Better Together honors Central East Florida community partners at Doing Good Together reception

Better Together, a nonprofit dedicated to families and children, recently honored its Central East Florida volunteers, supporters and community partners who have made a significant impact on the organization and its mission.

As a privately funded, volunteer-driven nonprofit, Better Together relies on the support of donors, community partners and volunteers to provide its services to families across the state. Each year, Better Together hosts a series of Doing Good Together receptions in all six of its regions to honor and showcase the efforts of these individuals and organizations. Each honoree receives a specialized award, in the style of a prized baseball card, recognizing the recipient’s impact with Better Together.

Better Together has served more than 2,200 parents, including over 1,100 job seekers, as well as more than 1,100 children in its Central East Florida region.

Better Together recognized several honorees during the reception held Nov. 3 at the Abacoa Golf Club in Jupiter. Honorees include:
Host Family of the Year was presented to the Wootton family. Patricia and Stephen Wootton and their children welcome families with open hearts and provide a welcoming place where children feel seen, valued and loved.
Community Partner of the Year was presented to Pastor Hazel Hoylman with In the Image of Christ. Hoylman bridges Better Together’s mission, the community and families while connecting those in need with the resources to thrive.
Church Partner of the Year was presented to Bow Down Church. Pastor Chris Tress and Bow Down Church support families in West Palm Beach through financial donations, volunteer support and by hosting job fairs and events.
Community Board Member of the Year was presented to Pastor Tim Barton. Barton was Better Together’s first Central East Florida community advisory board member. He contributes financially, mentors single fathers and rallies the congregation to love their neighbors through job fairs and events.
Department of Children and Families Partner of the Year was presented to Kristy Marcellaro. Her compassion and commitment ensure that families are met in their most vulnerable moments with dignity, encouragement and hope.
Mentor of the Year was presented to Susan Finazzo. Finazzo empowers parents to recognize their strengths, build their confidence and enables them to pursue their goals with resilience and hope.
Super Volunteer of the Year was presented to Alicia Steidel. Steidel’s heart for mentoring and hosting children shines brightly. In her presence, every child and parent feels welcomed, valued and loved.
Staff Appreciation Award was presented to Emily Hueneke. Hueneke is a light to her team, bringing joy, excellence and care to everything she does. She ensures Better Together volunteers have an exceptional experience from start to finish.

“Our Better Together team is so grateful for the donors, volunteers, partners and advocates who stand in the gap and support us in fulfilling our mission,” said Megan Rose, CEO of Better Together. “These groups and individuals are the reason we are able to transform lives and help our community flourish. It was an honor to recognize them for their generosity and unwavering support this year.”

Better Together works to prevent the need for foster care by building strong families and communities. When a parent needs support – due to homelessness, a medical emergency, or other crisis – Better Together volunteer host families provide a safe, loving home for the children short term, while staff and mentors empower the parents to secure employment, housing and other needs. Because job loss is at the root of most family crises, the Better Together workforce program provides opportunities for all job seekers through relational job fairs and volunteer job coaches.

To date, Better Together has served more than 15,000 children, and 98% of children served through mentoring and hosting remain out of foster care. The nonprofit has also connected more than 46,000 job seekers to employment opportunities through church-based job fairs across 24 states.

Better Together is always seeking additional volunteers and community partners to join its efforts to build stronger families. To learn more about how to become a donor, partner or volunteer, visit BetterTogetherUS.org.

ABOUT BETTER TOGETHER

Better Together is a nonprofit organization that helps parents going through a hard time keep their kids out of foster care, find work and address the root causes of their struggle so that they can reunite as a family with the tools and support system to thrive. A privately funded and professionally supported organization, Better Together is made up of volunteers who believe helping people help themselves is the best way to restore dignity and bring families together. Through the Better Families program, families are offered a preventive alternative to foster care while they get the help they need. To date, the program has kept 98% of children served out of foster care. The Better Jobs program was created to address the 76% of families that come to Better Together because of economic hardship tied to unemployment. In addition to community job fairs, the program offers job seekers coaching, guidance, support and encouragement through local church partners. For more information, visit BetterTogetherUS.org.