Nichole McGahey & Tia Ewing

Joining me on the Born To Talk Radio Show Podcast on December 19th from 1-2 PT are Nichole McGahey and Tia Ewing from Caring Connections.

Meet these incredible women.

Nichole.

Nichole grew up in Bellflower and graduated from Valley Christian High School. Then she went to Azusa Pacific University to pursue a degree in Liberal Studies (Elementary Education). She has been involved with Caring Connections since 1999 and is the current President. For four years, Nichole was an elementary school teacher. She saw kids struggling in school when their basic needs weren’t being met. This propelled her into a lifetime of service to elementary school families needing extra help.

Tia.

Tia is currently a School Principal with the Bellflower Unified School District. She is also the Coordinator for Caring Connections and an Executive Board Member since 2018. Tia has a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from California State Long Beach and a Master of Science in Education from Walden University Tia brings 25 years of experience in education to this role, 21 years of them as a teacher. She knows firsthand the needs of the families in her school district.

Caring Connections.

To begin with, Caring Connections works in partnership with the Bellflower Unified School District, in Bellflower, CA. Their Mission Statement: “Our commitment is to be a bridge to a healthy and successful future for children and families of the Bellflower Unified School District.”

Here is their background: They are a non-profit organization that was created in 1992 as a Healthy Start collaborative to meet the needs of the children and families of the BUSD. The collaborative organization consists of more than 50 local agencies dedicated to helping children and families in the communities of Bellflower and Lakewood.

Their Family Support Staff work at the school sites to ensure that families are aware of community resources and special services. These services are available through partnerships with local service providers.

They are all gearing up for our Christmas events. These events are widely scattered throughout the city to ensure that anyone who needs help will receive assistance. Especially this time of year, one of the most awesome things they get to do is send their families to a community Christmas Store.

Case Managers at each school site get to register families. As an example, parents can come and shop at the store to purchase one item per child at a 90% off rate. A brand-new skateboard will cost under $5.00. This is a way for parents in need to have the dignity of a shopping experience. There’s even a gift-wrapping station available that day.

Vision To Learn visits the school to provide free exams and glasses to students who otherwise may not get these services. The Bellflower Rotary Club partners with Vision To Learn.

In Closing.

There are so many services provided through Caring Connections. They act as a bridge between home, school, and collaborative organizations. Can you just imagine, what new shoes offers a child? Just another wonderful Rotary moment.