes because I knew I couldn’t take that stress at work every day. Sometimes life throws you curve balls and you have to make the decision to pick up your boot straps and keep pressing on. So after this happened I began setting new goals for myself and today I am happy with that hard decision I had to make.

So the best thing to keep in mind is setting a goal in life has no limits. Never be afraid to better yourself or your family. Make it happen and if it doesn’t happen, keep moving forward anyway. 

"Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude" -Thomas Jefferson 

Is it really February already? Where has January gone? It must be everything at the Center keeping us on our toes that has allowed the time to fly by.

 In January, UFRC signed up to be a part or Rummage for a Reason. Rummage for a Reason is a cooperative fundraising event coordinated by Uptown Sertoma Club benefiting participating nonprofits (like us!). We will be selling new and like-new items to help raise money for the Center. So mark your calendars for Rummage for a Reason begins Friday, February 26th from 6-8 pm with a Pre-sale (tickets $5) and the Public Sale begins 8 am Saturday February 27th (location TBA), so check back in for information on some really great items! 

UFRC is set up to host a poverty simulation that will give anyone a chance to go through an experience of living in poverty. The simulation is a real life situation that will take two hours for you to live out you life’s story in poverty. This simulation will take place at the end of March. UFRC also took a trip down to Vocational Rehab. We learned about the resources available to help individuals with disabilities including physical and mental impairment to find jobs in the Spartanburg area. We are very excited about this partnership and being able to have a resource like Vocational Rehab to help our families thrive!

February looks to be an equally busy month! Our VITA program starts off tomorrow! VITA stands for Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, and is a group of volunteers that will file taxes for free for an income of up to $54,000. For more information read our post below or call the Center! We are also looking to have our new website finished by the end of the month. We are uploading content and helping create a dynamite new look that everyone will enjoy!

Comment below on something you would like to see on our new website!

What are you up to on Tuesday Afternoons?

By, Barry White

Do you know what one of the best kept secrets in our community is the Upstate Family Resource Center?  This organization provides tremendous value to the fellow citizens.  Most of it is under the radar. One of these little known but valued services is VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance).  On any given Tuesday afternoon in February and March you will find up to fourteen dedicated volunteers diligently preparing tax returns - Free of Charge – for local families with a combined income of under $54,000.  Today’s tax laws, especially with the addition of last year’s Affordable Care Act have made it all but impossible to prepare returns without the aid of a computer. 

After the tax forms are completed and signed by the individual, both the Federal and state forms are electronically filed, again without any cost to the family.  If a refund is due, individuals can expect to receive it in approximately two weeks.

Last year 272 returns were processed at the Upstate Family Resource Center resulting in over $278,500 in Federal refunds and $94,700 in state refunds. 

Our volunteers are all, certified by the IRS, are ready and eager to assist those requiring our services. To apply for an appointment simply contact the United Way of the Piedmont at 582-2975. 

Also, If you would like to help, contact the Upstate Family Resource Center at 578-1379.  It is not too late.  Training is provided.  Catch that “Feel Good Feeling” by helping your neighbor today!  

Creating Fun Memories with your Little One.

By, Angela Jones

When I was a teenager, one of my favorite songs was Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”.  (Yes, I know this shows my age, and yes, I totally rocked the huge permed hair)  I loved this song because it captured and stressed the importance of having fun!  With that being said, I believe that this also holds true with our children.  Today’s children are bombarded with technology, so much, that even my 4 year old niece can operate my smartphone better than I can.

This overuse of technology can sometimes overshadow the simple joy and importance of play.  Getting out the glue sticks, scissors, and construction paper can create fun activities and interaction with our kids.  This basic, “old-fashioned” fun is what we provide in our “Mommy and Me” meetings that are held at Hendrix Elementary once a month. These meetings are for parents and their child/children ages birth to 4 who are not yet enrolled in school.  We have story time, a fun make it- take it craft, and snacks.  Children love to have fun, and they love to spend time with their parents. After all, parents are their child’s first and most important teacher!  Spending one on one time reading, playing, and engaging with our children promotes healthy bonding relationships, early brain development, and most importantly lasting fun memories! 

Our next “Mommy and Me” meeting will be held Monday, February 8, 2016 at 8:00am at Hendrix Elementary School.  Come out and enjoy this time with your little ones, and remember: Kids Just Wanna Have Fun!!

Live at the Center

Happy New Year’s everyone! UFRC is back in action and is determined to have its best year yet! This past year we had some great accomplishments and wanted to make sure you all are up to date on what’s going on!

In January of 2015 we kicked off our financial Saving Up’ program. We provided wonderful learning opportunities for families throughout the year and matched their savings up to $300. We had 6 families save up to $300 each for a total savings of over $3,600. We have great faith that they are well prepared for the New Year ahead.

 We also wrapped up our first year with our Ace Scholars Tutoring program at Carlisle Foster's Grove elementary school. Our students showed amazing improvements with their average test scores increasing by 18.79 points.

In November we wrapped up Auction for a Cause. We had a great turn out and were very glad to see many of your smiling faces there! We raised over $18,000! In December we also hosted our annual Santa Shoppe. Qualified clients shopped for their children and wrapped up some really cool presents! We were also very privileged to make sure each child had a pair of socks this Christmas. Thank you to Knights Apparel for over 1,600 pairs of socks. Our Community generously made our Christmas Shoppe extra special this year.

Now on to January! This month we have a lot in motion. The Center is looking to update and expand our website. We will also launch our Strive to Thrive University. This awesome learning opportunity will help families earn resource bucks for items that they need from our Center. Stay tuned for more details to come!

Our GED, Workkeys and ESL classes have started up again today and it feels great to have everyone back in the building. UFRC is ready for the New Year and the exciting changes to come. Helping families thrive is our mission. What changes are you making this year that could have positive impact on you and your community? Please share in the comments section below. 

Food Drive This Weekend!

This weekend dozens of our supporters will be serving and collecting food at the Walmart and two Ingles Stores on Hwy 9. 

 

We need your help in two ways….

First please share this blog. Second, please give. We have some specific needs, but would also love to receive what God puts on your heart as we work hard to meet the needs of both families and children in our community that are in need of a hand up. 

 We will be serving starting at 9:00 AM thru 6:00 PM at the following store locations:

• Ingles - 4600 Hwy 9, Inman
• Inges -  2120 Boiling Springs Road, Spartanburg
• Walmart - 4000 SC-9, Boiling Springs

Thank you in advance!

All of us at The Upstate Family Resource Center… 

Healthy Smiles, Healthy Kids

Manda Hughson, Healthy Smiles of Spartanburg, contributed to this blog.  Thank you Manda for your work in keeping kids healthy and smiling!

 

 

Healthy Smiles Mobile Dental Clinic!

I am pleased to announce that we will be instituting a free mobile dental clinic in districts 1 and 7 this fall. This will be our first year pilot program to test the waters. If it is successful, we will implement the mobile dental unit in all districts so that we may reach all children in need.

Our mobile dental clinic will perform comprehensive dental exams, dental cleanings and x-rays. We hope to add more restorative work ( Fillings, extractions etc.)next year.

How you qualify for our program

1.)   You must not have dental insurance or Medicaid

2.)   You must be a student in a Spartanburg county school.

3.)   You must qualify for free or reduced lunch.

We will determine who qualifies for our program through our yearly dental screenings in the schools. This program is a way to reach those that do qualify but cannot make it to our dental clinic at The Spartanburg Community College on weekends about 4 times a month. Transportation can be difficult for a lot of people.

 

Hand for your reading pleasure--here are some fun dental facts!!

 

 

 

 

1.       51 million school hours per year are lost because of dental related illness.

2.       Flossing can increase your life expectancy by 6 years.

3.       There are more bacteria in your mouth than there are people in the world.

4.       Brush twice a day, floss and rinse once a day for a cavity free mouth.

5.       Smiling boosts your immune system.

6.       If you drink sugary sodas or juice you are 63% more likely to get cavities.

7.       More people use blue toothbrushes than red ones.

8.       Giraffes have the same number of teeth as humans. 32!!

9.       In Medieval Germany, the only cure for a toothache was to kiss a donkey.

10.   The cotton candy making machine that made widely consumed cotton candy possible was co-invented by a dentist. Before it was cotton candy, the fluffy confection was called “fairy floss.”

11.   An elephants tooth can weigh 6 pounds.