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Local
Collaborative Effort Hopes To Connect Inmates With Their Children
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Renae Kendrick and Jada Hunter have formed the per- fect partnership.
Ms. Kendrick is in charge of the Family Support and Re- source Center at the Center For Manifestation, and Ms. Hunter is the Deputy Director of Client Services/Infant Mental Health Specialist for Children Of Inmates, a state-funded pro- gram that seeks to unite inmates with their children.
Thanks to Center for Manifes- tation’s pastor, Mark Jones, his church will be at the center of offering services to families, and joining with Ms. Hunter to provide a way for inmates to still be a part of their children’s lives.
“At the Center for Manifesta- tion, we provide multiple serv- ices, life skill sessions housing assistance and much more,” said Ms. Kendrick.
“We’d like to form a network of resources to help families and individuals in crisis.”
Partnering with other organ- izations, Ms. Kendrick and Ms. Hunter hope the assis- tance they provide will help sta-
are prepared to provide after- care services.”
Ms. Hunter said there are at least 200,000 children in Florida who have parents who are incarcerated.
“We get our referrals by talk- ing to the inmates. We evaluate the level of trauma the family is enduring, and provide support services accordingly.
“We also share parenting in- formation with our clients. The behavior of the inmate while in- carcerated is also important.”
On May 14th, a forum will be held at the Center For Manifes- tation from 12 noon until 2 p.m.
“The forum will be called “It’s a Family Affair,” and will be our way of formally introducing our collaboration to the public,” said Ms. Kendrick.
“We will meet on a monthly basis and we’re looking for vol- unteers. Also the pastor’s wife, First Lady Lisa Jones, has founded a care group called N.O.S.I.S. (No One Suffers In Si- lence). It is a sexual abuse care group, and she visits prisons every month, working exclu- sively with women.”
Children Of Inmates stays in the lives of their children from the time they are born, to the
time they head out to their first jobs.
Ms. Hunter said by getting parents back in the lives of their children, the children are able to overcome mental stress associ- ated with the incarceration of their loved ones, and pour their energies into becoming produc- tive citizens.
Senator Arthenia Joyner
was instrumental in getting the program expanded to the Tampa area.
FYI
Since the program started in Miami in 2007, Children of In- mates has become one of the na- tion’s largest providers for children of incarcerated parents. In crossing criminal justice and social service systems, their col- laborative has met many needs and concerns.
For resource and referral in- formation, call (813) 423-2060. To reach Ms. Kendrick, call (813) 900-7941. To reach Ms. Hunter call (786) 600-0748.
RENAE KENDRICK AND JADA HUNTER
bilize families.
“In our efforts to reconnect
children with their incarcerated parent, we charter buses to take the families to facilities where their loved ones are being incar- cerated,” said Ms. Hunter.
The services are available for male or female inmates, regard- less of race, and children 0-to-18 are welcome to take advantage of an opportunity to meet their incarcerated parent.
“We plan to collaborate once a month for case management services and intervention,” said Ms. Kendrick.
“We have a ministry leader that visits the prisons, and we
USF Health Dermatology Offers Free Melanoma Monday Screenings
Physicians from the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine’s Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery will offer free first-come, first-serve skin cancer screenings to the public. The screen- ings will take place from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m., Monday, May 2nd.
The screenings will take place at University of South Florida Health Morsani Center for Advanced Healthcare, 6th Floor, Dermatol- ogy, 13330 USF Laurel Drive, Tampa, FL 33612.
The American Academy of Dermatology designates the first Mon- day in May as Melanoma Monday, which kicks off Skin Cancer Aware- ness Month.
The purpose is to raise awareness about melanoma as a potentially deadly skin cancer and to encourage early detection. With early de- tection, melanoma has a high cure rate.
For more information call (813) 974-4270.
FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 13-A