Apply today to become a Firewall Mentor!

We won!

Andres and Alison Avayu (Piccolo Ristorante, Jennifer Kovach (Jim Moran Institute), Andy Fernandez (Firewall Centers)

We won the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce. Small Business of the Year Award – Non-Profit Small Business! 

We’re hiring

Sincerely,

Firewall Centers

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Meet Victoria. Her story of transformation did not happen overnight. She has been part of Firewall since sixth grade and lacked motivation throughout middle school. She kept C’s and D’s on her report card and wasn’t happy to be at Firewall after school.

“We didn’t give up on her even though she wanted to give up on us. We focused on taking small steps to increase her motivation, academics, and maturity. When she entered our high school program, she still struggled because she really wasn’t involving the right people in her life. But what we saw in 9th that we didn’t see before was she really was trying. Her attitude and outlook on life changed,” said Janeth Fernandez, Director of Programs.

 

Victoria is now a 10th grader, receives A’s and B’s on her report card, and serves by tutoring Firewall Middle School students. She encourages the students in the program to give it their best and to not give up. Victoria recently expressed her gratitude for Firewall to a group of parents that were looking to register their students for our High School program. “I am so grateful Firewall Mentors did not give up me when I did not care about school and when I saw them as my enemies because they made me do homework. Your children will appreciate it too,” said Victoria.

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Help us serve 100 more students next year!

On Saturday, April 30th, Firewall’s 400 students, their mentors, and volunteers will engage in a day of service to make a lasting impact in the community. This event is none other than our annual Serve-A-Thon!

 

Serve-A-Thon will also help raise funds to serve 100 more students next year! You can be a part of our growth and give to Serve-A-Thon today.

 

Our Firewall students will be serving at Synder Park, Hope South Florida, the Ann Storck Center, and Feeding South Florida.

Own a business? Looking to give back to your community? 

As always, thank you for helping us achieve our mission and transform students into servant leaders.

Keep Giving Back at Serve-A-Thon

Our third annual Serve-A-Thon is right around the corner! Our 400 students and their mentors will come together on April 30th to engage in a day of service to make a lasting impact in the community. Members of the Lifework Leadeship class will also help serve on that day.

“I don’t have any work,” a student told his Firewall mentor last week, much like he usually does. This student has learning difficulties, and his biggest problem is that he doesn’t complete his classwork or bring his homework to Firewall.

On this particular day, however, something spectacular happened. One of this sixth grade student’s classmates at Firewall, Adamantia, replied: “I know you do” [have homework]. “Look, you’re not bringing your homework to Firewall, you’re not writing in your agenda, and our mentors won’t be able to help you because you don’t want to do any work even though that’s what you’re here for.. I am going to see your teachers tomorrow to ask them what you have for homework.”

Adamantia got permission from her mentor and went to her peers’ different classes to ask for assignments that he could make up to improve his grades. She returned to Firewall with 3 packets of work and sat down with the student. “Do you want to be in sixth grade next year and see your friends move on?” “No,” he replied. “So you’re going to do your work?” asked Adamantia. “Yes.” The two then sat together to work on the assignments. Even after Adamantia’s parents picked her up that day, the student stayed at Firewall until he finished his assigned work.

This story is an incredible example of the transformative effects of positive peer influence at Firewall. Thank you, Adamantia for being a servant leader!

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Community Partner Empowering Young Women 

We are thankful for the supportive community around us that partners with us to transform our students into servant leaders. Most recently, Soroptimist International of Davie taught their “Dream It, Be It: Career Support for Girls” curriculum at our Western High School location.

“Dream It, Be It” serves to provide girls with career education, resources, and support to equip them to become successful adults. During one of these sessions, the conversation focused on turning failures into successes. Our girls heard encouraging stories from the women of Soroptimist International and even had the opportunity to set goals and apply what they learned to their own lives.

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We hope you have a wonderful start to this new spring season and thank you for being a part of our Firewall Centers’ story.

Sincerely,

Firewall Centers

We are a FINALIST!

Our founder, Andy Fernandez, was nominated as one of the three finalists for the Non-Profit Leader of the Year Academy Award presented by 2-1-1 Broward.

As our Executive Director, Andy has established partnerships county-wide that have allowed Firewall to grow exponentially in just 5 years, expanding from serving 40 students to 400 each day. He has created a culture within Firewall where students become mentors when they graduate and developed an annual Serve-A-Thon event that teaches students to give back to our community through service projects.

In the past, we have received the Collective Impact for Youth and Non-Profit Organization of the Year Rising Star Academy Awards.

 Center Spotlight: Blanche Ely High School

We have been at Blanche Ely High for two years now and serve 30+ students each day. “Our kids feel like they are at home. There is a unique bond between mentors and students. They have an idea of what they want to do after they graduate and are very focused. They want to go to college, to do something, to be something,” said our Program Administrator, Esther.

Meet Kenny. He is a 10th grade student at Blanche Ely High. He actually started attending Firewall in the 6th grade at our Pompano Beach Middle Center. Over the last five years, we have been a part of his growth into an excellent A/B student and driven young man. After graduating High School, he wants to help people by becoming a Pharmacist.

Thank you for being a part of our Firewall family and for helping to spread the fire!

Our motivation for the year

Right before Thanksgiving, the mom of one of our students called and shared some terrible news with us. She lost her job and car and had just 2 weeks to come up with rent money or she and her 3 children would be homeless.

Our Firewall staff was able to connect her to 211Broward, and they supplied the rent she needed to hold her over until she found a job. Still, that didn’t leave her with much food, let alone any extra money to buy Christmas presents for her children.

However, thanks to the generosity of Trader Joe’s in Pembroke Pines, we were able to give her a box filled with food! And thanks also to Keller Williams Realty Partners SW, we were able to bless this single mom with presents to give her children this Christmas.

Bank United Gives $7,500 to the Firewall Vision

We are so thankful for Bank United and their generous gift of $7,500!

Only with the help of community-focused businesses, like Bank United, are we able to further our vision to transform the lives of students. To read more, check out our article online.

Andy Fernandez, Firewall Centers Executive Director and Leslie Lunak, Bank United CFO

Firewall Quarterly Staff Training

Each school year, we have a total of four training sessions for our program staff. These times of training are used to develop staff personally, to make them more effectivestaff members, and to teach them new skills and innovative ways to further Firewall’s impact on the 400+ students we serve. Just last Thursday, all Firewall staff gathered for one of these training opportunities.

Everything from Weekly Academic Reports to our value-based curriculum was discussed and brainstormed upon. We also had a special guest graciously donate her time and resources, Broward County Social Worker Betsy Roberts. Mrs. Roberts shared how our staff can become prepared for difficult situations that they may find their students in at any given time – ranging from suicide threats and depression to homelessness, and bullying.

Three of our Pompano Beach Middle School Firewall Mentors 

Betsy Roberts teaching our mentors how to respond in different student crisis scenarios

Our Firewall staff celebrating recent birthdays 

We hope that you continue to have a wonderful month and year! We are grateful for your support that allows us to do what we do for students every single day.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions on how you can get more involved with Firewall in 2016.

As the holidays draw closer, we are reminded that this season is truly about “Giving Back,” which is a principle that we continually teach our Firewall students. As they learn what it means to serve others and become servant leaders each day, they realize that thankfulness, joy, and generosity are so much more valuable than any gift they can receive. And this year, our staff is especially grateful for the opportunity to be able to serve and change the lives of the 400+ students that walk through our doors.

Firewall Students receive 2 year scholarships

Nine Firewall students were awarded a two year Florida pre-paid scholarship from the Take Stock in Children (TSIC) program. All nominated students have been in the Firewall program for at least two years and are excelling in their character and academics.

 “It’s good knowing my education is secure and that I have a better chance succeeding later in life,” said Arnold, 9th grade Firewall student. 

Those participating in the Take Stock in Children program will be assigned a professional College Success Coach to help coach, teach, and provide resources on their road to college. In addition, the students will meet once a week with the TSIC adult community volunteer mentor. You can read more about this team effort here.

Pompano Beach Middle School   

We serve 60+ students every single day at this Center. Principal Braziel opened her doors to Firewall Centers four years ago. Thanks to her support, and that of the parents and teachers, we are able to transform students each day throughout the school year.

Principal Braziel (left) and Firewall Program Director, Janeth Fernandez 

“Another program came to me and said they wanted to help Pompano Middle, but asked for our best A/B students…Firewall came and said, “we want them all!” -Pompano Beach Middle School Principal, Sonja Braziel

Darryl

Darryl is a sixth grader at Pompano Beach Middle. When beginning at Firewall, he would not make good use of his time and neglect to write his homework assignments in his agenda. Previously, he would not listen when his mentor would talk to him about his grades and behavior.

After his mentor spoke with his mother and some of his teachers, Firewall developed a new plan to get him on track. By using the Firewall values of integrity and excellence, his mentor motivated him to become a better person and get his grades up.

Site supervisor Shanice said “Now he comes into Firewall with a plan to do his homework and he gets it done. He is a lot more receptive to us helping him

achieve his goals.”

Shanice

Shanice is a first-year mentor at Pompano Beach Middle School. She is studying to become a paramedic at Broward College. The Area Director of our Pompano Beach Middle Center, Wolkenzye, said that “Shanice is very much involved with the parents and keeps them aware of their student’s progress.”

After learning more about Firewall and the values taught to students, she thought “this is exactly where I need to be.”

Now, as she has built relationships with students each day at the Center, she has noticed that some students walk through their school day feeling down. “Firewall is there to brighten their day. It’s great to know that I help provide that atmosphere; that some students really look up to me,” said Shanice.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from our family to yours!