Starfish Family Services

Strengthening families to create brighter futures for children

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Archives for July 2015

Meet Erma: Our Lovable Furry Friend

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By: Sinziana Luchian; Marketing Intern

 

 

Our Early Head Start children received a surprise visit from Erma, the adorable service pup. Our kids were overjoyed while interacting with their new furry friend. Service dogs can be used for a variety of reasons: from providing assistance to those in need, to also alleviating stress and creating a sense of ease in the environment.

 

Erma is a darling, gentle dog, that always maintains a laid back composure. She is extremely fond of children and enjoys yummy treats as well as behind the ear scratches. She is also very talented when it comes to completing obstacle courses.

 

Our little ones had a great time on their play date with Erma. The new friends enjoyed each other’s company throughout the morning hours. The kids sat by Erma’s side on the playground, she was cheered on by three little girls as she faced the slide set obstacle course, and later received delicious treats from her new companions. It was an overall action packed day at Hiveley; it wouldn’t have been possible without Erma’s warm spirit.

 

 

 

 

MOMMY & ME YOGA: Join Us Next Time!

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By: Sinziana Luchian; Marketing Intern 

 

Starfish has been fortunate to have Courtney Conover teach MOMMY & ME YOGA classes at our Hiveley location. This week Courtney put on another great class, which resulted in an amazing outcome once again! The moms who attended, truly experienced the benefits of the spiritual art of yoga. The little ones had an enjoyable time as well, practicing various poses along with their moms.

Courtney is very committed to her practice and teaching others about the wonderful advantages that yoga can provide. This practice is not only beneficial to the body by increasing strength and relaxing the muscles, but most importantly, it works miracles for the mind and soul. Courtney’s passion resides in teaching children how to utilize the power of Yoga to deal with daily emotions. Children can benefit tremendously by simply learning how to control their breathing, an important aspect in yoga. The practice of yoga helps children relieve anxiety and stress; as well as reduces tantrums, all while the kids are having fun and staying engaged!

Courtney’s passion and dedication towards the mommies and their babies is truly remarkable. Have you ever wondered about yoga and the benefits it can provide for you and your child? There is absolutely no prior experience necessary, all beginner mommies and babies/children are welcome! Stay tuned for more information regarding future MOMMY & ME YOGA classes and come join us for fun and relaxation!

In the meantime, check out our awesome pictures from the last class :-).

Diapers for Detroit

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diapers-for-detroitStarfish Family Services hosted the 2015 Diapers for Detroit fundraising event. Diapers for Detroit is one of the many learning projects included in the ELCA Youth Gathering worldwide initiative-which is to offer youth an opportunity to strengthen their faith and serve the community at home and abroad.

diapers-2Starfish Family Services was honored to act as a host and distribution center for the collection of diapers for the community. Starfish is proud to announce that the initial goal was far exceeded with the final count of 550,000 collected diapers.

diapers-1This amazing outcome was featured on Fox 2 News, where the event was furthered discussed by Cheryl Majeske, our volunteer specialist.

News Release

 Additional Links:

The Detroit News – Covered Detroit Diaper Day both online and print. The

print article, went live on July 17, 2015. View it here: http://www.goo.gl/jfFWld.

 WDIV Channel 4 – Covered onsite interview. The interview that went live on

July 18, 2015 can be viewed here: http://www.goo.gl/CdzOst.

 Fox 2 News – In-studio interview. The interview, which went live on July 18,

2015: http://www.goo.gl/5VmHGW.

Fun in the Sun with the ELC

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By: Hannah Chin; Community Outreach Coordinator 

It has been a busy summer season for our Starfish families. We had a great week of camp in June and are eagerly preparing for our camp in July!

In a bid to promote healthy living, the Starfish Early Learning Communities (ELC) introduced new Mommy & Me Yoga classes on Mondays, as well as a Walking Club on Wednesdays. Not only has it been fun, we have loved getting a chance to exercise and socialize with our awesome families.

This past Friday our families visited the Detroit Zoo where we had the chance to see all kinds of animals! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! We genuinely love being able to see parents and their children enjoy themselves and build lasting and cherished memories. It’s the reason why we do what we do!

For more information about any of our events, visit the ELC on Facebook  or on Instagram!

Our Summer Activities Update: A Picture Story

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By: Sinziana Luchian; Marketing Intern

We’ve had an entertaining summer at Starfish so far and continue to enjoy the wonderful season!

Our fun-filled activities this week included:

An exciting day spent in the Starfish garden including crafts, vegetable picking and a butterfly release.

 

Our Summer Enrichment Program/ Camp boys showing off their lavender sachets.

 

Big smiles while collecting fresh and yummy greens from our Starfish garden.

 

“We love Kale!”

 

The moment before the anticipated butterfly reveal!

 

Everyone had the chance to hold their little friend before saying goodbye.

 

“Bye-bye little butterfly”.

 

On Thursday morning, our Enrichment Summer Camp Program explored the Detroit Institute of Arts. This included middle school and high school students.

 

They enjoyed posing by the knights in shining armor.

 

The whole crew together during lunch break, before heading out for a tour of Wayne State University.

 

Lastly, an exotic zoo was brought to our Hiveley gymnasium on Thursday afternoon.

 

The adorable baby kangaroo caused an over joyful response from the crowd.

 

Finally, the massive snake made an appearance. How long is the snake you ask? “Too long…”

We had an eventful week filled with excitement at Starfish! The children enjoyed the interactive activities and are looking forward to many more this summer!

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Strengthening families to create brighter futures for children.

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