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CELEBRATION DINNER

Naples Alliance for Children honors early childhood teachers and Collier County NAFC Family Friendly Businesses at their Annual Celebration Dinner, Wednesday, March 28, 2012, at the Country Club of Naples. Guests will preview the new NAFC documentary "Because Someone Believed in Me".



NAPLES ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN HONORS LOCAL FAMILY FRIENDLY BUSINESSES

For the past 114 years Naples Alliance for Children has presented their NAFC Family Friendly Business designation to local businesses who exemplify a family friendly workplace by meeting established criteria. This year 29 businesses will be honored at the 2012 Celebration dinner and one business will be named as Outstanding Family Friendly Businesses of 2012.

We are proud to honor the Family Friendly businesses for maintaining employee benefits and human resource policies in this year of economic challenges. We know that balancing work lives with personal lives means employees can do their best in both areas.

Family policies and benefits in the workplace is becoming crucial to men and women when they evaluate employment opportunities and also to employers who compete for working parents in the labor market. Employers are now called upon to create a work environment that meets the expanding and challenging role of the working parent. Family Friendly workplace programs payoff in dividends by attracting and retaining the best employees, increasing productivity, increasing employee morale, reducing turnover, absenteeism and tardiness, and reducing health costs related to stress.

The NAFC 2012 Employer of the Year will be announced during the dinner. Previous winners have been Bank of America, Bonita Bay Group, Collier County Government, Naples News Media Group, Northern Trust Bank, RCMA, WilsonMiller, Yamron Jewelers and NCH Healthcare System.

The NAFC 2011 Family Friendly Businesses are Arthrex, Inc., Bank of America, Bonita Bay Group, Inc., Brown and Brown Benefit, City of Naples, Collier Child Care Resources, Inc., Collier County Health Department, Collier County Clerk of the Circuit Court, County Government, Collier County Public School, Collier County Sheriff’s Office, Community Foundation of Collier County, Conservancy of Southwest Florida, David Lawrence Center, Economic Development Council of Collier County, Fifth Third Bank of Florida, Naples Backyard History, Naples News Media Group, NCH Healthcare System, Northern Trust Bank, Philharmonic Center for the Arts, Professional Building Systems, Quarles & Brady, Redlands Christian Migrant Association (RCMA), Sky Angel, Wall Systems Inc. of Southwest Florida, Yamron Jewelers, YMCA of the Palms, Youth Haven.

For more information e-mail NAFC or call our office, 239-649-5260. All large and small local businesses are encouraged to apply.

For application forms Click Here

NAPLES ALLIANCE FOR CHILDREN HONORS APPLE BLOSSOM AWARD NOMINEES AND TEACHERS OF THE YEAR

Helene Gradolph and Sandy Raizes, Apple Blossom Committee Chairs

Twenty Collier County preschool teachers were recognized for their excellence in teaching at the Naples Alliance for Children's annual Apple Blossom Award ceremony Wednesday evening, April 6, 2011. The award celebrates outstanding early childhood practice in the education of children - infancy through five year olds who attend non-public schools.

"The Apple Blossom Award is one way to recognize the hard work and dedication put forth by these teachers," said Beth Jones, President of the Alliance. "They shoulder a huge responsibility in being a partner with the home in raising and educating children during these critical years. The large number of nominees this year reflects the high level of confidence those parents have in that partnership."

The Apple Blossom Award program was started in 1997 and each year selects Winners and Finalists from the list of nominees. Once nominated, each teacher is visited by members of a selection committee of early childhood specialists who observe their teaching, room environment and interaction with children. The committee then meets and rates all nominees - finally arriving at a slate of Winners and Finalists.

"The task becomes more difficult," say Helene Gradolph and Sandy Raizes, Co-chairs of the Selection Committee, "There are so many excellent teachers that it too often ends up being a fine line between one category and another. What is encouraging is that a number of nominees who don't receive an award their first year are selected in subsequent years. The selection committee offers individual feedback to all nominees.

The 2011 Apple Blossom Awards went to:

2011 TEACHERS OF THE YEAR
  • Avril Carr-Lloyd
  • Ramona AltagraciaGrullon
  • Noemy Gonzalez
2011 APPLE BLOSSOM FINALISTS
  • Maria Parra
  • Kimberly Ratcliff
  • Melissa Alvarez
  • Michelle Blackmon
The 2011 Apple Blossom winners and finalists were selected from the following group of nominees:
  • Melissa Alvarez, The Creation Station Wee Christian Learning Center
  • Sabita Bhatt, YMCA of the Palms/Gaynor Center
  • Michelle Blackmon, YMCA of the Palms/Gaynor Center
  • Avril Carr-Lloyd, YMCA of the Palms/Infant-toddler Center
  • Veronica Carratini, YMCA of the Palms/Infant-Toddler Center
  • Brittany Cassin, YMCA of the Palms/Infant-toddler Center
  • Tracy Dearing, NCH Bear’s Den Child Care Center
  • Noemy Gonzalez, Guadalupe Center of Immokalee
  • Ramona Altagracia Grullon, RCMA Farm Workers Village CCDC
  • Lauralee Hahnl, YMCA of the Palms/Gaynor Center
  • Marjeta Halitaj, The Creation Station Wee Christian Learning Center
  • Vonceal Jackson, Immokalee Child Care Center
  • Deborah Lormeus, The Creation Station Wee Christian Learning Center
  • Dionette Molina, Guadalupe Center of Immokalee
  • Maria Parra, Immokalee Child Care Center
  • Kimberly Ratcliff, YMCA Veterans Memorial Early Learning Center
  • Barbara Reyes, YMCA of the Palms/Gaynor Center
  • Doris Sands, YMCA of the Palms/Gaynor Center
  • Monica Taccone, YMCA of the Palms/Gaynor Center
  • Ivan Torres, YMCA of the Palms/Gaynor Center

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Naples Alliance for Children
Phone: 239-649-5260


Disclaimer for the Directory. "Naples Alliance for Children cannot and does not recommend any of the programs, organizations or agencies listed in this directory. The information about the programs was provided by the program providers themselves and cannot be vouched for. The Alliance assumes no responsibility for errors, changes or omissions of content."