RISE Community Solutions

PaquinPR account director, Laura D'Abbondanza, spent the day connecting with powerhouse business women at the Orlando Women's Conference on Thursday at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. All of the presenters were inspiring and passionate!?Extra shout out to Jo Newell and Adrianna Sekula, founders of DROP THE MIC Coaching, along with Rebecca Leininger and Sara Brady for their well-curated and impactful presentations. And thank you Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts for the sound bath. Very demure. Very mindful.?

Today is #WorldSuicidePreventionDay. If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please know that resources are available. You matter, and your #mentalhealthmatters. The world is better with you in it.

Happy September! Despite the long holiday weekend coming to an end, we still have a lot to celebrate. Congratulations to Travis on his 8th anniversary with Public Allies Central Florida and to Ingrid and Aimee on their 3rd anniversaries with our Breakthrough program! We are so fortunate to have these incredible individuals on the RISE team.

Meet Laquanda! Laquanda proudly graduated from Edward Waters University, the first HBCU in the state of Florida. After graduation, Laquanda worked closely with youth and adults with intellectual disabilities in a group home setting, many of whom had previously experienced houselessness. This experience propelled her into her current role as the Youth Housing Stability Supervisor with our Pathways to Home program. A coworker once described the work they do with families as “building a plane while flying,” and Laquanda couldn’t agree more; day after day, she is constantly helping families reach lofty goals such as self-sufficiency, self-confidence, and employment attainment, all while balancing those goals with building a safe and stable home. One of Laquanda’s personal goals is helping the people she works with to believe that houselessness is just a season they are going through, rather than a definition of who they are. We are so appreciative of her empathetic, supportive, and non-judgmental approach!

We are so proud of the impact our 13 Allies made throughout the 23-24 program year! This group of emerging changemakers completed over 20,400 service hours at their partner organization placements and an additional 406 hours volunteering at various other non-profits throughout the Central Florida community. The Allies also spent over 2,660 hours in leadership development and training. Want to learn more about the Public Allies Central Florida program? Check out recent news coverage from this cohort's Celebration of Service: https://yhoo.it/3XmbtOp

Are you ready to bring holiday joy to the children and teens served by RISE?! The holidays are just a few months away, and we are looking for partners to host gift drives at their businesses, schools, churches, or other organizations. Due to the expansion of our Pathways to Home program to serving youth and young adults, along with Breakthrough primarily serving teens, we have a huge need for gift cards and other items for older youth. We are counting on our community to make magic happen, and we can't do it without you! Please email Morgan Clement, Advancement Director, at [email protected] to get involved.

Congratulations to our Executive Director, Rebecca Leininger, on graduating from the Black Boardroom Leadership Institute! Over the past 6 months, Rebecca has attended their non-profit track, where she learned strategies to build a diverse and inclusive board. Rebecca is committed to ensuring RISE Community Solutions reflects our community at every level and prioritizes diverse voices and lived experience, which allows us to provide better services and supports to the families we serve.

The numbers are in! Between July 2023 and June 2024, Children's Advocacy Center Osceola served 261 child victims (and an additional 158 caregivers as secondary victims). 96.7% of these victims and their families were satisfied with the services and supports provided. While every Advocate will tell you they wish we lived in a world in which their services weren't needed, the reality today is their support is the crucial and much-needed first step towards healing for these kids and families - and we're so proud of their unwavering commitment to our community every single day.

Meet Law! With an M.S. in Criminal Justice and concentrations in nonprofit management and juvenile justice leadership, Law is an expert advocate for racial and social equality. His diverse experience spans from spearheading community-wide violence prevention initiatives to providing behavioral health counseling services and overseeing a juvenile diversion program. As Program Manager with Public Allies Central Florida, Law utilizes his skills to facilitate leadership training and capacity building with a goal of creating a more inclusive future for all. Always dressed to the nines and known for bringing both vibrancy and organization to the workplace, Law expresses his creative side through acting, saxophone playing, and musical production in his free time.

Happy first day of school for our students in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties! Rather than asking "how was school today?" and getting a one-word answer, here are some ideas for conversational questions to truly connect with your kids and better understand their day. #BacktoSchool