Page 7 - Palm City Spotlight - September '22
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Palm City Spotlight, Page 7
Good Works from page 6 Neighbor Who Took In Little
Mustelier says, “The Martin Artisans Guild has been Girl Awarded For Advocacy
an amazing partner by recognizing the importance of arts
in the communities we serve, connecting skilled artists to Not all children have
our programming, and raising funds to elevate the quality advocates. Fortunately for
and increase the diversity of art classes we are able to one 8-year-old girl in the
offer at the Golden Gate Center for Enrichment.” local foster-care system,
On July 16, Martin Artisans Guild president Mallo Jenny Starts was there to be
Bisset and board member Bellerjeau attended Stuart’s that advocate.
Sixth Annual Back to School Bash. The yearly event, Starts and her husband,
which is hosted by the Stuart Police Department and Brent, took on the role of
was held at Murray Middle School, is an opportunity for caregiver earlier this year
parents and community members to meet school leaders when their friend and
and teachers and get vouchers and school supplies. neighbor, who was a foster
Martin Artisan Guild members contributed enough parent, could no longer care
money to purchase 30 backpacks, shirts and supplies. for the child.
Bisset and Bellerjeau were on hand to thank members Communities Connected for Kids recently awarded Jenny
of the Stuart Police Department for overseeing the event the Topaz GEM – or Going the Extra Mile – award for her
and to meet other community members. advocacy for the child’s dental and health care. Communities
So far, it’s been a great start to the “Art Hands on Connected for Kids oversees and coordinates the child-
Deck” program, but it’s just the beginning. There are lots welfare community in Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee
of plans in the works for more collaborations with Martin and St. Lucie counties.
County nonprofits. The little girl “ended up spending a lot of time with us
Bellerjeau is enthusiastic about the future. “When when our friend’s mother passed away, so we said we could
I stepped into this position, I found the guild already just keep her with us,” said Starts, a former foster care and
had many talented artists sharing their ability and time adoptions recruiter in the California system of care.
as volunteers. When connecting our artists to projects, The couple began the process of becoming what is called
I’m very grateful, it’s such a joy to see the hearts of a “Level 1” caregiver – someone who is licensed to care for a
our members as they use their vast experiences, skill, specific child rather than any child in need of a foster home.
creativity and funds to help people from other nonprofits And that’s when the real advocacy began.
in Martin County.” United Way of Martin County is looking for students to “She had a need for dental care that required sedation that
For information about the Martin Artisans Guild, visit join Students United and make a difference in the local case management had been working on for several months,”
www.martinartisansguild.org. community. said Mary Altiery, case management supervisor in Martin
Photos provided by Martin Artisans Guild County who nominated Starts for the award.
While many food resources are available, finding them When an appointment in Orlando didn’t work out, Starts
United Way Inspires Students can be challenging as there wasn’t one comprehensive central began working with case management to find a provider who
could help.
resource that listed all free meal options. “When I saw that
To Make A Difference United Way of Palm Beach County had created a food finder “Mrs. Starts was able to locate a local dental surgeon who
map, I thought it would be a great resource to have something was able to get the child in immediately,” Altiery said. “She
For Martin County residents struggling to put food on like this for our community,” McCarthy said. went above and beyond in advocating for that little girl and
the table, a new resource is available – the Martin County McCarthy combined data using Google Maps to to considerable time and expense to herself to get the child
Food Finder Map. Created by United Way of Martin County create a map that can be easily shared and embedded on the dental care needed.”
Students United Member and Clark Advanced Learning community partners’ websites in hopes that the nonprofit Starts’ tireless advocacy extends beyond her own home.
Center senior Evan McCarthy, the map indicates where free community will embrace the resource. In the future, he She is currently in the process of opening a Christian-based
meals are available, including food pantries, soup kitchens, hopes student volunteers will update and expand the map school with her friend Meghan Pybus. The Stuart school
food for seniors and food for children when they are out of to ensure that the listed resources remain up to date. opened its doors Aug. 15.
school. “We are fortunate to have many places people can The mission of Communities Connected for Kids is
McCarthy was inspired to create the map through his turn for help here in Martin County. I hope to continue to to enhance the safety, permanency and well-being for all
experience with United Way of Martin County’s Students build awareness of food insecurity, so people feel more children in Okeechobee and the Treasure Coast through a
United program, which was designed to empower students empowered to reach out and get help.” community network of family support services.
to mobilize community resources and make a positive impact Applications for the next class of Students United
through the spirit of service. members are open until Sept. 23 for students in grades 9 to
Students visit local nonprofit agencies where they learn 11 who are Martin County residents. For more information
about the services they provide and the clients they serve. or to apply, visit United Way of Martin County’s website
Students learned that over 11 percent of Martin County at www.UnitedWayMartin.org/StudentsUnited.
residents lack access, at times, to enough food for an active, To access the Food Finder Map, visit www.
healthy life. UnitedWayMartin.org/FoodMap.
October 11th
Last day to register to vote for the November 8th
General Election
El 11 de octubre es el último día para registrarse para votar en las elecciones generales del 8 de noviembre
Register to Vote
Online at
Register to Vote Online at
RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov
Regístrese para votar en línea en www.RegisterToVoteFlorida.gov
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Palm Beach County and is a privately
owned and managed company.
Captain’s is committed to providing
dependable, reliable and professional
ground transportation to and from all
Martin County Supervisor of Elections: 772-288-5637 | MartinVotes.gov South Florida Airports and Seaports. PBCVH212
Supervisor de Elecciones del Condado de Martin To reserve your vehicle:
561-798-2180 or 800-634-7890 www.captainsairport.com