Press Releases 2008

 
  CROSSWINDS PARTICIPATES IN THE 2008 FIESTA BREVARD ON COCOA BEACH
 
The sponsor of Fiesta Brevard, the Cocoa Beach Area Chamber of Commerce’s Non-Profit Task Force, had been formed within the Chamber to utilize the voices and skills of the diverse array of non-profit organizations that are Partners. Fiesta Brevard was a showcase of all of the non-profit organizations participating. 
 
Keeping in the Duck Race theme, the light-hearted Crosswinds entry into this year's event was called "Cover the Quacky!" Contestants tried to drop five duck-colored disks over a picture of Quacky the Duck to completely cover his face to win one of the classic Crosswinds Great Brevard Duck Race yellow or glow-in-the-dark plastic duckies to take home and show off to friends!

 

Wendy Keighley, Doug Parker and Quacky the Duck play "Cover the Quacky" at Fiesta Brevard. 

 
10th ANNUAL GREAT BREVARD DUCK RACE HELPS BOYS AND GIRLS AT CROSSWINDS
Because of everyone’s extraordinary efforts, the 2008 Duck Race was successful on many different levels. Financially, the Race gathered over $100,000 to support the work being done at Crosswinds, as thousands of Brevardians opened their hearts and wallets to make generous contributions even in a time of economic uncertainty. Along with the money, the Duck Race also serves as a significant annual reminder to the entire community as to just how important the work being done at Crosswinds truly is for everyone who lives in and around Brevard County. Support for the Duck Race was outstanding this year with over 120 volunteers donating a total of 859 hours preparing for and running the Race, an estimated 130 very energized people watching the Duck Race in Titusville, and 116 bank branches selling adoption papers for Crosswinds!
 
The ultimate winners in this success are the youth in crisis and their families who continue to be able to count on Crosswinds always being there to serve their needs in the foreseeable future!
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For information about supporting the 2009 Great Brevard Duck Race, please contact the Duck Team, Douglas Parker or Wendy Keighley at Crosswinds at 321-452-0800, or by email at DouglasParker@crosswindsyouthservices.org 
 
Since 1974, Crosswinds Youth Services, an accredited not-for-profit organization, has provided support, safety, and opportunity for young people and their families throughout Brevard County.

CROSSWINDS CELEBRATES COMMITMENT TO KEEPING KIDS
SAFE DURING NATIONAL SAFE PLACE WEEK
 
Cocoa, Florida (March 20, 2008) – Brevard County will join more than 1,100 communities nationwide as Crosswinds Youth Services, Inc. celebrates its commitment to keeping youth safe during the March 16-22 “National Safe Place Week.” As part of National Safe Place Week, in conjunction with School Resource Officers, Crosswinds will be handing out Safe Place bracelets and stickers to local school children.
 
Safe Place provides access to immediate help and safety for all young people in crisis. More than 105,000 youth nationally have received help through a business or community location displaying the Safe Place sign since the program’s inception 25 years ago in Louisville, Ky. Now, 144 youth-serving agencies in 41 states manage Safe Place programs in their local communities.
 
Crosswinds operates the Safe Place program in Brevard. More than 100 businesses and community locations in the region – including Wendy’s, YMCAs, Wal-Marts, and most fire stations – serve as Safe Place sites where a young person can be connected to Crosswinds. “Many community partners and businesses work with us to make the Safe Place program possible,” said Jan Lokay, Crosswinds President and CEO.
 
Between 1.3 million and 2.8 million youth are homeless or experience a runaway situation each year, and Brevard County is no exception. “Safe Place empowers kids to seek help themselves,” said Sandy Bowen, executive director of National Safe Place. 
 
Since 1974, Crosswinds Youth Services, a not-for-profit organization, has provided life-changing and even life-saving support, safety, and opportunity for young people and their families throughout Brevard County. For more information about Crosswinds, please call 452-0800.           
 
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CROSSWINDS YOUTH SERVICES RECEIVES $25,000 DONATION FROM NATIONAL CITY BANK

 

Cocoa, Fla. -  February 5, 2008 -  Crosswinds Youth Services announced today that it received a $25,000 donation from the National City-Harbor Foundation, which will be paid over five years. The donation will help complete funding of a Youth Learning and Assessment Center on its campus in Cocoa to better serve thousands of Brevard County youths each year.

 

“The donation from National City will better enable Crosswinds to offer the support, service linkages, and concrete assistance to build the competencies and connections young people need to become self-sufficient adult citizens,” said Crosswinds President and CEO, Jan Lokay. “Ultimately, this gift will bring exciting learning resources to youth, ages 10 – 21, who may not normally have access to the individualized support services they need to achieve success.” 

 

“With a focus on shared resources, the Youth Learning and Assessment Center has been designed to meet both current and future needs. The Center will house key Crosswinds learning and assessment programs, such as the Rainwater Center for Girls, the Robert E. Lehton Children’s Center classroom, the Juvenile Assessment Center, and case management services for the Transitional Living program and Intensive Delinquency Diversion Services. It also allows Crosswinds to provide expanded services to many other young people the organization has not yet reached.”

 

Crosswinds has been providing services to young people since 1974 each year through a range of programs including emergency shelter, transitional and independent living, juvenile justice prevention and intervention, and workforce development. The Center is instrumental in fulfilling Crosswinds’ mission: Creating Opportunities for Young People to Succeed. 

 

Mike Brown Sr. of National City stated “Our decision to support this program is a direct result of National City’s commitment to be a good corporate citizen by assisting worthy organizations like Crosswinds Youth Services.”

 

The donation is part of National City’s ongoing efforts to be a contributing member of the community. National City has designated a charitable fund of $2 million to be used and administered exclusively in Central and Northeast Florida.

 

About National City: National City Corporation (NYSE: NCC), headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the nation's largest financial holding companies. The company operates through an extensive banking network primarily in Ohio, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and also serves customers in selected markets nationally. Its core businesses include commercial and retail banking, mortgage financing and servicing, consumer finance, and asset management.

 

 

  
 

 
Jan Lokay, Crosswinds President/CEO, accepts a donation from National City Bank officials Christopher Pavey, Ken Penny, and Wade Alliance
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CROSSWINDS YOUTH SERVICES RECEIVES CHAMBER AWARD
 
 
Crosswinds Youth Services, Inc. is this year’s recipient of the Melbourne – Palm Bay Area Chamber of Commerce’s Non-Profit of the Year Award presented at the Annual State of the Chamber Banquet held at Florida Tech’s Clemente Center on February 8, 2008.
 
In announcing the award, it was noted by Sandy Burge, Trustee of the Chamber, that since 1974 Crosswinds Youth Services has provided support, safety, and opportunity for young people and their families throughout Brevard County.
 
Jan Lokay, President and CEO of Crosswinds, accepted the award at a reception that hosted more than 250 business leaders in the Melbourne and Palm Bay area. “This is a wonderful distinction for Crosswinds. It's a great privilege to have been chosen by the south Brevard business community from among the many wonderful non-profit organizations that make a terrific impact.  My heartfelt thanks goes to the Chamber and to everyone at Crosswinds for their dedication, hard work and for truly caring about the future wellbeing of our youngsters and their families.”
 
Lokay continued, “Making this award even more special is the fact that while the Crosswinds campus is located in Cocoa, almost half of the youth that Crosswinds serves come from the Melbourne and Palm Bay area, and receiving the support of the business leaders from that part of the county shows that our work is truly appreciated.”
 
The presentation was a part of the evening’s events that included music and dancing themed to James Bond’s Casino Royale following the 2007 Annual Chamber Report presented by Shannon Meyer, CEO of the Chamber.
 
President and CEO Jan Lokay accepts the Melbourne-Palm Bay Area Chamber of Commerce’s Non-Profit of the Year Award
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CROSSWINDS YOUTH SERVICES BEGINS NEW FAMLY-BASED PROGRAM
 
 
Crosswinds has been selected to be the first in Brevard County to implement a new form of family systems framework that was created at the University of Miami, Brief Strategic Family Therapy or BSFT. The concept is to improve youth's behavior problems by improving family interactions that are presumed to be directly related to the child's symptoms. The University of Miami notes that the target population in general are children and adolescents between 8 and 17 years of age displaying or at risk for developing behavior problems, including substance abuse.

Special counselors at Crosswinds have been extensively trained to target interaction patterns that are directly related to the youth's behavior problems and establishes a practical plan to help the family develop more effective patterns of interaction, where the family is viewed as a whole organism.
 
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CROSSWINDS YOUTH SERVICES PRESIDENT WINS LEADERSHIP AWARD

 

 

Jan Lokay, President and CEO of Crosswinds Youth Services, Inc. is the 2008 recipient of the prestigious Mary Jane Dewey Leadership Award given by the Southeastern Network of Youth and Family Services at their Annual Regional Conference held in Nashville, Tennessee. The award recognizes a Southeastern Network Board member who has demonstrated exemplary leadership to the Board, the Southeastern Network staff, the organization and its members.

The mission of the Southeastern Network of Youth and Family Services is to strengthen organizations as they strengthen youth, families and communities. Since 1977, it has provided training, technical assistance, advocacy support and information sharing to youth servicing agencies throughout eight southeastern states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

In announcing the award, it was noted that, "Jan’s leadership while on the Board epitomizes the award…" Lokay’s accomplishments that led to the award included being the first agency partner to co-host the Southeastern Network annual conference, facilitating the implementation of the Carver Governance Model for Southeastern Network Board leadership, updating Southeastern Network’s By-laws, and facilitating resolution to challenging issues facing the organization.

Under Lokay’s leadership, Crosswinds has steadily and successfully served over 4,000 youth last year always making use of recognized standards of best practice from organizations such as Southeastern Network of Youth and Family Services. Since 1974, Crosswinds Youth Services, a not-for-profit organization, has provided support, safety, and opportunity for young people and their families throughout Brevard County. For more information about Crosswinds, please call 452-0800.

Jan Lokay, President and CEO of Crosswinds Youth Services, Inc., is the 2008 recipient of the prestigious Mary Jane Dewey Leadership Award

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CROSSWINDS YOUTH SERVICES PRESENTS YEAR-END AWARDS TO STAFF

Several awards were presented at the Annual Holiday Awards Luncheon to recognize outstanding service to youth and to acknowledge years of service to Crosswinds. Jan Lokay, President and CEO of Crosswinds Youth Services, Inc. presented the awards after the luncheon, which was themed as a celebration of holiday, heritage, and happiness around the world to honor the rich diversity of the Crosswinds community.

Six were recognized for their length of service at Crosswinds. For five years of service, Titilope O. Aina and Joseph R. Dodi were acknowledged with a special pen and pencil set. For ten years of service, Tammy Bousquet, Lynn Cowart, and Patricia Dunbar were called forward to receive their tributes. And finally, Florence Riddick was honored for her fifteen years of dedicated service to Crosswinds.

After thanking the entire staff for giving 100% of themselves for the year, there were also awards presented for exceptional service to the youth at Crosswinds. Transitional Living Program Case Manager Erica Jackson was selected as the Employee of the Year and was presented with a commemoratively inscribed plaque. The Dale Carnegie Award for Professionalism & Positive Thinking went to Rainwater Center for Girls Youth Care Worker Hector Juarbe. The Tortoise Award for Perseverance and Commitment was presented to Robert E. Lehton Children’s Shelter Cook Titilope Aina. For her hard work and commitment to Crosswinds, the Special Achievement Award plaque was given to Clevenger Center Administrative Assistant Ilene Giangreco. For his devoted service to Crosswinds, Director of Business Operations Tom Miesmer was selected as the Manager of the Year. The final award, the President’s Award for Excellence, which is given in recognition of exceptional commitment and professionalism, was presented this year to Senior Counselor Julia Watson.

Since 1974, Crosswinds Youth Services, a not-for-profit organization, has provided opportunities for young people to succeed. For more information about Crosswinds, please call 452-0800.

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CHURCH LENDS A HAND FOR CROSSWINDS YOUTH SERVICES ON THANKSGIVING 

For the second consecutive year, members of the Titusville Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints provided a Thanksgiving turkey dinner with all the fixings for the boys and girls at Crosswinds Youth Services. This was a continuation of a similar longstanding program at Crosswinds by the Church led by Chef Patrice.

"It was incredible," said Karen Locke, the Director of Programs at Crosswinds. "They did a fabulous job for our kids. The meal was just delicious!"

"The members of our Church deserve the credit. They donated the turkeys, and the desserts, and everything else," said the leader of the culinary crew, Rocky Raby.

Several members of the Titusville Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints arrived as early as 7:00 AM to begin the cooking, and by noon the preparation and serving team of Raby, Gwen and Mike Butler, Elder Hulon and Elder Crystal were saying ‘goodbye’ to Jason Hays whose work was finished by then. The early meal not only satisfied the children and staff at the Robert E. Lehton Children’s Center, but there was plenty left over for many more snacks and meals over the weekend.

"It was a wonderful gift," Jan Lokay, Crosswinds President/CEO noted, "and we are always delighted to receive such fantastic support from the community."

Since 1974, Crosswinds Youth Services, an accredited not-for-profit organization, has provided support, safety, and opportunity for young people and their families throughout Brevard County. Last year, Crosswinds provided services for over 4,000 boys and girls. For more information about Crosswinds, please call 452-0800.

Gwen Butler and Rocky Raby prepare Thanksgiving desserts at Crosswinds

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For more information on any of these or other stories, please contact: Douglas Parker, Director of Development at Crosswinds: 321-452-0800, ext. 207, or DouglasParker@crosswindsyouthservices.org