Bringing Joy To Those In Need

Sandy Atkins created Hope for the Holidays over 20 years ago. She worked at the time for Broward County addressing homelessness. She has been a member and treasurer of Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church right here in our City. As part of the youth ministries, they founded SFEDC to help young students with hands-on educational help.

Since 2009, South Florida Educational Development Center, Inc., located at 620 Northwest 2nd Avenue, Hallandale Beach, Florida 33009, has provided individual and group counseling, nutritional education, HIV/AIDS and STD prevention education, substance abuse counseling, job training, job placement and job retention, homeless assistance, outreach, mentoring and tutoring to over three hundred youth and young adults in Broward County, Florida.

They have an excellent track record of results. They have documented an 85% success rate from individual and group counseling, tutoring and mentoring and substance abuse and HIV/AIDS and teen pregnancy prevention programs. They partner with other Non-Profits to leverage support services programs which have resulted in the successful job placement of 90% of young adults into permanent employment and have documented 60% home ownership from our housing program.

In addition, we have a 95% success rate among our students who have received tutoring from our staff. A few years back Sandy took a break from Hope For the Holidays. The years of volunteerism had taken a toll. I had watched her hard work and truly loved what they do for our struggling families. I asked her if I could do the event. So for a couple of years I picked up the baton. Gulfstream Park graciously hosted the event. The past three years, I along with the group have done the event.

PAL, which is housed at the Dr. Martin Luther King Dream Center, formerly Foster Park, hosted the event once again. Obviously, it takes a village to put together this type of event. I helped with fundraising alongside Sandy. We had many gracious supporters. Westway Towing, Gulfstream Park, Memorial Healthcare System, Wellcare, Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen and FHBPA Association, Eric George Funeral Home, Healing Foundation of America, Design2Form, Jessi Smatt Tennis, many members of the tennis club and myself.

This event is not just about toys. They also provided clothing, food, bikes and made sure everyone that attended was able to have lunch. There was entertainment as well as a visit from Santa.

As always, I am available anytime for your questions, concerns, and ideas to make our City a better place on my Phone/Text at: (954) 632-5700. Or you can email me at: jcooper@cohb.org. Please visit me on my Facebook page at: Mayor Joy Cooper. Like! Follow! And share!