JH Floyd Sunshine Manor
So many of our young people live in constant crisis mode with an unstable home life, no positive role models, and no constructive outlet for their free time.  Second Chance is there for these youth, at our drop –in center, at the schools and on the street, holding them to high standards, offering tough love, and helping them to respect themselves and look to the future.

Considering the challenges our young people face growing up, Second Chance-Last Opportunity decided that youth programming should be at the heart of what it does in the community.  Strategies to successfully manage time and money, to make positive choices, to effectively apply for jobs, to deal with health and anger management issues, and to improve communication skills are all offered as part of the various Youth Community Outreach Programs.

SUPPORT FOR TEEN MOMS
Giving emotional and practical help to teen moms makes it possible for them to improve their parenting skills and gain the confidence and skills needed for them either to stay in school or to get a job to support their family.   The newly founded Teen Baby Club offers support, practical advice, and new baby items to young moms.  Our annual Birth, Baby, and Beyond Community Baby Shower is in March and gives new and expectant parents a celebration their own friends and families may not be able to organize. Click to view more photos of the 2007 Shower.

In addition, by having over 15 outside agencies participating in booths offering information and hands-on activities, the young parents learn directly what resources are available in the community to help them raise their families.  Agencies represented in 2007 included Healthy Start, The Child Protection Center, Born to Read, Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Children First, Healthy Families, Child Care Connections of Sarasota, Babies R Us, SPARCC, and JFCS, etc.

 

Teenagers on all the programs are able to participate in other events planned for youth throughout the year which include but are not exclusive to:

Family enjoys choosing school supplies together
Back to School Shopping @ Walmart

Caring and Sharing Week
Children aged between 6 and 12 enjoy a week of activities including arts and crafts, team-building, visiting with residents of 2 local nursing homes, learning about animals at the Humane Society of Sarasota County, and shopping for school supplies.

‘Sex In The City’ Youth Seminars
Young people participate in a 3 day youth empowerment seminar to learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy, have fears and concerns dispelled, enjoy open discussions about relationships, and enjoy inspiration dance, and talent searches.  Guest speakers include HIV/AIDS activists and representatives from the Health Department, CAN, and SPARCC.

‘Calculate the Difference’ Holiday Shopping
Again, thanks to individual donors and Walmart, SCLO is able to take 13-16 year olds and their families holiday shopping armed with calculators so they get the gifts they really want and gain money management skills at the same time.

Black History Month Celebrations
These include a Community Art Show where children from local schools could have their artwork hung alongside that of minority students from the Ringling College of Art, and professional African American artists.   Later in the month, a talent show provided an uplifting showcase for young people to prepare and perform music, dance, etc. in front of an invited audience.

 
 

Second Chance-Last Opportunity
1933 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way
Sarasota, FL  34234
Phone: (941) 360-8660
Fax:  (941) 360-8519
info@secondchancelastopportunity.org