all abilities. limitless possibilities

IMPACTREPORT

Easterseals South Florida Board of Directors

ChairmanDavid BarkusHolland & Knight, LLP

Vice ChairmanEric VainderNorthern Trust

SecretaryJean BellBank of America/Merrill Lynch

TreasurerCristina Gallo-AquinoRyder System, Inc.

Immediate Past ChairmanAlberto de CardenasMasTec, Inc.

DirectorsNancy AnsleyThe Batchelor Foundation

Paul D. BiancoFleit Gibbons Gutman Bongini & Bianco PL

Ronald C. DresnickKluger, Kaplan, Silverman, Katzen & Levine PL

Bryce Epstein, MD

Robert FatovicRyder System, Inc.

Laura HodgesRoyal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd.

Adolfo E. JimenezHolland & Knight, LLP

Marcelo LlorenteLlorente & Heckler, PA

George L. PitaMasTec, Inc.

Lourdes RivasSimply Healthcare Plans

Stephen F. RossmanRossman, Baumberger, Reboso & Spier, PA

Matthew RothSolstice Point Partners, LLC

Steven SavolaPenrod Management Group

Hector TundidorErnst & Young, LLP

Our Purpose is to change the way the world defines and views disabilities by making profound, positive differences in people’s lives every day.

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Easterseals South Florida Annual Report - Fiscal Year 2018

3Easterseals South Florida Annual Report - Fiscal Year 2018

Dear Friends,

This past year, Easterseals South Florida has continued its fervent focus on greater impact. Our passion for making profound changes in the lives of people living with disabilities and in disadvantaged communities has led us to seek out new opportunities to meet the growing needs of our community. We realized many new and innovative ways to support and strengthen our programs and our families. We opened our newest Alzheimer’s Day Care in Kendall, providing caregivers of seniors with dementia with much needed peace of mind, knowing that their loved ones are in a safe, caring, and compassionate environment, with the opportunity to connect with others in a meaningful way; We added a new summer camp in Miami Gardens, free to children (0-5 yrs) with disabilities; In partnership with University of Miami Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (UM/CARD) we launched a model elementary school classroom, bringing technology, best practice curriculum and interventions that focus on the academic and social emotional growth of each child; Easterseals and Arts for Learning brought music education to more than 500 children in our Head Start pre-school centers as well as our Child Development Center for special needs children. Teachers are now trained to use music in the classroom to help increase child development, school readiness and a lifelong appreciation of music. Easterseals’ programs remain need blind, meaning we are able to support and serve more families, regardless of their ability to pay, which is a point of great pride for us. This past year we served a total of 1,700 families, 200 more families than we served the prior year. Our efforts to grow our impact, reach more families, serve more communities and change more lives are made possible by the generous support we receive from funders and community leaders. Together we are truly changing lives for the better.

Letter from the President/CEO

Loreen ChantPresident/CEO

Fiscal Year 2018September 2017 to August 2018

Total Revenue & Support $13.3 MTotal Expenses $13.1 M

Program Services: 92% Administration: 5%

Fundraising: 3%

Special Education

Programs & Services

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Easterseals South Florida Annual Report - Fiscal Year 2018

Head Start

Adult Day Care In-Home Respite

Over ninety-one cents of every dollar spent goes directly toward programs and services that help children and adults with disabilities and special needs

335 STUDENTS SERVED 567 FAMILIES SERVED

532 FAMILIES SERVED 288 FAMILIES SERVED

Wayne & Nicole Cypen School (including the child development center, the elementary and middle school academy and the culinary arts high school) provides expert and focused help for children with autism and other special needs so they can reach their fullest potential and make progress on their journey towards independence.

Allows adults living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia to spend their days in our centers with our caring staff while their caregivers work, so they can return to their families every evening rather than living in a nursing home.

Provides high quality, early-childhood education to pre-school children living in impoverished communities, as well as supports and services their families need to raise their children so they enter kindergarten ready to learn and their families are better equipped to break the cycle of poverty.

Provides in-home assistance for elders too frail to leave their homes, which lightens the stressful and often detrimental burden shouldered by their caregivers so the family can continue living together under the same roof as they envisioned they would.

100% of children make progress toward age-appropriate

milestones

86% of caregivers state our services have

maintained or improved their ability

to continue to provide care

99% of children accessed health insurance and received preventative

health care

100% of participants were

able to continue living at home

all abilities. limitless possibilities5Easterseals South Florida Annual Report - Fiscal Year 2018

BRANDON IS HAPPY AS HE LEARNS NEW SKILLS AND INDEPENDENCE EVERY DAY. After Brandon completed Kindergarten at his neighborhood school, his parents began searching for an environment where he could thrive both academically and emotionally. Despite being very smart, transitioning from playtime to school work was difficult, he needed hand over hand assistance with writing, and his ability to focus was extremely limited. His parents knew that if they didn’t find the right program, Brandon would be left behind. Brandon enrolled in Easterseals South Florida’s/University of Miami Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (UM/CARD) partnership model autism classroom, and after his first year, he made profound strides in his social, behavioral and academic skills. This pilot classroom brought together Easterseals’ intense focus on individualized instruction, a 3:1 student teacher ratio, along with CARD’s expert guidance, and classroom technology provided by the Comcast Foundation. The CARD team coached and mentored classroom staff throughout the school year and connected families to their services, which have been invaluable to Brandon and his family. Brandon’s parents and teachers have come to understand how very bright he is and how much he truly loves to learn. “His ability to focus is probably the biggest change we have noticed. Now he transitions easily, which means he is ready to learn. He counts to 100, writes and works independently and even received an award for excellence in writing,” said his mother Nicole. “We are grateful to Easterseals and CARD for creating an ideal classroom and learning environment for Brandon, providing him a firm foundation to grow on”.

Changing Lives

THIS FAMILY FEELS AS THOUGH THEY’VE GOTTEN THEIR LIVES BACK. When my family and I learned of my mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis five years ago, we were devastated. The idea of our mom suffering from symptoms of dementia and memory loss was almost too much to bear. Even worse was fathoming the prospect of placing our mother into a facility that looked like so many we’ve seen tucked into shopping centers around the area, offering minimal staff supervision and much worse. I remember sitting in one of those parking lots in tears, with my sister on the phone, saying ‘I can’t imagine putting mom in a place like this.’ We felt an obligation out of love to give her the right environment with the right people to care for her because, after all, she raised us with so much love. Then we heard about Easterseals. Aside from their historic mission of taking care of children with special needs, we learned they also care for people with Alzheimer’s. Upon taking an onsite tour, the staff took my mom aside. And at one point, we noticed she was laughing with the staff and actually opening up to them. What a relief. The first couple weeks for her at Easterseals were a little difficult, but ultimately she adapted, which was nothing short of miraculous. Now, when we drop her off, my mother is so pleased to know there are people waiting for her there, and so happy to see her every day. They make her feel like a princess. Yes, this is a difficult and unfortunate disease, but I’m realizing that places like Easterseals South Florida impact the entire family in a positive and loving way. We feel as though we’ve gotten our lives back. And while we may never get our mother back entirely, we are able to once again find joy in so many little things. Easterseals has made a great impact in our lives. They not only have a beautiful facility, but their staff is very loving. I feel it. And if I feel it, I imagine many other families will as well.

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Easterseals South Florida Annual Report - Fiscal Year 2018

Changing Lives

Easterseals South Florida Small Miracles LuncheonThursday, August 22, 2019, Hilton Miami Downtown

Easterseals’ Small Miracles Luncheon is our biggest annual fundraiser; bringing together over 300 of Miami-Dade and Broward counties most caring community leaders and corporate sponsors. The event serves to raise awareness of Easterseals’ mission to change the way the world defines and views disabilities by making profound, positive differences in people’s lives every day.

31st Annual Festival of ChefsWednesday, November 13, 2019, Jungle Island Miami

The 31st Annual Festival of Chefs at Jungle Island pays tribute to South Florida’s culinary scene with an evening of signature dishes, fine wine & spirits, silent auction and entertainment, all to benefit the Easterseals South Florida Culinary Arts High School. Use discount code “FOC2019” for $25 off ticket price.

Your generosity helps Easterseals South Florida provide help, hope and answers to people living with autism, Alzheimer’s and other disabilities and to the families who love them.

� Volunteer� Make a Donation� Host a Fundraiser� Make a Tribute or Memorial Gift� Set Up a Matching Gift

� Workplace and Employee Giving Campaign� Transfer Securities to Easterseals� Sponsor an Event� Join the President’s Council

For more information about Easterseals South Florida, to take a tour of our centers, to make a donation, to volunteer, or for corporate team building projects, please contact:

Marta Quintana, Vice President of Development, 305.547.4765 or Marta.Quintana@sfl.easterseals.comEasterseals South Florida, 1475 NW 14th Ave., Miami, FL 33125

LUNCHEON

Special Events

How You Can Help

31 annualst

27th Annual Easterseals South Florida Golf FiestaMay 2020, The Club at Emerald Hills

This Annual Golf Tournament has been attracting golf enthusiasts for 27 years to benefit Easterseals South Florida programs. The event includes: lunch and dinner, goodie bag for all players and complimentary beverages & snacks on the course. The tournament will conclude with a silent auction, dinner and awards ceremony.

Edgar Allen Corporate Society Member

Major Funders

In acknowledgement of their unwavering commitment and support of our mission, Easterseals South Florida wishes to recognize Mastec with the prestigious Easterseals National Corporate Council Award. This award is presented to organizations that have contributed $50,000 to $99,999. Easterseals is grateful to Mastec and its leadership for the critical support it has bestowed that directly benefits our programs.

Easterseals South Florida, 1475 NW 14th Ave, Miami, FL 33125

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