Category: PRESS

Davie, Fla. (Aug. 2^nd, 2018) – The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank America’s Most Convenient Bank™, provided Firewall Centers with a generous $2,500 grant to help provide 500 at-risk youth with daily tutoring and mentoring services across 9 Broward County Public Schools.

Firewall Centers’ T.H.I.N.K. Leadership Program is a school-based program that provides students from 3rd through 12th grades with daily tutoring and mentoring, a point-based incentive system, an integrated curriculum that includes a financial education component, and community service opportunities. Program participants are low-income and come from minority families.

“The Firewall program helps students see that with the right help and support system together with their own hard work, they can break the cycle of poverty and reach their greatest potential,” said Janeth Fernandez, Firewall Centers’ Chief Program Director, “and we are grateful for this new partnership with the TD Charitable Foundation to make this happen for more youth across Broward County.”

“TD enthusiastically supports the work of Firewall Centers in helping to break the cycle of poverty for young people,” said Pablo J. Pino, TD Market President for South Florida. This contribution supports TD’s longstanding commitment to community enrichment through its newly launched Ready Commitment, a multi-year platform that actively promotes inclusivity, economic vitality, environmental wellbeing and health, enabling people of all backgrounds to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

For its middle and high school students (6th through 12th graders), Firewall partners with local bankers who visit each of Firewall’s schools various times during the school year to provide financial education classes that cover important topics such as saving, banking, and budgeting.

In addition, a point-based incentive system is used daily. This system not only motivates students to attend the program, behave well, and complete their homework, but it serves in providing financial education as students receive a “paycheck” each week that is deposited into their “checking account.” They can either spend this paycheck on special treats or delay gratification and save for bigger prizes. They can choose to put their paycheck into a “CD,” which at the end of the school year, can be used for gift cards. Once Firewall students enter high school, points allow them to accumulate up to $125 per high school year towards a Firewall-funded college or vocational school scholarship.

###

-Firewall Centers-

About Firewall Centers 

Firewall was established in 2003 in response to the death of a thirteen year old girl who overdosed on drugs while left unsupervised during after-school hours. Ever since, the agency has been operating daily after-school tutoring and mentoring centers for at-risk students that instill character values and promote academic success, supporting them as they strive toward their greatest potential. For the 2018//2019 school year, Firewall’s T.H.I.N.K. Leadership program has nine Centers and is serving 500 Broward county students. The program’s overarching objective is to improve performance outcomes among at-risk students as related to their school attendance, behavior, and course performance, thus helping them to ultimately achieve self-sufficiency as they pursue their life goals. You can learn more about Firewall Centers and how you can get involved at www.firewallcenters.org or follow them at www.facebook.com/firewallcenters

 

-TD Charitable Foundation-

About the TD Charitable Foundation

The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has distributed more than $193.8 million and more than 19,000 grants in charitable donations from Maine to Florida. The Foundation’s mission aligns with The Ready Commitment, a new multi-year program that TD launched in March 2018 to help individuals and communities prosper. As part of The Ready Commitment, TD targets CDN $1 billion (US $775 million) in total by 2030 towards community giving in four areas critical to opening doors for an inclusive tomorrow – Financial Security, a more Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Through The Ready Commitment, TD’s aspiration is to link business, products, services, and community giving to help people feel more confident – not just about their finances, but about their future and their ability to achieve their personal goals in a changing world. For further information, visit TD.com/thereadycommitment. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation, including the online grant application, is available at TDBank.com.

400 At-Risk Students Complete a Countywide Day of Service
 Firewall Centers’ participants are given a hands-on opportunity to learn that serving is way of life at the 4th annual Serve-A-Thon

DAVIE, Fla. (Apr. 29th, 2017) – On Saturday, April 29th, Firewall Centers held its fourth annual Serve-A-Thon presented by SunTrust Bank, where over 400 Firewall students, their mentors, and volunteers engaged in six meaningful service projects throughout Broward County.

“It was an absolute honor and delight to serve alongside students in the Firewall program. The positive influence that Firewall is having in the lives of the students is life-changing. These students will certainly stay in school, graduate high school and move on to become successful servant leaders,” said JoAnne Daudt, Firewall Centers’ Board Member and founder and Estate Planning Attorney of JoAnne Larson Daudt, P.A.

Serve-A-Thon is a countywide day of service during which Firewall Centers partners with local nonprofits to teach Firewall students, who come from poverty and difficult circumstances, the value of serving and impacting the community.

SunTrust Bank was the presenting sponsor of the 4th Annual Serve-A-Thon and volunteers from SunTrust also served with the students. Other sponsors that helped make Serve-A-Thon possible included Guy Brickman of State Farm, Stonegate Bank, and Steel Fabricators, LLC. Community leaders from Leadership Broward Class of XXXV also came to volunteer with the Firewall students.

Upon arriving at their service sites, students enjoyed breakfast that was generously donated by Walmart. Firewall students from Western High School and Indian Ridge Middle School sorted through 19,367 lbs. of food which provided 16,139 meals for hungry families with Feeding South Florida. Students from Pompano Beach Middle School fed the homeless, packaged meals, and distributed clothes with Hope South Florida, a nonprofit that provides services to the homeless and hurting individuals and families.

A group from Bair Middle School cleaned and restored Snyder Park in Fort Lauderdale by removing over 500 pounds invasive species in the gardens, painting, and cleaning leaves and trash. Crystal Lake Middle School and Lauderhill 6-12 School helped restore the dunes and provide habitats for local animals at the Lauderdale-by-the-Sea beach by planting over 5,000 sea-oats with the Youth Environmental Alliance (YEA) through Hands On Broward.

Firewall students from Plantation High School sorted 3000 pounds of mixed electronics at ARC Tech, which provides job opportunities for young adult clients with autism and other developmental disabilities. Finally, Blanche Ely High School cleaned and organized Gilda’s Club South Florida, a community center that offers free programs for those who have been touched by cancer.

“By volunteering [at Gilda’s Club], Firewall Center students and mentors allowed our staff to perform the critical cancer support services needed, while volunteers gave every room in our facility a facelift. We are grateful for your leadership,” said Kim Praitano, CEO of Gilda’s Club South Florida.

Once the service projects were completed, all of the students and volunteers gathered at Snyder Park for a celebration that included lunch, music, and sports competitions.

###

-Firewall Centers-

About Firewall Centers

Firewall was established in 2003 in response to the death of a thirteen year old girl who overdosed on drugs while left unsupervised during after-school hours. Ever since, the agency has been operating daily after-school tutoring and mentoring centers for at-risk students that instill character values and promote academic success, supporting them as they strive toward their greatest potential. For the 2016/2017 school year, Firewall’s T.H.I.N.K. Leadership program has eight Centers and is serving 400 Broward county students. The program’s overarching objective is to improve performance outcomes among at-risk students as related to their school attendance, behavior, and course performance, thus helping them to ultimately achieve self-sufficiency as they pursue their life goals. You can learn more about Firewall Centers and how you can get involved at www.firewallcenters.org or follow them at www.facebook.com/firewallcenters

DAVIE, Fla. (Feb. 13th, 2017) – Firewall Centers received a generous $10,000 grant from the Sun Sentinel Children’s Fund, a McCormick Foundation Fund. The grant will support Firewall Centers’ T.H.I.N.K. Leadership program at Lauderhill 6-12 STEM-MED Magnet School serving 50 low-income students.

The Sun Sentinel Children’s Fund distributed $337,000 to 25 nonprofit organizations in Broward and Palm Beach Counties this grant cycle.

This is not the first time Firewall and the Sun Sentinel Children’s Fund have partnered together. In 2015, Firewall was awarded funds to expand their reach in the Pompano Beach area.

“The Firewall program helps students see that with the right help and support system together with their own hard work, they can break the cycle of poverty and reach their greatest potential,” said Janeth Fernandez, Firewall Centers’ Chief Program Director, “and we are grateful for our continued partnership with The Sun-Sentinel Children’s Fund to make this happen for more kids at Lauderhill 6-12 School.”

Firewall’s daily, school-based mentoring and tutoring program is designed to help low-income students achieve academic success, build character, and transform into servant leaders. The program, called T.H.I.N.K. (Take Charge, Have a Plan, Involve the Right People, Never Quit, Keep Giving Back) Leadership, provides students with opportunities to excel academically as they are given targeted attention on critical subjects like reading and math not only during the school year, but for several weeks in the summer.

The program also utilizes its own curriculum based on its T.H.I.N.K. acronym, equipping students with life skills that build their ability to set goals, make informed decisions, and overcome obstacles. Firewall is not just a program – it is a family that begins walking through life with students when they first enter middle school and continues throughout their high school years and as they transition into college/career.

###

-Firewall Centers-

About Firewall Centers
Firewall was established in 2003 in response to the death of a thirteen year old girl who overdosed on drugs while left unsupervised during after-school hours. Ever since, the agency has been operating daily after-school tutoring and mentoring centers for at-risk students that instill character values and promote academic success, supporting them as they strive toward their greatest potential. For the 2016/2017 school year, Firewall’s T.H.I.N.K. Leadership program has eight Centers and is serving 400 Broward county students. The program’s overarching objective is to improve performance outcomes among at-risk students as related to their school attendance, behavior, and course performance, thus helping them to ultimately achieve self-sufficiency as they pursue their life goals. You can learn more about Firewall Centers and how you can get involved at www.firewallcenters.org or follow them at www.facebook.com/firewallcenters

 

-Sun Sentinel Children’s Fund, a McCormick Foundation Fund-

About Sun Sentinel Children’s Fund, a McCormick Foundation Fund
Established in 1990, through the Sun Sentinel Children’s Fund, a McCormick Foundation Fund, local nonprofits with child & youth education programs, child abuse prevention & treatment programs, hunger and housing programs for at-risk children and their families are supported. Grants are made possible with the generosity of Sun Sentinel readers, the general public and corporate donations. All donations are matched at 50 cents on the dollar by the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, based in Chicago, Illinois. The Sun Sentinel and the McCormick Foundation pay all expenses, ensuring 100 percent of donations, plus the match, goes directly to local, nonprofit organizations making an impact. Since inception, more than $41 million has been distributed to improve the lives of at-risk children and families in Southern Florida. To learn more about the Sun Sentinel Children’s Fund visit http://sunsentinelchildrensfund.org/

 

-Robert R. McCormick Foundation-

About Robert R. McCormick Foundation Fund
Robert R. McCormick Foundation is committed to fostering communities of educated, informed and engaged citizens. Through philanthropic programs, Cantigny Park and museums, the Foundation helps develop citizen leaders and works to make life better in our communities. The Foundation was established as a charitable trust in 1955, upon the death of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The McCormick Foundation is one of the nation’s largest foundations, with more than $1.5 billion in assets.

The McCormick Foundation’s Communities Program continues Col. McCormick’s legacy by partnering with media outlets, such as the Sun Sentinel, sports teams and philanthropic organizations across the country, to raise money and provide matching dollars which increase the impact of charitable giving. To learn more about the McCormick Foundation visit www.McCormickFoundation.org, Follow us on Twitter, and Like us on Facebook.

DAVIE, Fla. (Jan. 4th, 2017) – The Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale North Beach generously donated $10,000 to Firewall Centers during a year-end matching challenge to support program services for more students in the upcoming 2017/18 school year.

Currently, Firewall serves 400+ middle and high school students on a daily basis with plans to increase to 500+ daily in the next school year. Program participants are low-income, minority students who attend Title I schools in Broward County.

At Firewall, students are assisted daily with their homework and studying for tests as well as given individually targeted tutoring in key subjects like reading and math.

The program also utilizes its own T.H.I.N.K. curriculum to equip students with life skills that build their ability to set goals, make informed decisions, and overcome obstacles. It is designed to teach the students resilience, perseverance, and leadership principles.

Firewall is set apart from other after-school programs thanks to its innovative technology designed to help staff monitor student grades and test scores, the individualized student success plans staff develops for each student which include a personal/academic profile to help them set goals, and its long-term family model that supports students from 6th grade all the way through high school graduation and beyond.

Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale North Beach, Firewall can continue to provide its daily, school-based tutoring and mentoring services designed to help students achieve academic success, build character and transform into servant leaders.

Andy Fernandez, Firewall Centers’ Executive Director, expresses that, “The [Rotary Club of Fort Lauderdale North Beach] is always so welcoming and attentive every time I come to speak. We are grateful for their generous support of our mission and dedication to helping our youth succeed.”

BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. (August 31, 2016) – Firewall Centers, a non-profit organization that offers free after-school tutoring, mentoring, and leadership development to middle and high school students, is continuing its partnership with United Way of Broward County. After three years of supporting Firewall’s Center at Pompano Beach Middle School with a $30,000 annual grant, the United Way of Broward County has now graciously awarded Firewall another three-year grant, and this time in the amount of $61,670 each year.

Funds will be used to expand Firewall’s Center at Pompano Beach Middle School from serving 50 at-risk students at the school to 75. The grant will also allow Firewall to run a 5-week summer program at the school to provide academic and character-building activities to students that prevent the summer slide.

Currently, 75.3% of Broward County students are graduating from high school, with a much lower rate for disadvantaged youth. Firewall seeks to raise graduation rates by providing support strategies aimed at improving the achievement of disadvantaged students like those that attend Pompano Beach Middle School.

“United Way of Broward County is pleased to support programs like Firewall,” stated United Way of Broward County President and CEO, Kathleen Cannon.  “Students should have the tools they need to thrive in school and life.”

The reason why so many schools and funders are taking notice of Firewall: the program works! During the 2015/2016 school year, 100% of the Pompano students were promoted to the next grade level. Other impressive program outcomes included the following: 98% of the students did not exceed 5 absences per marking period during the school year (per Broward School Board standards), 95% did not receive internal or external suspensions from school, and 97% achieved all A’s, B’s, & C’s in reading, 93% did so in math, and 94% did in language arts. Mckenzie, an 8th grade student from Pompano Middle School commented, “What I like most about Firewall is that they take pride in helping us with our education and teaching us how to be servant leaders in the future.”

Firewall’s daily, school-based mentoring and tutoring program is designed to help low-income students achieve academic success, build character, and transform into servant leaders. The program, called T.H.I.N.K. (Take Charge, Have a Plan, Involve the Right People, Never Quit, Keep Giving Back) Leadership, provides students with opportunities to excel academically as they are given targeted attention on critical subjects like reading and math not only during the school year, but for several weeks in the summer. The program also utilizes its own curriculum based on its T.H.I.N.K. acronym in order to equip students with necessary life skills such as learning to take charge of one’s own actions, setting goals, making informed decisions, and overcoming obstacles. Firewall is not just a program – it is a family that begins walking through life with students when they first enter middle school and continues throughout their high school years and as they transition into college/career.

Thanks to the generosity of United Way of Broward County and other likeminded supporters, Firewall will operate eight centers in Broward County this year, serving 500 students every day.

 

###

 

ABOUT FIREWALL CENTERS:

Firewall was established in 2003 in response to the death of a thirteen year old girl who overdosed on drugs while left unsupervised during after-school hours. Ever since, the agency has been operating daily, school-based mentoring and tutoring services designed to help students achieve academic success, build character, and transform into servant leaders. For the 2015/2016 school year, Firewall’s T.H.I.N.K. Leadership program has eight locations within Broward County Public Schools serving 500 students. The program’s overarching objective is to improve performance outcomes among at-risk students as related to their school attendance, behavior, and course performance, thus helping them to ultimately achieve self-sufficiency as they pursue their life goals. You can learn more about Firewall Centers and how you can get involved at www.firewallcenters.org or follow them at www.facebook.com/firewallcenters.

 

About United Way of Broward County:

United Way of Broward County is a volunteer driven, community-based, non-profit organization servicing Broward County for more than 75 years. United Way of Broward County mission is to focus and unite the entire community to create significant lasting change in the impact areas of Education, Income and Health, the building blocks for a better life, which positively impacts people’s lives. United Way of Broward County is the catalyst for change and convener of partnerships that unite the hearts, minds, and resources within the Broward community. For more information, visit www.UnitedWayBroward.org.

AmeriCorps Firewall is chosen as one of ten Florida-based AmeriCorps programs to be welcomed into the Corporation for National and Community Service for the 2016-2017 program year

 

DAVIE, Fla. (August 15, 2016) – Firewall Centers was recently awarded an AmeriCorps grant by the Corporation for National and Community Service for the 2016/17 school year. This funding will support 35 AmeriCorps Firewall members who will serve by tutoring, mentoring, and modeling positive behaviors to their group of students.

“AmeriCorps funding and resources will allow Firewall to more effectively reach underserved communities, meet low-income students’ needs, and even expand organizational activities,” said Rachel Taylor, Firewall Centers’ Development Director.

The funding was administered by Volunteer Florida, the Florida Commission on Community Service, who grants funds to Florida AmeriCorps programs like Firewall.

Altogether, AmeriCorps Firewall members will serve over 400 disadvantaged middle school and high school students that attend Broward County Public Schools. Upon successful completion of the 2016/17 service year, they will also be granted an Education Award that can be used towards college tuition or student loans.

“AmeriCorps members selected to serve demonstrate that they live a lifestyle centered on giving back. They are the future leaders of our community and ideal role models to the students they will mentor at Firewall,” said Taylor.

Firewall Centers is a Florida-based nonprofit whose mission is to help disadvantaged students achieve academic success, build character, and transform into servant leaders. Its program model is designed to target students’ school attendance, behavior and course performance outcomes beginning in their sixth grade year and continuing through their high school graduation.

###

About Firewall Centers
Firewall was established in 2003 in response to the death of a thirteen year old girl who overdosed on drugs while left unsupervised during after-school hours. Ever since, the agency has been operating daily school-based tutoring and mentoring centers for at-risk students that instill character values and promote academic success, supporting them as they strive toward their greatest potential. For the 2016/2017 school year, Firewall’s T.H.I.N.K. (Take charge, Have a plan, Involve the right people, Never quit, Keep giving back) Leadership program has eight Centers and is serving 400 Broward county students. The program’s overarching objective is to improve performance outcomes among at-risk students as related to their school attendance, behavior, and course performance, thus helping them to ultimately achieve self-sufficiency as they pursue their life goals. You can learn more about Firewall and how you can get involved at www.firewallcenters.org or follow them at www.facebook.com/firewallcenters.

About AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps engages more than 75,000 members in intensive service annually to serve through nonprofit, faith-based and community organizations at 15,000 locations across the country. These members help communities tackle pressing problems while mobilizing millions of volunteers for the organizations they serve. Since 1994, more than 820,000 Americans have provided more than 1 billion hours of service to their communities and country through AmeriCorps.

About Volunteer Florida
Volunteer Florida, the Governor’s Commission on Community Service, was established in 1994 by the Florida Legislature to administer grants under the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993. The Commission grants funds to Florida AmeriCorps and National Service programs; coordinates volunteers and donations in a disaster; and inspires all Floridians to serve their communities. For more information, visit: www.volunteerflorida.org.

 Participants in the Firewall Centers’ After-School Program learn firsthand what it means to serve others at the 3^rd annual Serve-A-Thon

DAVIE, Fla. (May 1st, 2016) –On Saturday, April 30^th, over 400 Firewall Centers’ students, their mentors, staff, and volunteers engaged in service projects throughout Broward County as a part of the agency’s third annual Serve-A-Thon presented by Regent Bank. This event not only impacts the community, but teaches Firewall students the value of serving others. Firewall Centers is a nonprofit organization based in Davie that runs daily after-school programs in eight Broward public middle and high schools. The program helps kids achieve academic success, build character and teaches them to be servant leaders.

“It was a pleasure for Regent Bank to sponsor the 3^rd annual Firewall Serve-A-Thon,” said Giselle Bayona, vice president/commercial loan officer of Regent Bank and a Firewall Centers’ board member. “What a privilege to see over 400 kids and volunteers serving our community.  These kids are the future of our country; it is so important to teach them how to serve others in order to become great leaders.”

Students started early in the morning with a breakfast graciously donated by Walmart. Firewall Students from Blanche Ely High, Pompano Beach Middle and Plantation Middle served at Fort Lauderdale’s Snyder Park by mulching trails, painting picnic tables and restoring the butterfly garden.

A group from Bair Middle in Sunrise and Lauderhill 6-12 STEM-MED sorted and packaged meals for the hungry at Feeding South Florida in Pembroke Park.

Western High and Indian Ridge Middle School students helped restore the Ann Storck Center in Fort Lauderdale, where nearly 300 children and young adults with physical and mental disabilities live.

Firewall students from Crystal Lake Middle in Pompano Beach fed the homeless and gave them clothes in partnership with Hope South Florida.

“The students were very enthusiastic. You could just see them in the future as outstanding adults by the way they served now as children,” said Pat Colangelo, Director of Community Engagement and Associate Director of Operations for Trinity International University Florida.

Joining the students were volunteers from Lifework Leadership and Regent Bank, who for the third year in a row has been the presenting sponsor for the Serve-A-Thon. Regent Bank team members across Broward and Palm Beach County fundraised in their local offices to support Firewall’s growth. Their support was invaluable to the success of the annual event.

Once the service projects were completed, all of the students and volunteers gathered at Snyder Park for a celebration that included lunch, a dance contest and games.

 

 

MIAMI LAKES, Fla. (Dec. 22nd, 2015) – Bank United awarded Firewall Centers a generous $7,500 grant to further the organization’s vision to transform the lives of students into servant leaders.

Nearly all of 400 program participants are low-income and come from minority families. Every day during the critical after-school hours, these students receive mentoring, tutoring, and leadership development, which not only gives them the support system they need to succeed now, but it places them on track for future success in their college and career paths.

Together with each student, Firewall staff creates individualized Success Plans to set school attendance, behavior, and academic goals. Firewall’s top-quality Mentors work with the same students throughout the year and meet with them daily to review their progress.

Firewall also provides its unique THINK curriculum to students, which is designed to instill character values and teach them leadership principles. Additionally, Firewall provides the technology access and school supplies necessary for students to complete their homework assignments and projects effectively.

With Bank United’s support, Firewall is able to continue changing the futures of at-risk students by providing them with the practical academic help, life skills, and positive role models they need to not only survive, but thrive.

 

 

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

###

-Bank United-

About Bank United

BankUnited, N.A., a national bank and wholly-owned subsidiary of BankUnited, Inc. (NYSE: BKU), is headquartered in Miami Lakes, Florida with 99 branches in 15 Florida counties and six banking centers in the New York metropolitan area at June 30, 2015. Ranked third onForbes Magazine’s list of “Best Banks in America 2015,” and one of the largest independent depository institutions headquartered in Florida by assets, BankUnited provides a wide range of commercial and consumer banking services. For additional information, call (877) 779-2265 or visit www.BankUnited.com. BankUnited can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/BankUnited.official and on Twitter @BankUnited.