News You Can Use (And Where To Find It)

Note: View the digital version to activate hyperlinks – www.parmaobserver.com/read/news  RAISING AWARENESS:  Human Trafficking/Abuse:

O  From The Collaborative to End Human Trafficking:
      >>  Know who to call….If you believe someone may be a victim of human trafficking call the Cuyahoga County Regional Human Trafficking Task Force Hotline at 216-443-6085 or 911 in the case of an emergency.
      >>  Visit Collab’s website a/o Follow them on Facebook. View the close to 70 local partners working collaboratively in support of victim recovery by clicking here. To stay current in regards to HT-related events and activities sign up for their E-newsletter here.

O  From Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (CRCC):
      >>  If you’re affiliated w/a group of any sort & looking for a program, go here to check out their extensive list of Prevention/Education programs for students, parents, teachers, etc. Presentations can be age-appropriate, gender-specific & tailored to meet your needs.

O  For more information on a national level check out:
      >  The Polaris Project...Home of the National Human Trafficking Hotline – 888/ 373-7888
      >  Futures Without Violence...Devoted to developing innovative ways to end violence against women, children & families.
      >  Truckers Against Trafficking...Over 1.2 million truckers are TAT certified. Learn what that means & more about their fight against human trafficking.

LOCAL EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES:
O  Grant Sources for Nonprofits...Here is another set of five grantors, these w/a youth scholarship focus, identified by the MyCom network:
> The Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund  > The Bruening Foundation > The CHS Foundation  > The EMCM Foundation  > Lumina Foundation.  If you’re affiliated with a family/youth-serving organization you s/b visiting these funders’ sites to see if your program/service fits their mission.

O  From University Hospitals...Just as a reminder, UH offers free membership for their AGE WELL. BE WELL Club for folks 55 and older. GO here to join and/or check out March’s schedule of activities available at any of the 12 UH facilities, including UH/Parma Medical Center.

O  Re: Summer Camps...In case you missed itclick hereto view a comprehensive piece WKYC did on finding a summer camp for your kids. Included is a link to a researchable database of over 3,000 camps.

O  From Connecting For Kids (www.connectingforkids.org) :
      >>  Go here to learn about their 10th Annual Meet & Greet, from 6 – 8 pm, Thursday, April 7th. Rocky River Civic Center. Learn about local resources, therapies, after-school programs, and summer camps for their child (birth - 12)
      >>  GO to the CFK Flier Connection page on FB for all of the latest fliers and webinar information received from local and national youth-related service providers. Join A CFK Closed Facebook Group CFK Families, CFK Dads Only, CFK Gifted Children, CFK Complex Needs,CFK Familias Hispanas

O  From OCALI – Click here to check out these and other current offerings:
      >>  Learn why a child w/a disability might need a surrogate parent and how you can become one;
      >>  If connected in any way to the hearing challenged, consider registering for a new interactive, three-part learning series titled “Word Recognition Toolkit for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Learners” series.
      >>  Or, perhaps this program may also be of interest, “The Earlier the Better: Recognizing Autism in Young Children “.
     
O  From University Settlement/SW Community Based Svcs...
      >>  NOTE: EFFECTIVE MONDAY, APRIL 4th SWCBS will be MOVING TO ALL SAINTS EPISCOPAL Church, 8911 W. Ridgewood. They’ll be open for business on Thursday, April 7th.
      >>  The Centers (formerly Circle Health Services) in collaboration with Greater Cleveland Congregations will be hosting “Dollars For Doses” where COVID vaccinations  & boosters will be available to those 5 years and older.
at various locations throughout the summer starting in April through September. You receive $100 for your 1st shot, $50 for the 2nd & $25 for a booster. You get an additional $25 for every friend you bring that gets vaccinated. Register here. Call The Centers w/any questions:  216.325.WELL ( 9355).
 
O  Parma Council of PTA’s (PCPTA - https://www.parmacityschools.org/PCPTA  or FB at: https://www.facebook.com/parmacouncilpta/)
      >>  The Parma Council of PTAs 70th Annual Geranium Sale has begun!  Support scholarships for the district’s graduating seniors! Learn more & order here.
      >>  Click here to join a local PTA unit

O  From Parma City Schools:
      >>  The next free, Embracing Parenthood program, scheduled for April 13th, deals with issues related to “Technological Advances”.  The program begins at 6:30 pm in the Normandy H.S. Cafeteria...Learn more and register here.
      >>  From Workforce Development... 3rd Annual Young Entrepreneurs Day 2022 - For students enrolled in grades 5 - 7 attending Hillside, Greenbriar, and Shiloh Middle Schools. Registration deadline is April 8th.  To learn more, go here.      
      >>  GO here to view PCSD YouTube channel videos to include, among many others,  the Superintendent’s State of the School address, Building Our Future meetings, BOE meetings, Town Halls, PCS in :60 videos, etc.    
      >>  It’s student registration time for the 2022 – 2023 school year. Click here for information & links to enroll.
            > Parents looking to enroll their child in Kindergarten can get program details here. If you missed it, scroll down to view a YouTube video of the recently held Kindergarten Information Night.
            > For links to some of the more unique programs of special interest or for exceptional/special needs kids ...
                o STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)  
                o PVLA (Parma Virtual Learning Academy),
                o ACES (Education for children w/autism)
                o PACTS (Parma Area Center for Transition Services)
      >>  Pleasant Valley Elementary will once again be hosting Camp Invention from June 13 – 17. Two age groups to participate! Campers: Entering Grades K-6 next school year; Leaders In Training: Entering Grades 7-9 next school year! To register go here. For more details about the program, click here.
      >>  SAVE THE DATES:
              >  Saturday, April 9, 2022,  The district-sponsored Community Easter Egg Hunt at Byers Field.Click here if you’d like to help and/or donate some of the estimated 35,000+  candy-filled plastic eggs.
              >  Movie nights are coming every Thursday in July at Byers Field. Let them know what you’d like to see by filling out this survey: https://forms.gle/LXqgBFsEv4HbjR
              >  Saturday, August 20, 2022, The Opening Day Kick-off Celebration.
      >>  Visitwww.parmacityschools.org for the most current information regarding COVID Dashboard/protocols, community walking, and open swim programs, the latest “PCSD in :60” video, and much more.

O  From Cuyahoga County Public Library (CCPL):
     >>  If you need home access to the Internet, click here to learn about CCPL’s portable HOTSPOT lending program.
     >>  Recognizing that the news may be scary, especially for children, CCPL has curated a list of titles that will help young ones better cope with what they might witness on the news these days. Check it out at www.tinyurl.com/CCPLHELPKIDSCOPE
      >>  At-home COVID-19 testing kits are available via DRIVE-THOUGH ONLY at the Powers & Parma-Snow locations;  call ahead to check for availability. Or, you can request four free rapid antigen test kits to be mailed directly to their home by the U.S. government at https://special.usps.com/testkits.
      >>  Go here to view when specific Branches will be hosting a Cleveland Food Bank Mobile Food Pantry. Locally,
Parma-Snow will have theirs on Tuesday, April 5, 3:30 pm – 5:00 pm. The Parma Heights Branch mobile pantry will take place from 10 – 12 noon on April 20th.
     >>  Don’t forget, our three local branches are providing and will continue, Monday – Friday through May 30th, to provide children with free grab-and-go meals.  Go here to learn more about KIDS CAFÉ. 
      >>  A Special event coming to Parma-Snow:  Boost your baby’s brain through play! Register for BABY CLUB, a free, 5-week club for caregivers and children ages birth to walking. Click here for more detail & to register at your preferred branch.
      >>  Use your CCPL library card (or get one here) to take advantage of just some of these more unique services/programs available at your library.
            > Get access to these free online learning platforms taught by professionals in their fields
            > WiFi Access & Computer Classes
            > Learn how to hold a conversation in over 70 languages
            > Digital Newstand - Enjoy digital versions of your favorite news publications and magazines
            > Learn more or register for any of 50+ virtual programs for adult learners
            > Take your pick from thousands of streaming movies & TV shows from Hoopla, Kanopy & Overdrive
            > Design something & use the 3D printing capabilities of the Parma-Snow Innovation Center           
            > Learn more about Library2You, their homebound delivery service
         > Passport services are now available.
            > Check out programs for pre-school & school-aged youth. Scroll down for Teacher resources.
            >Cuyahoga Works: Job and Career Services
            > Sign up to receive the Library Insider e-Newsletter
            > Click here to visit CCPL’s Home Page