Did you know about 80% of children in out-of-home care are removed from their homes due to neglect? It's heartbreaking to process this number. Sadly, children in out-of-home care have likely not heard positive words spoken to them, in their homes. To remedy this, we introduced the PosiPaws program. PosiPaws collects, prepares, and distributes stuffed animals for youth in need. What makes these plush, stuffed animals so special are the volunteers who write positive, uplifting messages, and attach them to the stuffed animals. PosiPaws aligns with our mission to Encourage (E1) and Empower (E3) youth by using the power of positive affirmations. Having a message such as "You are awesome!" or "You are creative!" can go a long way for a child who may otherwise never hear those positive words. In the end, these positive messages help children feel loved, appreciated, comforted and bring a big boost in their self-esteem.
Make a child smile with a stuffed animal donation. You'll make their day!
Each quarter E3 offers foster and adoptive families a free 15 to 30-minute photo session. The idea behind this is to capture kids engaging in positive activities such as holidays or special occasions. They then get to keep the photos to remember their special day. As appropriate, we encourage these photos to be shared with biological families. This service helps to Encourage (E1) and Empower (E3) youth by capturing forever those proud, positive moments as keepsakes.
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E3 AZ partners up with the Love Up/Children's Heart Gallery to volunteer at their photography events. During these events, photographers take pictures of children in Arizona who are eligible for adoption. These photos are then posted on the Children's Heart Gallery website where you get to meet them and inquire about a child for adoption.
It is an honor to Encourage (E1) youth during these photo sessions by providing props that bring out their personalities and taking photos. From this came our "E3 AZ Prop Box" which was created to give props to youth if they are moved by a particular item– things like bubbles, a basketball, a stuffed animal, etc...
E3 AZ is excited to Encourage (E1), Equip (E2) and Empower (E3) youth by inviting various guests and motivational speakers to share their stories and the steps they used to overcome any obstacles they may have faced. Keep your eye on the Events page for upcoming speakers.
A vision board is a very powerful tool. It is a collage of images, pictures, and affirmations of one's dreams, goals, and desires. It serves as a source of inspiration and motivation and when we create a vision board it empowers us to attain our goals through visualization. It works to keep goals at the forefront of their minds and helps them imagine what they want their future to be. When we have a clear picture of where we want to go and what we want to achieve there is no stopping us! We become attracted to their goal! This service helps us to Encourage (E1), Equip (E2) and Empower (E3) by teaching a method for attaining our goals.
Our workshops are designed to Encourage (E1), Equip (E2) and Empower (E3) foster, kinship, and adoptive families, as well as their supporters through various discussions and hands-on experiences that help enrich the lives of youth. Keep your eye on the Events page for future workshops.
At E3 AZ, we encourage youth to give back to their communities through the "You Rock" program.
We host rock painting sessions where kids are encouraged to give a painted rock to someone else while also taking a rock to enjoy for themselves. It is the simplest form of giving.
According to research, volunteering offers kids the following benefits:
In the near future, we will bring a group of youth together to volunteer with other organizations on a monthly basis. This program helps us to Encourage (E1), Equip (E2) and Empower (E3) youth with lifelong skills that will help build compassion towards others and reap the benefits of volunteering.
