Current News
Bad Things, Good People, and a Compassionate Community
Bethesda, MD — The homeless individual is often referred to as a panhandler. This perception is even more apparent with the growing, visible homeless population in Montgomery County, MD. The National Center for Children and Families (NCCF), a social service agency providing support to homeless families and abandoned children and youth, for nearly a century, sees firsthand the effects of the housing market, job crisis and inadequate health care. Those who have taken all the necessary steps towards stability are now in need of community support – shifting the identity of the county’s homeless population.
Mr. Godley, who now resides at NCCF’s Greentree Shelter (GTS) with his wife and 14-year-old daughter, never imagined needing a helping hand from a stranger. With the loss of his job due to the real estate market crash and a second diagnosis of cancer; a warm bed and food were only attainable through community support. “I am grateful to be here, a lot of families need support, and my family and I are lucky to have this opportunity.â€
Growing up in a spiritually-connected and faith-oriented family; Mr. Godley was determined to make them proud. “I was the first of my siblings to attend college… during my junior year; I transferred to NYU and graduated in the top 1% of my classâ€. His drive and dedication led him to a lucrative position on Wall Street. Mr. Godley’s picture-perfect life was shattered when being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. He underwent chemotherapy which shrunk the tumor to 60%.
9th Annual Art & Soul Auction to Feature Billboard Jazz Artist Marcus Johnson
Support Children In Need – Purchase Art By Local Artists and Hear Smooth Sounds of Jazz! Where will you be on June 3, 2011 if not at the Art & Soul Auction? This event is where art, music and a great cause all come together. Join NCCF at the Silver Spring Civic Center at 6:00 pm for its 9th Annual Art & Soul Charity Auction which will benefit its clients and programs. “This year we’re proud to feature Silver Spring’s great musician, Marcus Johnson,†states Dr. Sheryl Brissett Chapman, Executive Director of NCCF. “His music will enhance our program and include a special performance with 15-year-old Andre Taylor, a student at Northwood High School.â€
Art & Soul Featured Artists
The 9th Annual Art & Soul Charity Auction is a partnership with artists who care deeply about our community and support the mission of the National Center for Children and Families (NCCF). These artists contribute their most valuable gift to the community: their artistic expression. Each artist participating in NCCF’s auction has shown a willingness and enthusiasm to share their artwork on behalf of vulnerable children and youth.
NCCF 2011 Art & Soul Awardees
Awardees will be honored by the National Center for Children and Families’ (NCCF) on Friday, June 3, 2011, at the Silver Spring Civic Building. The event, NCCF’s 9th Annual Art & Soul Charity Auction, will begin at 6:00 pm and conclude at 10:00 pm. Board of Trustees President, Philip D. Schiff, and Executive Director, Sheryl Brissett Chapman, will present the awards.
Carole Taylor and John Haser will receive the NCCF 2011 Spirit Awards for Humanitarian Advocate because of their unwavering commitment and dedication to the most abused, hurt, and desperate youth in our community.
Councilmember Nancy Floreen will receive the NCCF 2011 Spirit Award for Humanitarian Leader
because of her outstanding commitment in ensuring that Montgomery County provides quality opportunities for all of its residents, especially the children and challenged families who live in its communities.
Ana Valdez will receive the NCCF John F. White Alumni Award because of her passionate advocacy for victims and survivors of domestic violence everywhere.
A Life Transformed in Remembrance
It was August 29, 2005, and David was home from school because schools had closed. Weather reports stated that a hurricane was headed straight for New Orleans, Louisiana. David’s family was trying to decide whether they should wait out the storm or head out of the city. At the last minute, only three hours before Hurricane Katrina made land, the family decided to head to Jackson, Mississippi to stay with a family friend. David, along with his grandmother, two sisters, mother, and several other relatives loaded up in the family van. In addition to the human family, six hamsters, one dog, and two birds joined the family on their trip to Mississippi.
Art & Soul Charity Auction Factsheet
Art & Soul Charity Auction History
2011 marks the 9th Annual Art & Soul Charity Auction, the National Center for Children and Families’ (NCCF) signature fundraiser. It features a live and silent auction of artwork and “Gifts from the Soul†(non-art items).
Proceeds
Art & Soul Charity Auction proceeds will benefit the construction of the Freddie Mac Foundation Youth Activities Center (YAC), NCCF’s sole cultural and recreational facility for children and lost youth on our Bethesda Campus.
Art & Soul Charity Auction Tickets
Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased by contacting Cheri Raffell at 301.365.4480, x164 or by clicking here.
Live Auction
The Live Auction will feature art created by the talented youth in the Greentree Adolescent Program (GAP), and unique gift packages donated by local businesses.
Silent Auction
• Nearly 130 original fine art by regional artists.
• “Gifts from the Soul†including gift certificates to area restaurants and other fine items.
Entertainment
• Jazz vocalist by Broadway Star & Sony Recording artist Julia Nixon.
• World renowned musician, Marcus Johnson
NCCF Annual Spirit of Humanitarian Awards
NCCF awards the Spirit of Humanitarian Awards to community members and groups who significantly help NCCF serve its mission. The John F. White Alumni Award is presented to a former client who has successfully transitioned out of one of our programs.
Marcus Johnson Music Camp at NCCF
Innovative Music Camp Launches Summer 2011 for Talented Teens. Marcus Johnson and Dr. Sheryl Brissett-Chapman align forces to inspire students at MJ Music Camp @ NCCF!
What happens when you mix a visionary music artist and entrepreneur with a visionary non-profit leader dedicated to the welfare of children and families? A music camp dedicated to inspiring the minds of high school students across the Washington metropolitan region with a jam-packed, seven day intensive program. Bringing the resources together of the National Center for Children and Families with their brand new facility, and the exceptional talents of Marcus Johnson, president of FLO Brands…a dynamic week-long music program will debut August 1 – 7, 2011.Â
“MJ Music Camp @ NCCF will bring our state of the art complex to life with exceptional programming,†states Brissett-Chapman. “It houses the Marcus Johnson Music Room, and we’re more than proud to align our respective resources to benefit students who are poised to be musicians, vocalists, or lyricists.†Chapman further states, “Marcus Johnson is well positioned to guide the development of students who wish to pursue musical and/or vocal arts with his own unique mix of talent and outstanding academic credentials.†Johnson holds a JD/MBA from Georgetown University, and is a noted speaker about the business of the music industry. Part of the designed curriculum of the MJ Music Camp @ NCCF will focus on the “10 Truths of the Music Industry†as well as provide students with basic financial skills and terms.
For more information and to register please visit: www.camp4music.org
Visit the Music Camp on Facebook!
The Inside View – Sheryl Brissett Chapman
April 10, 2011
Dr. Sheryl Brissett Chapman has spent 20 years bringing to light the plight of Montgomery County’s poor and its victims of abuse. Her agency has provided them with shelters, counseling, adoptive homes and a respected voice. Dr. Chapman spoke with The Washington Examiner about her lifelong work on behalf of the underprivileged, and its foundation in her Christian faith.
Bethesda Magazine – Women We Admire: Sheryl Brissett Chapman
Sheryl Brissett Chapman heads the National Center for Children and Families, overseeing an average annual operating budget of nearly $18 million and a staff of 200.
Still, when a child comes to her office with a problem, Brissett Chapman, 60, drops everything to help.
“She’s a leading child welfare expert who understands the research and academics,†says Anniglo Boone, executive director of the Consortium for Child Welfare in Washington, D.C. “But she’s also accessible to kids and families in a way that’s really extraordinary.â€
Foster children focus on self-sufficiency
The Gazette
by Patricia Murret
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Jonathan Bell of Gaithersburg recently graduated from Walt Whitman High School in Bethesda. He played varsity lacrosse and was drum line co-captain. The 19-year-old is headed to Montgomery College and talking to recruiters about joining the Marines.
But the path to a solid future has not come easy for Bell, who has lived in seven group homes and foster families since age 11.
“I’ve been through so much,” he said. “It’s been a tough time for me, being around people I didn’t know, being homesick and stuff.”
Bell moved into a Rockville apartment with a roommate this month. He joined the FutureBound Independent Living program run by the independent nonprofit National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, said Cynde R. Burgess, county child welfare supervisor. The program is a top choice for teenagers aging out of the child welfare system.
“This is not just a free-for-all, although some youth may see it as that,” said Burgess. “Some have been asked to step back from the program.”
The goal is for teenagers to develop skills they need to be successful working and living on their own.
