The Marion County Children’s Alliance recently hosted its annual gala event and awards ceremony to recognize the 2024 Dr. Mike Jordan Awards of Excellence and Vision.
The criteria were that an organization has demonstrated exceptional performance in initiatives for or with the children of Marion County. The alliance combines numerous groups in support of children. Jordan was one of MCCA’s founders and an 18-year volunteer and executive director.
The alliance also presented its inaugural Youth of the Year Awards, and no one was more surprised by the honor than young Takyrn Hayes, who was visibly moved. Hayes shared the honors with Jasman Thomas. The criteria included academic achievement, behavior, attendance, consistency with meeting with the mentor and tutor, and positive feedback from faculty and staff.
The May 10th event took place at the Country Club of Ocala. MCA Executive Director Beth McCall provided materials about the honorees.
“Takyrn Hayes is a student at Oakcrest Elementary. His tutor, Ashley Dries, said Takyrn has improved this year not only academically but as a student overall,” the material states. “He has worked hard to reach his goals in the core subjects of math and reading, while at times he struggled he continued to push through to be successful. Takyrn has become a leader in his grade level as students look up to him for support and encouragement.”
According to the notes, “Jasman Thomas has become a true leader of his class at Fort King Middle School. He is a student athlete who maintains an above average GPA. His teachers have seen him blossom into a young man who exhibits genuine kindness. Jasman encourages his friends to make good choices and to stay focused on their overall goals. We’ve seen these leadership skills grow with Jasman since joining the SKIP (Supporting Kids, Involving Parents) mentoring program. His mentor, Jeremy Vickers, has given him opportunities to show his leadership skills during group sessions.”
The Dr. Mike Jordan Awards of Excellence and Vision were given to The Rock Program, the Ocala/Marion Fire Rescue Mentorship Program and Early Childhood Court.
The Rock Program transforms school campuses into “hubs of possibility, where dedicated volunteers and staff work to ensure that more than 10,000 local students can feel like the champions they are.” The program provides supplies such as deodorant, clothing and shoes.
Since its inception in 2016, The Rock has opened 17 Rock Rooms, each serving an average of 800 students annually. Locations are primarily on middle and high school campuses, but support has recently been made available to alternative schools as well.
The Ocala/Marion Fire Rescue Mentorship Program has demonstrated a “profound commitment to mentorship, providing invaluable guidance and support to youth within the Ocala Marion community. Through personalized mentorship, participants have been able to develop essential skills such as basic problem solving, teamwork, effective communication techniques and leadership principles and practices. In addition, cadets undergo rigorous physical training through which they gain confidence and learn
how to pursue their aspirations with perseverance
and grit,” states the provided materials.
The program has served 209 participants. Forty have transitioned into professional roles within their fields of interest, two cadets enlisted in the armed forces and 34 have received scholarships totaling $255,000.
The Early Childhood Court, also known as a Problem Solving Court, was established in 2018 to provide support to families in the dependency court system who have at least one child under the age of 5 who has been removed from a home. The families voluntarily participate and receive support and services until permanency for the children is achieved.
Since August 2021, under the leadership of Program Coordinator Martha Firkins and General Magistrate Joshua Soileau, the Early Childhood Court has served more than 35 families and over 74 children. Twenty-six cases resulted in children being reunified with their parents, six cases closed in permanent guardianship with family members with parental rights and visitation intact, and three cases closed through adoptions in which all caregivers were long term placement options for the children while parents had the opportunity to work their case plans.
The Early Learning Court collaborates with community partners such as Kids Central Incorporated, The Pearl Project, Kimberly’s Center for Child Protection, the Marion County Children’s Alliance, Perspectives, Ocala Consulting and Prevention, SMA, Children’s Home Society and others.
The gala included a resolution thanking brothers Caleb and Luke Lombardo for their Concert for Good events that helped support the alliance and local artists Mel Fiorentino and Aaron Thomas creating artworks live.
According to McCall, the alliance in 2023 served 304 children/youth in the Mentoring and Tutoring program. The Family Violence Prevention program provided emergency services that included shelter, food and other necessities to 259 families, which included 437 children. The nonprofit organized Friday Night Done Right and Natural High Events for teens to encourage fun without alcohol or drugs and 1,440 teens were in attendance. The alliance also started the Safe Street Partnership of Marion County to help provide solutions and prevention for teen violence. OS
To learn more, go to mcchildrensalliance.org
