Hard to swollow

2 nights ago my cuzins best friend was murdered by her abusive boyfriend. He beat her to death in the middle of the street with a cinder block then just got up and drove away.  If you are in a abusive relationship please get help and get out.

http://www.koco.com/news/oklahomanews/okc/victim-suspect-in-thursday-slaying-idd-oklahoma-city-police-say/-/11777584/20664010/-/ayj2hs/-/index.html

Right on the money: Ten tips for writting a persuasive grant proposal.

1. Follow directions. "Federal proposals are very much like baking a cake," Tammy Hopper, now of the Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Centers, told us a few years ago. "On the Betty Crocker box, it tells you what ingredients to use, what temperature to cook your cake, and it even tells you what type of pan to put the cake in." Read the funding opportunity announcement very closely and be sure to provide exactly what it asks for.

2. Start fresh. A common mistake is pulling out last year's winning proposal and starting from there. But unless you have the reviewer's comments, you don't know why that old proposal was funded. Get the reviewer's comments and start a brand new proposal from scratch.

3. State the facts. State the problem that exists in your community and find current research to support your proposal. In cases where your organization on its own doesn’t meet all the eligibility criteria, demonstrate that you have access to resources and partners that qualify your organization for funding.

4. Translate the mission. A crucial part of your proposal is aligning your program’s mission with the requirements of the grant. Talk with program managers and work out creative ways to explain how your nonprofit will fulfill the requirements of the grant.

5. Ask questions. In the case of FYSB grants, NCFY or the grant program’s training and technical assistance provider can help you navigate the funding opportunity announcement and the grant-writing process.

6. Forego the old "team" approach. Because many staff members have information to contribute, proposals often come in without a cohesive voice. A grant reviewer shouldn't feel the proposal was written by committee. Have one person tie it all together to present a uniform tone.

7. Make it visual. Convey as much information as possible in visual form. Use logic models, graphs and bullets points.

8. Choose your words. Make your points in short, clear, jargon-free language. And avoid words that over-promise, like “unique,” “the best,” “the only”—unless they are really true.

9. Proofread, please! Although you won't lose points on paper, if the grant reviewer spots a typo, you won't make the best possible impression. Have a pair of fresh eyes review the final product.

10. Don't rush. Too many grant writers end up chasing the FedEx truck at the end of the day because they didn't allow enough time to write a good proposal. Give yourself enough time to polish your work

- See more at: http://ncfy.acf.hhs.gov/news/2013/06/right-money-ten-tips-writing-persuasive-grant-proposal#sthash.1EdK4mr2.dpuf

Just Text " BeFree" to (233733) to Connect

A new resource from the National Human Trafficking Resource Center enables youth who are victims of commercial sexual exploitation to ask for help discreetly over text message. Young people simply text “BeFree” (233733) to connect immediately with the resource center's hotline. Users communicate with trained specialists about their situation and learn about local services, all without having to speak a word. The resource center, which is run by the anti-trafficking nonprofit Polaris Project and supported by a grant from the Administration for Children & Families, added the 24/7 texting option to give youth a way to reach out when they can't talk about their circumstances safely. Some youth may prefer to text even when they are not under a trafficker’s watchful eye. For those who would rather call by phone, the hotline is always available at 1-888-373-7888. Youth workers can call or text the resource center for information about trafficking and nearby resources, or if they think they may be working with a trafficked young person - See more at: http://ncfy.acf.hhs.gov/news/2013/06/young-victims-trafficking-can-text-%E2%80%9Cbefree%E2%80%9D-help#sthash.izuVpV9g.dpuf

Some useful information

Today's words of wisdom from me to you!

Words of wisdom from me to you.

Dont let anybody tell you your not good enough, because you are! Plain and simple

Child Trafficking & Sexual Exploitation Taken up at State and Federal Levels

Topic of Child Trafficking & Sexual
Exploitation Taken up at State and
Federal Levels
Last week, two informational hearings were held on the
issue of child trafficking and the commercial
exploitation of minors. On Tuesday the 14th, the
California Senate Human Services Committee held a
special hearing to review the issue, which included
testimony from a series of experts, a presentation from
the County Welfare Director’s Association and a well-researched briefing paper, which states that as many as
90 percent of victims are or were part of the child
welfare system. The research also found that as many
as 100,000 children are commercially exploited
nationally and that early adolescence (age 11 to 14) is
the most common time for children to fall prey to
exploitation.

On Thursday, May 16th, the issue was taken up by the
Congressional Caucus on Foster Care and the Senate
Caucus to End Human Trafficking. This informational
hearing featured leaders from the child welfare field,
including testimony from Presiding Judge of Los
Angeles County’s Juvenile Court Michael Nash, who
also serves as the President of the National Council of
Juvenile and Family Court Judges.

The Obama Admininstration's Federal Strategic Action
Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking was
presented at the hearing. Public comments on the plan
are due this Friday, May 24th and can be submitted by
following this LINK.

Unspoken voices club at SCC

Let Your Voice Be Heard! Help the kids.

The National Foster Care Coalition: Our
Eyes and Ears in D.C.
With May being National Foster Care Month, it’s a good
time to consider joining the National Foster Care
Coalition. Based in Washington D.C., the Coalition has a
front-row seat to policy issues playing out in the federal
government, including the role of the child welfare
system in the implementation of Affordable Care Act
implementation, immigration reform and much more.
The group is led by John Sciamanna, formerly with the
Child Welfare League of America, who distributes an
informative weekly policy update, the Capitol View on
Kids.

According to Amy Lemley of the John Burton
Foundation, joining the Coalition is an opportunity to
increase California’s influence in the federal child
welfare policy arena. “Despite the fact that California
has the nation’s largest child welfare system, our
voices are not loud enough in the federal policy
conversation,” said Lemley. “The National Foster Care
Coalition can play an important role in bringing our
state agenda to the federal level.” For more information
about the Coalition, follow this LINK.

Chafee Update

Sequestration Hits College Bound
Foster Youth
Last week the California Student Aid Commission
(CSAC) released a special alert regarding the reduction
of funding for the Chafee program as a result of
Sequestration, the across the board cuts imposed by
Congress earlier this year. The Chafee program, which
relies in part on federal funds, provides up to $5,000 for
foster youth participating in post-secondary education.
Fewer youth will have access to these awards as funds
will be reduced for award year 2012-13 by $233,000
and by $412,000 for award year 2013-14.

Students who have already received a reward in
previous years will continue to be prioritized over new
applicants. It is still vital however, that all eligible foster
youth apply for these funds even with the reduction in
funding. New awards are likely to be issued even with
funding reductions, and establishing eligibility early
increases the likelihood of receiving an award in future
years. Greater numbers of denied applicants also
provide valuable evidence to support advocacy efforts
to increase the Chafee funding allocation.