Trevor Dance’s Post

What distinguishes compassion from sympathy or empathy? Action. The word “compassion” comes from the Latin “compati”, which means "to suffer with." Simply put, true compassion relieves suffering by stepping into suffering. And this is precisely what we celebrate this time of year, is it not? God sees the suffering and brokenness of His people, and He does not leave us to suffer alone. He takes upon Himself our flesh and brokenness. In fact, He becomes broken by it so that we don’t have to suffer alone, and ultimately, so that we can experience hope, healing and the freedom to flourish. At The Riverside Project, we believe that we are called to this same kind of Christlike compassion, and we exist because we believe it can become a reality in our city. As a single organization, we can only do so much. But if we can help organize and leverage the gifts, resources, talents, and expertise of our entire community, cycles of brokenness will be disrupted, and Houston will be known as a place where children heal and families thrive. During this Season of Giving, please prayerfully consider a financial gift to The Riverside Project. Your generous support will help The Riverside Project move closer to our goal of transforming the foster care system until every child in Houston has a loving and stable home. Join us and find your place along the river: https://lnkd.in/dpaXGhD5

Juneteenth Call to Action: Funding the Fight Against Substance Use Disorders This Juneteenth, while we reflect on progress and freedom, let’s also confront the harsh realities of substance use disorders within African American and underserved communities. At McGuigan Legal and Second Chance Interventions, we don’t just offer words; we commit substantial financial resources to make a tangible difference. For 16 years, our philanthropic efforts have supported scores of individuals in dire need. True change requires more than goodwill; it demands solid financial backing. We put our money where our mouth is, but the battle against substance use disorders cannot be won by efforts alone. Dedicated professionals on the front lines need continuous financial support to carry on their vital work. As the saying goes, “Is not the laborer worth his wage?” Join us in this crucial fight—invest in those making a real difference. Let’s not wait for government action. Support those committed to healing our communities. Your contribution can change lives. #Juneteenth #HealthEquity #SubstanceUseDisorder #Philanthropy #McGuiganLegal #SecondChanceInterventions

SAFE SPACES - Call for Funding Proposals - DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED! CFP Closing Date and Time: March 5, 2024 @ 4:30 pm To enhance access to Safe Spaces for older adults experiencing abuse, a Safe Spaces program model in various communities will be used in a call for proposals across the province. Overarching principles of the Safe Spaces program include: ☑️Demonstrated demand within the community ☑️Available space at local community older adults housing such as a Lodge ☑️Willing and able partners in the community ☑️Sustainable partnership model ☑️Cost efficiency The program model will be based on the Lethbridge Elder Abuse Response Network (LEARN) Safe Suites model. The LEARN Safe Suites (Safe Spaces) model is flexible and responsive to demand and available resources. The model uses existing community infrastructure (e.g., local seniors housing providers) to match seniors in need of Safe Spaces with available suites. Please note that this CFP is open to currently grant funded communities with the AEAAC. Further details regarding program details granting process and timelines can be found @ https://loom.ly/seUJRd4

Juneteenth Call to Action: Funding the Fight Against Substance Use Disorders This Juneteenth, while we reflect on progress and freedom, let’s also confront the harsh realities of substance use disorders within African American and underserved communities. At McGuigan Legal and Second Chance Interventions, we don’t just offer words; we commit substantial financial resources to make a tangible difference. For 16 years, our philanthropic efforts have supported scores of individuals in dire need. True change requires more than goodwill; it demands solid financial backing. We put our money where our mouth is, but the battle against substance use disorders cannot be won by efforts alone. Dedicated professionals on the front lines need continuous financial support to carry on their vital work. As the saying goes, “Is not the laborer worth his wage?” Join us in this crucial fight—invest in those making a real difference. Let’s not wait for government action. Support those committed to healing our communities. #Juneteenth #HealthEquity #SubstanceUseDisorder #Philanthropy #McGuiganLegal #SecondChanceInterventions

There are so many ways you can help those less fortunate during the holiday season. Please contact me if you’d like more information on DASACC and how you can help!

We believe that every child has the right to a good life, and a safe place to grow up, learn, and make good friends—no matter where they live or their personal circumstances.🌟 Thanks to our donors, United Way partners with local, frontline agencies to deliver vital programs and services that create opportunities for our region’s most vulnerable people. These include early-childhood education, support for young parents, after-school programs, substance use counselling, and supports for youth experiencing homelessness. In our latest reporting year, the impact of our investments in All That Kids Can Be included ⬇️ 🟠 16 collaborations and initiatives 🟠 45 programs 🟠 42 community agencies This means: 🟠 19,857 people were supported 🟠 1,611 people volunteered with our agency partners 🟠 for a total of 97,690 hours Resulting in outcomes like: 🟠 65% of children and youth have improved mental health outcomes and developed positive coping strategies. 🟠 9,700 children and youth worked towards achieving academic goals outside of school. 🟠 87% of youth living in emergency shelters or transitional housing received supports to live independently. Discover more about the impact we can make, together, by visiting our recently published Year in Review ✨— available in a PDF or a scrollable, interactive web experience. 📖🖱️ https://lnkd.in/gPfahFEm

Help ensure both a child's safety and dignity today! You can’t give someone dignity, but together we can help empower local families to keep their children safe and protect their own dignity. Did you know there’s currently more than 8000 children in the ACT who are already living in households where income is less than what's required to meet just four basic needs of a family - including housing, transport and groceries? As the year comes to an end, families everywhere are looking to celebrate and enjoy time together. But with the cost-of-living crisis making things even worse for those that are struggling. More families than ever will be spending this time simply focusing on surviving. Many making the hard choices between which essential items they can provide vs which bills they can pay. It's during these challenging times that dignity can suffer most. We know that together with our community, we can provide dignified support to local families that gives thousands of children a safer and brighter future.

Sadly, men are often left out of the conversation of mental and physical health. They are taught to feel that as men their feelings somehow are less meaningful and important; in 2023 we can do better, we MUST do better! Please consider offering your support with the link below and raise the needed funds for #Movember. Movember provides a platform for men to discuss their health openly, seek support, and take proactive steps towards a healthier and happier life. Something we all deserve, Men and Women alike.

More and more states and localities are investing in Family Resource Centers (also often known as Family Success Centers or Family Enrichment Centers). These community-based entities are hubs for families to access services and make social connections, and have been shown to reduce child abuse and neglect, to improve family self-sufficiency, and to achieve other positive outcomes. It’s good to see the first FRC coming to Cheyenne, Wyoming! https://lnkd.in/eCkQMc-s and https://lnkd.in/eVn9CZad

Changing the balance of social program investment, together with the language we use about families struggling against adversity, has the potential to dramatically shift the dial for child safety, family integrity and long term individual and societal outcomes. It’s heartening to see greater investment being channeled to the highly successful Aboriginal Child & Family Centres model in this year’s NSW state budget. Kudos to AbSec and SNAICC - National Voice for our Children for their advocacy in securing this investment. That additional investment is just the start of what will be required to turn the tide for vulnerable families in our communities. In the words of my good colleague, Jessica Cocks, “backing children means backing their parents”. Supporting families means investing in models that provide useful support to reduce risk in ways that don’t channel families unnecessarily to child protection systems. The way we arrange and mobilise resources matters. The level of time, resource and opportunity wastage inherent in the Referral Merry-Go-Round is scandalous. Integrated, one-stop-shop models that wrap bespoke service combinations around families in partnership have a solid and growing evidence base, both here and overseas. They also make sense from an economical perspective, avoiding waste and duplication of overheads and back-office functions. The case for investment in these models is clear. #ChildProtection #FamilyStrengthening #PublicPolicy #EarlyIntervention