Wellness and Pampering Event Planned For Breast Cancer Survivors
An evening of wellness and pampering will be held on Thursday, Jan. 9 for individuals battling breast cancer, breast cancer survivors, and their families. It takes place from 7 to 9 p.m. at Wellington Regional Medical Center in the Community Center Room as part of the monthly Your Bosom Buddies II meeting.
The event includes complimentary massages provided by Bonita Lopez of Myorhythmics Massage and Bodyworks, and guest speaker Dr. Matthew Symons of Symons Family Chiropractic will share his philosophy on “Maximized Living.” Stonewood Grill & Tavern of Wellington will provide a spread of small bites.
The wellness event is presented by breast cancer survivor Jathy Garcia. Garcia will present a $1,939 check from her company, Hi-Tech Plumbing, to support the organization. Hi-Tech Plumbing set aside 5 percent of all its revenue during October, Breast Cancer Awareness month, for Your Bosom Buddies II.
ADOLESCENTS AGING OUT OF FOSTER CARE BENEFIT FROM SHOWER AT WYCLIFFE
NCJW PROJECT LIFT HELPS 18 YEAR OLDS MOVING TO INDEPENDENT LIVING
WELLINGTON, FL – The Palm Beach Section of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) in partnership with Vita Nova, Inc., held a shower at Wycliffe Golf and Country Club which netted hundreds of household items that will go to adolescents aging out of foster care on their 18th birthday.
Hosted by Wycliffe residents Liz Greene and Shelley Wortman, the event brought together more than 50 Wycliffe women who brought sheet sets, pillows, blankets, towels, dishes, flatware, glasses, pots and pans, as well as small but needed kitchen tools.
These items, all new, will be packed into suitcases, laundry hampers and storage containers and given to 18 year old foster care youth who leave foster care on their 18th birthday and must begin to live on their own. In the past they have had to leave the foster home with their few belongings in garbage bags, and start anew with nothing to put in a rental apartment they have had to secure. Since the beginning of the LIFT on the ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE Project of the Palm Beach Section of NCJW, all 18 year olds aging out of foster care in Palm Beach County now have the dignity of owning the basics for their bedroom, bathroom and kitchen.
NCJW works with Vita Nova, Inc., which provides independent living skills to youth ages 16-23. Elizabeth Smiley, Independent Living Coordinator for Vita Nova, Inc. said “NCJW’s LIFT Program provides the necessities these young adults need to start living on their own. Vita Nova, Inc. can help them locate an apartment, either in the Vita Nova Village we operate, or in a moderately priced apartment complex, but once in the apartment they are overwhelmed by the items they need to make it function. The NCJW LIFT project fills a huge gap for these young adults. It is so rewarding to watch them unwrap new items for their apartment and see their faces light up as they realize they are not getting hand-me-downs, and they will not have to spend their very limited resources to get the items they need.” Ms. Smiley noted that the LIFT on the ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE Project has received the Department of Children and Families PARTNERS FOR PROMISE AWARD for making a difference in our community.
Darianne T., one of the first recipients of the NCJW project, attended the shower and thanked NCJW and the women for caring for kids in foster care. She so grateful for the the items she received. Darien has graduated from high school and is enrolled in college, studying to become an EMT .
Christene Campbell-Gabor, an NCJW volunteer, unveiled its newest project utilizing volunteers, NCJW members, spouses or friends, to provide life skills once a month to foster care youth older than 18, who are now living independently. Working closely with Elizabeth Smiley and her staff at Vita Nova, Inc, the life skills sessions will focus on communications, listening, interpersonal skills, identity theft, money and time management, and will offer practical information like fire safety, nutrition and smart shopping.
The National Council of Jewish Women is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children and families, and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.
Vita Nova Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to addressing the high priority needs of Palm Beach County’s adolescents in and aging out of foster care and to providing them the support and life skills to complete their education and live independently.
In the attached photograph from L to R:
Jessica Joy, Vita Nova Transition Specialist, Darianne T., Elizabeth Smiley, Vita Nova Independent Living Coordinator, Judy Traub, Shelley Wortman and Liz Greene, NCJW volunteers and shower hostesses.
DRUG ABUSE SUMMIT GATHERS PRESTIGIOUS PANEL OF SPEAKERS TO DISCUSS SOLUTIONS TO DRUG PANDEMIC
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Hanley Center present event as free community service
(WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.) Hanley Center and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office joined forces recently to co-present their first annual Palm Beach County Drug Abuse Summit on Tuesday, December 3. Presented as a free community service and open to the public, the event attracted an audience of nearly 150 people to the HanleyResource Center auditorium. Covering a wide range of provocative topics, the Summit was broken down into four separate panel discussions – each exploring the drug abuse pandemic from a different perspective.
“The Palm Beach County Drug Abuse Summit’s mission is to effectively restrict the impact of the prescription and synthetic drug pandemic and its far-reaching effects through common awareness, communication and networking within our communities locally, regionally and nationally,” said Dr. Rachel Docekal, CEO of Hanley Center Foundation and vice president of external relations for Caron Treatment Centers. “We are grateful to these esteemed leaders who participated in this important event and hope that it incites a continued impactful discussion of issues and solutions.”
The Summit’s criminal justice/law and order panel featured: Eric Coleman, captain, Narcotics Division, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office; Mike Gauger, chief deputy, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office; Norman Hemming, special counsel, U.S. Attorney’s Office; and John J. McKenna, assistant special agent in charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, Ft. Lauderdale District Office.
Lori Berman, Florida House of Representatives, District 90; Todd Bonlarron, director of legislative affairs, Palm Beach County; Dave Kerner, Florida House of Representatives, District 87; Jeri Muoio, mayor, City of West Palm Beach; and Curt Siegmeister, regional representative, Governor Rick Scott’s Office led the panel of legislative representatives and elected officials.
A medical and pharmaceuticals expert panel included Dr. Antonella Carlozzi, pharmacist; Dr. Barbara Krantz, medical director, Hanley Center; Dr. Karen Flannery, Good Samaritan Medical Center; Dr. Jessica Prince, Palm Beach Children’s Hospital and St. Mary’s Medical Center; and Dr. Mark Rubenstein, former president, Palm Beach County Medical Society.
Finally, Diane Huff, director of operations, 211 Helpline; Jeff Kadel, executive director, Palm Beach County Substance Abuse Coalition; Michelle Maloney, executive director of treatment services, Hanley Center; Gary Martin, detective, Palm Beach County Sherriff’s Office and dean of students, Lynn University; and Karen Perry, executive director, NOPE Task Force wrapped up the day to represent the public health/community outreach panel.
Hanley Center is a nonprofit residential substance abuse treatment center established by the Hanley family as a community resource nearly 30 years ago. Mary Jane and Jack Hanley started with the goal of bringing quality substance abuse treatment to the southeast. The community rallied behind them to initially build Hanley Center, and it has become a vital community pillar and national trailblazer for the recovery industry in the years since. HanleyCenter has led the treatment industry as a pioneer– with older adult and boomer programs setting a hallmark for effective treatment and the industry standard for treating those populations today.
Together, Caron and Hanley Treatment Centers comprise the largest and most comprehensive nonprofit addiction treatment provider in the country, focused on a 12-Step recovery program with a powerful clinical component. In South Florida, Caron and Hanley Treatment Centers operate lifesaving addiction treatment centers at Hanley Center,Caron Ocean Drive and Caron Renaissance in Palm Beach County; and Gate Lodge in Vero Beach. For more information on Caron and Hanley Treatment Centers, or future local events, please call or visit .
The Empty Bed, One Mom’s Struggle with Finding Treatment for her Son
By Ilyse August
Night after night my husband and I lay on our bed tired, yet apprehensive to fully succumb to the day and allow our nights rest to begin. There is one empty bed in our house on most nights that is missing its 17 year old teenage son occupant. Our first born is out in the night and who knows where?
Ilyse August
We try to ‘rein him in’; we try to enforce our rules knowing full well our control over him has been inadvertently relinquished to G-D’s graces of protection. Surreptitiously time has evolved into a freedom our teenager does not fully comprehend, and a freedom he unfortunately chooses to play Russian roulette with. Teens, “barely conscious” of all the decisions they make at this ripe old age of 16 and 17, are making decisions which will inevitably effect the rest of their lives. Some of these decisions will come with repercussions that will be irreversible.
I always thought the kids wandering “the streets” at night were solely the kids who came from broken families where dinner time family discussions were never a part of their childhood and where the parents, guardians, or caregivers lacked in the parenting skills category. As parents of three teenage sons, we now see my visualization of ‘the way to raise your kids perfectly’ couldn’t be further from the truth. Another lesson in life about judging others. So here my husband and I are – looking back on our parenting, knowing we did our absolute best. Knowing that our sons diagnosis at age 7 of ADHD with Impulsivity & his diagnosis even younger with ODD (Oppositional Defiance Disorder,) OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder,) and anxiety could lead to some extra parenting skill work. What I didn’t anticipate is how the ‘different’ mind would be so greatly effected in its decision making process as it transitions into young adulthood.
It is a known fact that the human brain does not fully connect until about age 25. Having an inherent predisposition to mental illness – (my husband’s sister committed suicide 20 years ago, and my brother has struggled with drugs) – it is a known fact that human beings effected with this genetic predisposition lack an A1 Dopamine gene, giving the individual an inherently poor ability to cope with life as an ‘ordinary’ brain can. Mood disorders and mood swings, depression, anger, highs and lows are all a part of the genetically malfunctioning brain- also called mental illness. . The problems teens face can be confounded when an individual struggling to balance his/her mental balance also has a substance abuse challenge, thus being labeled as a Dual Diagnosis issue.
We see a problem with our teen coming into a new freedom at 17- at least a freedom he feels he is deserving of. However, he is NOT, yet he takes the liberty to take advantage of his newfound freedom after withdrawing from high school and foregoing a promising (& potential) career in his sport – giving up years of dedicated effort and commitment to becoming one of the best at what he did. In essence, he’s giving it all up to simply hang out with his “cool friends.” If only he knew these are not true friends.
We as parents not only see our teenager throwing away his future, but we are spectators in a game of this Russian roulette I mentioned earlier, sadly watching as our son deteriorates before our eyes. We have been doing everything in our power to get our son into a rehab, even “Baker Acting” him against his will into a hospital situation not once, but twice over a three month period, only to have him escape the hospital the second time.
This Baker Act is not only ineffective in our opinion, but it is also counterproductive. If the hospital mistreats the patient by withholding important therapy sessions and possible sedation proclivities, then all bets are off for the patient to benefit from receiving the proper hospital treatment and care that is being paid for by the patients’ insurance. To beat these individuals down even more is the absolute wrong direction for these institutions to take, yet this is the only avenue we as parents can turn to for help. Ultimately it is the parents (or guardians) goal to have the child transferred to a rehab facility for all therapies pertinent for the patients improved health. A child must be clean and sober however in order to be evaluated and accepted into a rehab treatment facility. This is where the system begins to fail these kids 17 and under. A recent radio program hosted by Reenie Brewer, a prominent grandmother who stands up to bullying in our Western communities has done a fabulous job of expressing the disconnect: Listen in at http://tobtr.com/s/5487835.#BlogTalkRadio
We talk about everything we need to talk about: Family dynamics, relationships, bullying, mutual respect, Women’s issues, homelessness, nutrition, as well as current news. It’s our opportunity to be heard. We have guests who can answer your questions. I do daily research to keep all of us informed.
In most cases whether it is a teen or an adult who is entering a rehab facility, this individual is typically at his or her own all time low with the particular substance abuse/addiction he or she owns. At the time a person shows up to begin their road to recovery, or at least at the time of a person’s attempt to begin their healing process, the person is not exactly sober and/or coherent; their mental and physical facilities are not exactly at the level an airline pilot’s focus needs to be. And perhaps this is a poor analogy, as it is known that the FAA has its share of substance abuse issues with their pilots. Ultimately, for the teen population this presents a problem as it’s certainly difficult enough to bring a teen to enter a rehab facility, let alone getting the adolescent there only to find out Dang! – the teen needs to sober up first. So what do you do? Where do you go?
The choices are invariably limited to simply the hospital to detox, and unfortunately, this is not the option that will help the adolescent due to its narrow method of ‘dealing’ with these individuals. At their all time low, addicts are in dire need for those around them in the recovery process to be supportive and nurturing. However, all too often the opposite is true with so called “recovery personnel” negating the addict’s reasons for landing in the situation they are in.
From what I have observed and experienced firsthand from my own son going through the 17 year old and under adolescent treatment arena, I have been appalled during the initial evaluation/recovery (detox from the drugs or alcohol) part of the process. Unfortunately, anybody with an addiction challenge is looked upon as sub par, and often not given a fair chance since they are pre judged right out of the gates.
My husband and I had selected a rehab in BrowardCounty, and we were not thrilled to see that the “professionals” at the rehab center were basically acting as a liaison between the hospital and their own rehab facility. As my husband and I began to question what we KNOW was mistreatment at the hospital, concerning the level of care our son was NOT being offered, the lead rehab professional liaison stated, “there’s nothing wrong with a little tough love; your son did do something wrong.” My husband agreed on the tough love, but strongly felt that our son was being treated like one of Michael Vick’s dogs. It was when this “Professional” liaison from the rehab center questioned my husband that really sent a chill down my husband’s spine. The question was “do you really feel your son deserves special treatment?” Obviously we recognized that we needed to continue our search for the “RIGHT” treatment facility for our son, and we were actually glad that our son escaped that hospital. This was the second hospital stay for him in a three-month-period, and the first facility was not appalling. However, it did lack in certain important areas.
After attempting and failing at this Baker Act activity, parents are at a standstill because the next option is what’s called a Marchmant Act. This is when parents give total control to the State; parents basically are giving up their parental rights for their child for a period of 41 days according to the Marchmant Act guidelines. Under the circumstances of our own personal experiences within these mental wards in 2 hospitals, one in Palm Beach County, FL and the other in Broward County, FL, I vehemently recommend NOT going this route. However, even in my own personal situation with a teen out of control, I may find that I have absolutely no choice but to enact this final step to providing ‘safety’ for my other children who now live in fear of their older brother.
It is my hope that one day soon there can be a local unit for ages 17 and under who can arrange to help guide these troubled young souls back onto the paths that G-D placed them on this earth to grow and develop into. I have been told that the one program Palm BeachCounty had for youths (called the EagleAcademy,) was negated due to budget cuts. G-D help us help these troubled individuals. All children are our future, and whether a child is acting out from his harsh upbringing, or whether a child is acting out from sheer mental illness, we need to reach them all, or at least give our best efforts to do so. Currently we are failing at this attempt greatly. I believe the best avenue I can seek for advice and guidance is Reenie Brewer’s radio program which can be found on Facebook: via Reenie Brewer~ Reenies Heart to Heart Blog Talk Radio. The program begins at 7:00 am Monday-Friday and can be accessed by calling in as well: 347 989 0352; It runs for one hour.
What are we left with? What are our choices? Quite frankly, we don’t have any clear options as we continue along on this sad and disappointing journey. We go to sleep each night and pray, and wake up each morning and pray some more that our child will finally ‘see the light’ and recognize all the bad decisions are leading nowhere, and leading nowhere fast. However, this mind may be able to realize they’re going ‘down,’ but it also says “I cannot stop myself.” So what is a parent to do who has tried all the psychiatrists and medicines to no avail? The one thing I did see help our son was making him take a natural whole Wild Super Food Freeze dried supplement by The New Earth Company. However, having to ‘make him take it’ only works for so long. I will tell you though that for the time period my son was on the Essential Fatty Acids, Enzymes, Super Blue Green Algae, his mind seemed to rest for the first time in years. I do have Scientifically documented information on the interplay quality enzymes, Essential Fatty Acids(EFA’s) and Super Blue Green Algae play in the ability for the brain to perform at its optimal levels for those with brain chemical imbalances.
Reaching for Inner peace In an effort to keep our son alive b/c clearly it is only a matter of time that his lack of skill in the decision making process keeps him from harm, we just keep trying to say the same mantra over and over; “Be a good person, and always believe in yourself.” What is it that the substance abuser or the mind laden with mental illness is thinking? How can we best help out this sector of human kind? How can we ensure our own children won’t kill themselves through their desperate cries for help that they need this guidance, and they don’t know why?
To families across America who struggle with a family member with Mental Illness and substance abuse, I just want you to know that you’re not alone. If anybody has any ideas to stop this madness, please reach out to me: info@newearthfreedom.com. Twenty years ago I worked on the Fundraising efforts for the AFSP (American Foundation Suicide Prevention) in South Florida, and I almost wonder if it was foreshadowing of what was to come in my own life with my own flesh and blood. We are where we are supposed to be indeed, but I need the strength to figure out what my “place” in all of this is. I do not want to bury my child; I understand this is the greatest pain, and I can surely understand why. We brought this person into the world, and we surely don’t want to see the person take him or herself out of this world.
There a few resources in our community that you can turn to: Locally here in Wellington is a lovely Counseling center called Peace of Mind Counseling, located at 12773 W. Forest Hill Blvd, Ste.209. Services offered to teens include Intensive Outpatient Substance Abuse as well as Complementary alternative medicine. In addition, their therapies for the families of substance abusers include Individual and couples assistance with licensed social workers as well as life coaches who help mentor the teens to health and safety. They all are passionate about their work, and it is refreshing to feel they care. After much thought on the profile of our son, they assisted us in finding 2 out of state Rehab facilities. Cumberland Heights in Nashville, TN http://www.cumberlandheights.org/ & New Beginnings of Opelousas, LA~http://www.newbeginningsshc.com/, both which can suit the needs of our family, and the needs for our son.
After careful consideration with all referrals mapped out in front of us, my husband’s strategic online search for ‘the perfect drug rehab/mental health facility’ came to light.
At NewportAcademy,http://www.newportacademy.com, we found a patient to professional ratio of 4:1. This is an outstanding opportunity as we feel we have one shot, and one shot only to get this right. With a teen group of no more than 10 boys max, we strongly have faith that moving into 2014 our careful selection process landed us with a facility that will be our family’s solution to maneuver our son back onto the road to recovery thus enabling our entire family the ability to heal and move in a positive direction.
CEO Newport Academy owner, Jamison Monroe, has been on CNN, NBCNY, Huffington Live and many other major news shows but the clip below, for me, captures the essence of our program.
Jamison’s contribution to the Recovery 2.0 Conference:
NAMI (National Organization for the Mentally Ill), which has a local chapter that meets at the Wellington Library on Forest HIll – once a month. And Florida Community Alliance, Inc. – a non-profit mental health agency dedicated to improving the lives of adolescents, adults and families through leadership training. A local resource on the web is www.HelpingYouCare.com, which provides resources for anyone who is a caregiver or has questions about health issues. The NAMI.org website is helpful too. Also by dialing 2-1-1, you are connected with various resources in your own county, including counseling and suicide prevention resources. You can also visit www.211PalmBeach.org. Yet there is a long way to go when it comes to finding help for someone who is diagnosed as mentally ill in your family – this is why many people consider “mental illness” to be “the last frontier” when it comes to awareness and funding.
I don’t have the answers, and I can only say that all I wish for is to have my son back in his bed, and for all people out there to have their loved ones back in their beds too – safe, sound and healthy.
Bless us all!
Ilyse August is a Non Profit Fundraising Specialist whose passion is to change the lives of many people not only here in S. Florida, but throughout the world as well. Through the education of the powers that are inherent in Earth’s Superfoods, such as WILD Super Blue Green Algae (SBGA,) tonic mushrooms, botanicals, probiotics, enzymes, the whole host of Chorophyll (Spirulina,) base foods, Ilyse aims to guide people to understanding that our bodies are the true miracles, and feeding/nourishing our bodies with the best foods from earth can only help to facilitate our bodies operating at their optimal performance levels. To visit the basic information on the New Earth product line, please visit: http://www.teamnewearth.com/ilyse/Products. For more technical/Scientific info, please email Ilyse at info@newearthfreedom.com.
Some info on New Earth: IN THE 1980S, WE LAUNCHED A REVOLUTION.
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(Opening Night January 4th with food/drink that starts at 7:00 pm and a special
Industry Night January 6th at 8:00 pm)
SandBox at MiamiTheaterCenter
9816 NE 2nd Avenue
Miami Shores, Florida
MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 26, 2013 – After the contagious success of Blow Me by Jessica Farr at our new home at the Miami Theater Center, Mad Cat Theatre Company is pleased to present MIXTAPE 2: UMMAGUMMA FORZA ZUMA! a collection of new works by various local artists and familiar faces. In 2008, Mad Cat released its first MIXTAPE featuring a mix of new plays and films steeped in nostalgia. Now, six years later, Mad Cat is back with a new mix of plays and films, MIXTAPE 2: UMMAGUMMA FORZA ZUMA!, a theatrical stew that is very much embedded in the present. MIXTAPE 2: UMMAGUMMA FORZA ZUMA! is about having the right mixture of mojo needed to make it through a metamorphosis. This collection of new works features pieces by Jessica Farr, Elena Maria Garcia, Theo Reyna, Deborah L. Sherman, Andres Solorzano, Paul Tei, and Kristina Wong as well as new films by Molly Gandour, George Schiavone and Matt Corey, Karelle Levy and Michael Landsberg, Wet Sock Ensemble (Erik Fabregat, Ralph de la Portilla and Ted Chambers), and Darin Gray of the band On Fillmore.
The ensemble features Carey Brianna Hart and Mad Cat company members: Troy Davidson, Jessica Farr, Joe Kimble, Noah Levine and Erin Joy Schmidt with Theo Reyna as Syd. The production and design team for MIXTAPE 2 includes the sound design and original music of Matt Corey (company member), lighting design by Melissa Santiago Keenan (company member), costume design by Karelle Levy, guest direction by Leland Patton and Theo Reyna, and set design and direction by Mad Cat’s founder Paul Tei.
This production is made possible by the MiamiTheaterCenter, Delaplaine Champagne, WLRN and with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs
Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners.
Tickets are on sale now! Preview Night January 3rd – $30, Opening Night January 4th – $50 (with food & drink); thereafter General Admission Tickets $30 and Student $15 (with valid ID). Applicable service charges apply. Tickets may be purchased online at www.madcattheatre.org OR https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/929859 OR by calling OvationTix at 866.811.4111.
ABOUT THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Paul Tei is the founder and Artistic Director of Mad Cat Theatre Company. Since its humble origins in the fall of 2000, Mad Cat has been providing South Florida audiences with an opportunity to engage in the type of low budget/high value theatre usually associated with Chicago, L.A.’s theatre row, and off off Broadway. He has directed almost 100 productions and his work has been seen from Miami to Scotland, LA to New York. He wrote the plays SO MY GRANDMOTHER DIED, BLAH BLAH BLAH, RPM, ARTFUL DODGERS, COPE and he is the co-author of HELLUVA HALLOWEEN, SHEPHERD’S PIE, HERE IN MY CAR, TERMINAL BAGGAGE and THE HAMLET DOG AND PONY SHOW. A member of the Screen Actors Guild/AFTRA Paul has appeared in several films, several national commercials and has guest starred on the TV shows CSI Miami, CSI, Going to California, Franklin & Bash, American Horror Story and most notably his recurring role in USA’s Burn Notice as Barry the money launderer and on Disney’s Zeke & Luther as Eddie Coletti. Paul received his MFA in directing at The Theatre School at De Paul University and his BA in Theatre from BarryUniversity.
CALENDAR LISTING
Mad Cat Theatre Company presents
MIXTAPE 2
MIXTAPE 2: UMMAGUMMA FORZA ZUMA! is a new theatrical stew that focuses on the mojo needed to make it through a metamorphosis. This new collection of plays and films features the voices of several artists, both new and familiar to the public.
January 3rd to 19th, 2013 – 8:00 pm performances.
Show dates are January 3rd to 6th at 8:00 pm and January 9th thru January 19th, Thursday to Sunday at 8:00 pm
General Admission: $30 and $15 Student with valid ID.
Opening Night Saturday, January 4th: $50 Includes food and drink at 7:00 pm and show at 8:00 pm.
Special Industry Night, Monday, January 6th: General Admission $30 and Industry $15
For high high-resolution production photographs, please contact Ann Kelly Anthony at ann@skymar.com
Prices, artists, dates, times, and program are subject to change without notice.
ABOUT MAD CAT THEATRE COMPANY
Born in 2000, Mad Cat is the brainchild of actor/director/writer/designer Paul Tei. A veteran company that continually aims to foster new and exciting local talent, Mad Cat Theatre Company, has set out a mission to provide theatre that provokes its audience to re-imagine its surrounding world. To promote debate by creating work that illuminates the darker regions of our mental and emotional landscape. To sniff out and ultimately create brazen stories which explore the hypermodernity of society. Mad Cat Theatre Company is committed to deconstructing itself and its environment through original works, adaptations, multi-media, live music, dance, puppetry and poetry. For thirteen years and counting, Mad Cat’s core group of designers, actors, and writers have been clawing their way into the cultural consciousness of the citizens of Miami. A history of diversified original works such as “Helluva Halloween” “Shepherd’s Pie”, “Here in my Car”, “Tin Box Boomerang”, “Artful Dodgers”, “COPE”, “Broadsword”, “Trembling Hands”, Fell In Love With A Girl”, SHOOT”, “Terminal Baggage”, “Mixtape”, “Viva Bourgeois”, “Going Green the Wong Way”, “So My Grandmother Died, Blah Blah Blah” “Charming Acts of Misery”, “The Hamlet Dog and Pony Show” and “Blow Me” mixed with their renditions of previous produced play such as “70 Scenes of Halloween”, “Matt & Ben”, “Mr. Marmalade”, “Animals & Plants”, “Some Girls(s)”, “Macbeth and the Monster” and “Cat Lady”. Mad Cat brings originality, vitality and bite to everything they do. They’ve received oodles of praise and have been decorated with accolades such as best new works, best productions, best theatre company, best fringe theatre, best ensembles, best actors, best designers, best director from the Miami Herald, the Sun Sentinel, the Miami New Times (most recently in 2013 for Best Theatre Company), the Sun Post (most recently in 2013 for Best Theatre Company), and the Carbonell Awards and Silver Palm Awards (most recent being Best Actress, Erin Joy Schmidt as Isabella Blow for Blow Me in 2013). However much praise Mad Cat has acquired, it’s the respect and return engagement of its fan base that makes Mad Cat continue to purr.
Mad Cat Theatre Company, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) Not For Profit Organization. All donations are tax deductible to the full extent allowed by law.
The Salvation Army of Palm Beach County Distributes Gifts to Families for Christmas
Angel Tree Gifts to be Distributed to Local Families in Crisis
WHAT: The Angel Tree program allows families in Palm Beach County with little or no finical means to have a wonderful Christmas with their children. The families go through a strict application process. During this process proof of the following is taken from each family; income, expenses, ID information, Social Security # or birth certificates for children age 0-12. Once it has been determined that the family needs assistance the children are placed on an Angel Tree Card. This card holds all information needed for a donor to purchase clothes and/or toys for that child. The Donor then returns the items to a drop off point; the gifts are collected and taken to the Angel Tree Program Warehouse. At the warehouse gifts or organized and prepared for disbursement back to the family during a one day distribution.
WHO: The Salvation Army of Palm Beach County with the help of several volunteers will distribute toys back to needy Families in Palm Beach County.
WHEN: Friday, December 20, 2013 9:00 AM till 4:00 PM
WHERE: 3651 Prospect Ave,
Riviera Beach, Fl 33404
From Interstate 95, head East on Blue Heron Blvd. to Garden Rd. Turn left onto Garden Rd. Take the Second Left onto Prospect Avenue
Wellington Rotary Sponsors Holiday Cheer with The Lord’s Place Shelters
The Rotary Club of Wellington Florida recently completed a community outreach project with The Lord’s Place. Members of the club had dinner and an evening of camaraderie on Monday, December 9th, 2013 with the women of The Burckle House in Lake Worth which is a homeless shelter for women who are reaching out for help. The Burckle House not only gives these women shelter but they teach them job skills and help them get back on their feet. The members of the Rotary Club “broke bread”with the women and learned about many of their circumstances. After the dinner, the Club presented holiday gifts to all of the women. For many members of the Club, it was a very enjoyable and rewarding experience.
On Saturday December 14, 2013, the members of The Rotary Club of Wellington had a morning of breakfast and camaraderie with the men of The Enrichment and Recovery Center in Boynton Beach, which is a men’s shelter supported by The Lord’s Place. This shelter is very similar to the women’s shelter. After the breakfast, the Club presented holiday gifts to all of the men. Again, this visit proved to be a very rewarding experience to the members of the club that attended.
Maggie Zeller, community outreach chairperson, coordinated both events for The Wellington Rotary Club. This is definitely something the club will do next year and years to come and is sure to be an event that is looked forward to every year. For more information about the Rotary Club of Wellington, contact Bob Salerno, Public Relations Director, at (561) 512-8247.
First photo – residents of The Burckle House, the women’s shelter ,enjoying dinner with members of The Rotary Club of Wellington
Second Photo-
Resident of the Boyton Men’s shelter accepts holiday gift from Jasmine Velez and Larry Kemp
