Civic Involvement Initiatives
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Please provide a description of your community's civic involvement programs and activities. |
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Hammock Dunes (HD) will elaborate on five of the numerous fundraisers or community endeavors that has allowed us to make a postive difference in Flagler County.
1)The HD community is responsible for jumpstarting the build out of a non-for-profit hospice house (Stuart F. Meyer's Hospice House)in Flagler County. The fundraising and board leadership was directly the result of countless hours of hard work from the Hammock Dunes community. Collectively we raised over 3.5 million dollars for this project and are current board members.
2) Habitat for Humanity has been a focus of the Hammock Dunes community over the last 5 years. We are responsible for building 3 homes inwhich the last home currently being built is 100% funded and built by Hammock Dunes residents. We currently provide leadership roles on the board.
3) The Robert Oare Fundations and the Laighton-Oare Fundations are two foundations that are managed by a residents in Hammock Dunes. Confidentially this foundation is responsible for providing monetary aid for amenities that wouldn't have been bought by traditional fundraising efforts. These extra amenities provide quality of life to the residents of Flagler County. Some of those items are: butterfly garden for the Stuart F. Meyer's Hospice House, Outreach facility for the Family Life Center's Domestic/Sexual abuse shelter, grief recovery programs (Rising Program) for children served through the the Stuart F. Meyer's hospice house, Operation Caring through Sharing which is a monthly food donation to an assigned family designated through the Flagler County school system.
The donations from these two fundations are numerous to mention but they play a vital part in meeting the needs of the residents of Flagler County.
4)Flagler County Humane Society was enlarge in 1999 through the efforts of the residents of Hammock Dunes. The orgianl shelter built in 1980 could not accommodate the pet shelter needs once Flagler County grew to 50,000 residents. A variety of small fundraisers contributed to the new facility. The residents of Hammock Dunes were involved raising the capital to build the facility and served on the board in leadership roles. Currently the facility is a model facilty for other humane society shelters.
5) Hammock Dunes Scholarship Trust, 2 years old, has raised over $40,000 a year. It provides schalorships to Daytona State College for employees and family members of Hammock Dunes. State matching funds helped us reach a balance of $80K the first year.
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Please provide specifics on how your community's contribution to the larger community was measured under the program |
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1) The Stuart F. Meyer's Hospice House was built because Flagler County did not have a hospice house. Anyone in Flagler county who needed hospice services had to drive to another county. That was hardship for the patient as well as the family members. Now that Flagler County has a hospice house, on the grounds of Flagler Hospital Memorial System, the residents of Flagler County can stay closer to their loved one, have less financial worry due to the care required, and to receive support services as the family lives through this final stage.
2) Habitat for Humanity made a difference in Flagler County by providing three homes to three homeless families. By providing a solid foundation to raise a family in a safe neighbohood with a "village" spirit, the residents of Hammock Dunes are participating in creating a caring community. The Hammock Dunes community believes in this village spirit and will continue to build more habitat homes.
3) The Oare Foundations contributions can be measured by looking at how many survivors are served in the Family Life Center's outreach facility and shelter. The outreach program and shelter has a enoumous effect on Flagler County. With the foundations montetary efforts the Family Life Center is able to provide good family care, on-going support services, and prevention programs through the Community Outreach, Transitional Housing and Emergency Shelter services.
The Oare Foundations' purchase of the butterfly memorial garden at the Stuart F. Meyer's Hospice House provide a serene place to sit amoung the flowers and memorial pavers.
The Rising Star program is an equestrian activity for kids in grief recovery. This specific helps children in our community by letting them know people care about them and want to help them through their grief.
The unemployment rate in Flagler county is at 10+ and any food donation program will make a tremendous different in our Flagler County. The Operation Caring through Sharing food programs help Flagler County directy by providing one of the basic needs of people. The enormouns unemployment rate in our county moved food drives to a top priority in Hammock Dunes. The local food banks and well as other food drive programs have benefit tremendously by our food and money donations. The measureable difference is our food banks in Flagler County were empty and now they have food. The community has raised over $10,000 this year for the Flagler County Food Bank.
4) The enlarged Humane Society has reduced the number of stray dogs and cats in our county. Now the facility can care for the large and small animals longer in order to increase adoption opportunities.
5) The HD Scholarship Trust makes a difference in the community by keeping educated employees in our county, by supporting our local state college, and by fostering educational growth as a way to succeed in life.
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Please provide names of civic organizations and other groups with which your community has affiliated in its community involvement activities. If appropriate, provide names and contact information for executives at these organizations. |
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In order for the Hammock Dunes community to be successful in their endeavors will have had great support from these organizations:
Florida Hospital Memorial Fundations-David Santos, Executive Director of the Foundation Department for Florida Memorial Hospital-Flagler (386) 615-4144
Habitat for Humanity - Jack Leckie, Board of Directors 386-445-7897
Robert Oare & Laighton-Oare Foundations- Carol Oare, Board of Directors 386-446-3029
Family Life Center Domestic/Sexual Abuse Shelter-Diane Christian, Executive Director 386-437-7610
Humane Society of Flagler County - new management since involvment in 1999-2004. No known contact.
HD Scharlorship Trust- Marc Ray, COO of HD Club,
386-445-0747 & Daytona State College trust funds.
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Please describe steps that were taken to involve residents in civic involvement activities. |
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We've had a multitude of activities ranging from private dinner parties, numerous golf tournaments, silent auctions, formal gala balls, private donations. We have residents create the marketing materials, solicite donationa for silent auctions and just get the word out about the needs in our Flagler County. |
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What were the challenges that had to be overcome in developing your program? How was this accomplished? |
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In most of the civic involvement activities the Hammock Dunes community had to prove that there was a need and not a want. The hospice House, the Family Life Center's abuse shelters, the enlarge Humane Society animal shelter and the HD Schalorship trust are beneficial to the residents in Flagler county because it provided quality of life of all of our residents in the county. By not having to drive over an hour to visit someone in hospice, or to have to leave the county to get shelter from abuse or to have to leave the county to complete sexual abuse procedures our residents can now find comfort and safety in their own county.
Another difficulty was to change the mind set of some in our county that helping others is a preventive measure for a better/healthier community. |
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You may include additional information about the community that you consider relevant to the topic. |
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One of the benefits in living in Hammock Dunes is there are so many well accomplished residents that want to make a difference and these various professional backgrounds give us the dept and expertise to make dreams happen. We start with an idea and with sub-committees we create action plans to make the dream into reality. We continue to work with our County Commissioners and other local officals to help keep on top of the needs of Flagler County. The Hammock Dunes community looks at ways that all of our residents can participate. Our fundraisers include golf, crouquet, tennis, bridge and bocce enthusiasts. Everyone wants to help.
We are fortunate in Hammock Dunes that we can make such a big difference in Flagler County because the needs of the county are enormous due to its growth over the last 10 years and we have the energy, knowledge and drive to accomplish our goals. |
