Out‑of‑School Food Support Program

The Out‑of‑School Food Support Program provides consistent, reliable nutrition to children whose mothers are incarcerated and who are being raised by kinship caregivers—grandmothers, aunts, older siblings, and extended family members living under significant financial strain. These caregivers step in out of love, but many are on fixed incomes, disability benefits, or low‑wage employment, making it difficult to absorb the sudden increase in household food costs. When school is in session, children receive breakfast and lunch on campus. However, during out‑of‑school periods like holidays, teacher planning days, long weekends, and summer break, these meals disappear, leaving families vulnerable to food insecurity.

Women at the Well–Broward fills this critical gap by providing nutritious food boxes, fresh groceries, snacks, and ready‑to‑prepare meals to ensure children do not go hungry when school is closed.

The program is designed to reduce the financial pressure on kinship caregivers while ensuring children maintain stable access to healthy food year‑round. Each food distribution includes pantry staples, fresh produce, protein options, child‑friendly snacks, and hygiene essentials. Families also receive resource navigation support to connect them with long‑term food assistance, community partners, and wraparound services.

Through donor support, we aim to expand the number of families served, increase the frequency of food distributions, and provide more fresh, healthy options. With each contribution, we move closer to ensuring that no child in our community goes hungry simply because school is closed and their mother is behind bars.

This program feeds children, strengthens families, and restores hope, one meal at a time. DONATE TODAY!

Deerfield Beach Middle School Helping Parents be Successful with Their Students

Here's quick link to the Parent Family Engagement Plan (PFEP) distributed in English and other languages as they relate to Deerfield Beach Middle School's student population.
The PFEP outlines Deefield Beach Middle School's mission and the continuous activities the school will work on to increase parent engagement and build capacity within the community.
We are asking as a parent and stakeholder,  read the PFEP and be familiar with the ways DBMS intend to help parents be more successful with their students.
Please share this with the community!
Thank you.
Dr. Juanita Kearse-Creech
ESE Support Facilitator
Deerfield Beach Middle
DBMS

Support for Kin Caregivers of Children Whose Parents Are Incarcerated During the Holidays

Kids-volunteering-with-Seniors-1

When mothers go to prison, most children go to live with grandparents. These grandparents, who have already raised one generation, must now adjust their lives and become the primary caregivers of another generation.

The caregiver's job is a difficult one with many new realities and hardships. Often they need to perform as both mother and father to a child with a parent in prison, teaching skills and caring for them in ways the absent parent would have done.

Now, they must also cope with finding ways to share space in their home and stretch already limited resources.(Excerpt Prisonfellowship)

December Holiday Turkey Drive

The Problem

A large percentage of children of incarcerated parents are cared for by the other parent or other relatives during parental incarceration; these caregivers face multiple challenges including financial and food insecurity during the holidays.

Promising Practices

Identify and defray the costs for relative caregivers and their children, especially for senior caregivers by providing a Holiday Turkey Dinners.

A turkey evokes the joy of the holidays and a lifetime of family memories.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

You can donate a gift card to use to buy a turkey from a grocery store.

You can donate $45 to provide a Holiday dinner for a family of 4 (Turkey, Pie and canned/fresh veggies/Sides)

Your tax-deductible donation will help provide meals to 50 families this Holiday season.

Job: Florida Linen Services

Florida Linen Services is hiring and you can receive a $300 bonus after 6 months!
 
$12 per hour/FT Position - Laundry Receiving department
 
$10 per hour/FT Position - Laundry Cleaning department
 
Complete the application below and go prepared!
 
(Referred by Women at the Well-Broward)

https://www.florida-linen.com/wp-content/uploads/Application_FL.pdf

Florida Linens Job Fair

Find a career that matches your interests

Find a career that matches your interests

As the world is changing, your interests and needs might be changing too. Take self assessments to see what career fits you, what skills you contribute to a job and where you can benefit from more training and experience.

Find a career that matches your interests and skills.
 
An interest assessment can help you identify careers that meet your interests. Interest assessments usually ask you a series of questions about what you like and don't like to do. Then they match your likes and dislikes to careers.
 
When you choose a career that matches your overall interests, you're more likely to enjoy your job. You're also more likely to be successful.
 
Take an Interest Assessment: http://bit.ly/3rgZq2t
Take a Skill  Assessment: bit.ly/386MGDS

Entrepreneurship for Returning Citizens

While full-time gainful employment is still the aim for returning citizens, in this economic environment, those who previously shunned the idea of starting a business in favor of the safer route of getting a job might view entrepreneurship in a whole new light. The term “necessity entrepreneurship” has been used to describe this form of self-employment where entrepreneurship is an essential option and often the most expedient way to earn a living.

Read the article: RESPECT THE HUSTLE: NECESSITY ENTREPRENEURSHIP, RETURNING CITIZENS, AND SOCIAL ENTERPRISE STRATEGIES

Testimoninals

Women make up a growing share of incarcerated populations, and they have different needs than justice-involved men. But what happens after release?

We help the women achieve what is most important to them—finding safe and affordable housing, preparing for job interviews, reuniting with their children, gaining peer support from other women, learning household budgeting and skills for daily life, and much more.
Joanna Haynes

Meet Joanna…With guidance and support from our staff at Women at the Well-Broward, Joanna was able to overcome the challenges many women face upon re-entering their communities. As a participant in our Women Empowered Behind Walls (WEBW) program prior to her release, we began the process of re-entry, by conducting mock interviews with her, providing 10 copies of her resume, and supplying her with a verified list of felon friendly employers. After her release, in our NewWoman program, Joanna was provided clothing, hygiene items, gift cards, bus passes, and most important- emotional and spiritual support and accountability. She also had access to free or low-cost community resources and services.

While Joanna was incarcerated, she became skilled at crocheting blankets and after spending 5 years in the Coleman work camp for Women.  A significant challenge that returning citizens face is re-entry into the labor market. After working for a few businesses, Joanna realized her background prevent her from advancing in the companies. She found talking about her criminal record or the previous incarceration was a taboo topic, so she decided to take the entrepreneur route.

Her experience in prison and her transition back home led her to turn her crochet passion into a business-Divine Designz Crochet Shoppe! Two years later she owns 2 businesses and co-owners a 3rd business. Joanna is living on her own with her 2 sons and is a productive citizen.

She has her eyes set on a very bright future.

Donate today and support our mission!

 

PO BOX 8661

Deerfield Beach, FL 33443

www.watwbroward.org

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