Easter is almost here! Easter is a time to gather in church with our families and celebrate new life, rejoicing in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter brings hope, meaning and purpose to life. It also reminds us of the sacrificial love that Jesus has for all of us. Support from friends like you can show our children that they are loved, too. It has helped Brittany, a young girl who came to us from a home setting of abuse and neglect. She arrived at the Children’s Home feeling unloved, out-of-place, and hopeless in regards to her future. Her performance in school was very poor, with a GPA less than 1.0. College seemed completely out of reach. After a little more than a year at the Children’s Home, she has made a complete turn-around. Not only has her GPA climbed to nearly 4.0, but she is planning to begin duel enrollment at Daytona State College next year. With the help she received through our Spiritual Life Program and her therapist, as well as the support of her house parents, Brittany is very optimistic about her future. Your continued support can make sure that Brittany, and the other children here, have a loving home and a bright future. As you celebrate Easter with your family and loved ones, please remember the young people at the Children’s Home like Brittany. Click the link below to send your special Easter gift for the children. Thank you for helping to bring new life and hope. https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/fumch2?code=EC2018

If you live in Broward County, and are interested in learning more about becoming a foster parent, here's your chance to get more information.

Easter is a special time in the life of every Christian. We gather in church with our families to celebrate new life and rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And we're sharing a drawing from one of our children, showing what she thought it looked like when Jesus rose on the third day. Easter brings hope, meaning and purpose to life. It also reminds us of the sacrificial love that Jesus has for all of us. Support from friends like you can show our children that they are loved. It has helped Brittany, a young girl who came to us from a home setting of abuse and neglect. She arrived at the Children’s Home feeling unloved, out-of-place, and hopeless in regards to her future. Her performance in school was very poor, with a GPA less than 1.0. College seemed completely out of reach. After a little more than a year at the Children’s Home, she has made a complete turn-around. Not only has her GPA climbed to nearly 4.0, but she is planning to begin duel enrollment at Daytona State College next year. With the help she received through our Spiritual Life Program and her therapist, as well as the support of her house parents, Brittany is very optimistic about her future. Your continued support can make sure that Brittany, and the other children here, have a loving home and a bright future. As you celebrate Easter with your family and loved ones, please remember the young people at the Children’s Home like Brittany. Click the link below to send your special Easter gift for the children. Thank you for helping to bring new life and hope. https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/fumch2?code=EC2018

Think you're too young to need a will or trust? Think again! If you have children or own real estate, it's important to have a plan. If it's time for you to create or update your will or trust, we can provide you with a FREE Wills Planning Guide to help you get started. To get your copy, contact Jeanne Griffith, Associate Director of Development at 386.668.4774, extenstion 2234, or at plannedgiving@fumch.org. Or visit www.fumchlegacy.org for more information.

During our monthly team meeting, we were joined by Senior Deputy Eddie Hart of the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. He performed a safety training program that will go a long way in helping staff to keep our children safe. Our thanks to Senior Deputy Hart and the VCSO!

This past weekend, the Children's Home hosted our annual Day On Campus. We had nearly 1,000 guests from across the state who enjoyed tours of the cottages and a special program put on by the children. They performed skits, sang and danced, all with a theme of a Day In The Life at the Children's Home. And of couse, there was the great box lunch from Jason's Deli, that was also sponsored by McCree General Contractors and Architects. Special thanks to all the volunteers who also came out to help. As you can see from the photos, there were a lot of guests having a great time. We also recognized some very special individuals and churches. - Church of the Year - Madison FUMC - Pastor of the Year - Rev. Michael Halley of Hanson UMC and Rocky Springs UMC - Local Church Representative of the Year - Shirley Eck of Bellview United Methodist Church - Mission Group of the Year - Keystone United Methodist Church and High Springs First United Methodist Church If you've never been to a Day On Campus, stay tuned for the announcement of next year's date so you can put it on your calendar!

The run is a little more than eight weeks away, so you still have plenty of time to train and get ready!

Today, students at our Legacy Scholars Academy had a visit from Sgt. Joel Turney of the Volusia County Sheriff's Office. Sgt. Turney came to speak to the children about recent school violence in the news, and about how any threat is being taken seriously. Since our Legacy Scholar Academy is part of Volusia County Schools, our teachers follow the same rules and guidelines for student safety. Recenlty, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood enacted a Zero Tolerance program for violence and violent threats in schools. Sgt. Turney answered several questions from the staff and children, and we greatly appreciate his time.

This time of year, we are really blessed to have the Nomads, Mission Volunteers here to help. The Nomads provide volunteer labor for United Methodist organizations. They do construction, remodeling and repairs for churches, children's homes, camps, colleges, outreach missions and disaster rebuilding. Team members are skilled in maintenance, cleaning, painting, drywall, flooring, and a host of other areas. Here's a great group shot of the Nomads, along with some shots of them working hard here at the Children's Home.

This is a great run/walk event that also benefits the Children's Home.

You may belong to more clubs than you realize. Chances are your wallet contains at least one hotel, airline, auto or restaurant loyalty club card. Maybe you are a member of a country club, a bridge club or other social group. You may already be qualified to join a club with significant rewards. If you have made a planned gift of any type or size to the Florida United Methodist Children’s Home, you are automatically eligible for membership in our Legacy Circle. We created the Legacy Circle to honor the generosity of people like you, and make sure you know how much we appreciate you and your gift. When you join our Legacy Circle, we can also get to know you and make sure that we use your gift in the way you intend. If you have already made a planned gift to our organization, or are considering making one, please call or e-mail us today. Just contact Jeanne Griffith, Associate Director of Development, at 386.668.4774, ext. 2234, or at plannedgiving@fumch.org. You can also find more information at www.fumchlegacy.org.