Thank you for all of
your support to
Children First/CIS
Board of Directors,
Staff, Volunteers,
and community
members we served
during 2008.
I wish you all the
best for a
spectacular 2009.
Happy New Year!
Jennifer
Hampton
Director of Development
and Marketing
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Thank You Asheville Home
Builders Association
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Members
of the Asheville Home
Builders Association (AHBA)
recently made a
contribution of $1,900
to Children
First/CIS. Cathy and
Bob Lyons-Spear rallied
fellow members at the
AHBA annual Christmas
event to raise money to
help at-risk children in
our community.
Thank you
AHBA, we appreciate your
support!
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Holiday Giving Update |
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Thanks to
the support of local
businesses and community
members,
 Children
First/CIS Family
Resource Center at Emma
was able to provide
Holiday assistance to
303 children. "This was
the largest Holiday
Program organized
through the Resource
Center," said Allison
Jordan, executive
director. "This year we
have seen a steady
growth in families
needing assistance and,
given the current
economic climate in our
country, we anticipate
that families' needs
will be even greater
this year," said
Jordan.
 Jason
Ingle, managing
broker, and members
of the Buyers Agent
of Asheville donated
gifts to the
Children First/CIS
Family Resource
Center at Emma to
help 16 of these
children have a
Merry Christmas.
"After attending the
Children First/CIS
Mind the Gap tour
and meeting the kids
that they serve at
their Project MARCH
Learning Centers, I
wanted to reach out
and help," said
Ingle. "I work with
a great group of
individuals who also
believe in giving
back to the
community and we
wanted to help
during this holiday
season."
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Food Donations Needed
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The Family Resource
Center at Emma provided
over 1,100 food boxes
last year. As families
are in greater need for
food this year, the Food
Pantry is in dire need
of items to help these
families. Consider
picking up a few extra
items at the store or
holding a food drive at
work, church or book
clubs and help feed a
hungry family. Items
needed include:
canned vegetables
pasta, rice
dried and canned
beans
boxed macaroni and
cheese
peanut butter and
jelly
canned soups and
stews
cereal
canned meats. tuna
flour, sugar
juice
applesauce
evaporated and
powdered milk
non-perishable food
items
For more information
please contact the
Family Resource
Center at Emma at
828-252-4810.
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The mission
of Children First/CIS is to
improve the lives of
children, youth and their
families through community
collaborations, advocacy and
programs.
As a not-for-profit
organization,
Children First/CIS advocates
for
Buncombe County's children
while providing innovative
programs for vulnerable
children, and engaging the
community in creating a
better future for all
children. |
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Advocacy
Corner:
Children
First/CIS Legislative
Agenda for 2009 General
Assembly
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The 2009
NC
General
Assembly
will
convene
on
Wednesday,
January
28 and
faces an
estimated
2009-10
budget
shortfall
of $3
billion,
or about
15% of
the
state
budget
(NC
Budget
and Tax
Center).
The
governor
and
legislature
will
make
tough
decisions
on state
programs
in the
face of
rising
human
services,
health,
and
education
needs.
Your
voice
will be
needed
to
protect
funding
important
to
sustaining
healthy
children
and
families.
The
priorities
for the
Children
First/CIS
advocacy
agenda
are:
-
Strengthen
the
economic
security
of NC
families
through
paid
sick
days
legislation,
increasing
the
state
Earned
Income
Tax
Credit (EITC),
and
promoting
increased
minimum
wages
and
living
wages.
-
Increase
the
child
care
reimbursement
rate for
Buncombe
County
through
a more
equitable
formula
and
increase
the
availability
of
subsidy
for
eligible
working
families.
-
Support
funding
for
Communities
In
Schools
NC to
reduce
drop-out
rates
and
prepare
kids for
academic
and life
success.
-
Ensure
that the
state
fully
implements
the NC
Kids
Care
program
to
provide
affordable
health
insurance
for all
children
in NC.
This
will
require
the
federal
government
to
approve
SCHIP
funding
in
2009.
Funding
was
twice
vetoed
by
President
Bush in
2008.
-
Raise
the age
of adult
sentencing
from 16
to 18 in
a manner
that
provides
adequate
funding
to serve
the
existing
juvenile
justice
system
as well
as
funding
the
infrastructure
and
resources
needed
to add
16 and
17-year-olds
to the
juvenile
system.
For more
information
contact Greg
at
828-259-9717
or
gregb@childrenfirstb.org
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Mind the Gap Tour
2009 Tour Dates!
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If you are interested in
learning more about
Children First/CIS
please attend one of our
Mind the Gap
Tours on one of
the following dates:
January 15, 2009
February 10, 2009
March 12, 2009
April 7, 2009
3:45-4:45 p.m.
For more
information or to make a
reservation (seating is
limited)contact Jennifer
Hampton at 828-259-9717 or
jenniferh@childrenfirstbc.org.
Click
below to learn more
about Mind the Gap.
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Partner Agency
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eNewsletter January
2009