by SCLO | Apr 19, 2016 | Blog
We will be holding the first graduation ceremony for the inaugural group of students we’ve worked with in our recent collaboration with The Salvation Army of Tampa/Hillsborough County. It will be on Thursday, April 21st at New Life Restoration , 6104 Marilla Ave, Gibsonton, FL. 33534 @ 11:30 AM and everyone is so excited! A true commencement of new life paths.
EDIT: Due to ill health, we will be rescheduling tomorrow’s graduation ceremony for the The Salvation Army of Tampa/Hillsborough County participants. Please send good wishes our clients/colleagues’ way and stay tuned for the details of the rescheduled date.
by SCLO | Apr 18, 2016 | Blog
21 years ago, Second Chance-Last Opportunity became a 501(c)3. We are proud to have helped so many individuals who had no hope or skills to achieve a dream of living a productive life, since April 17, 1995.
If you have any questions or would like more information about our work and impact in the community, please feel free to call us on (941) 360-8660 or email info@SecondChanceLastOpportunity.org.
by SCLO | Dec 18, 2015 | Blog
SOS: We are expecting 150 kids at our Christmas celebration tomorrow and are short on toys. Gifts for newborns through 12 year olds would be greatly appreciated – drop of locations are Nicole Salon on Palm,NontandoSCLO’s office, and The Heritage Barbeque Co. Thank you!
by SCLO | Apr 14, 2014 | Blog
Second Chance-Last Opportunity is a very special organization that works with an invisible population who has no where else to turn. Our approach is personal, assessing people’s needs and working with them through counseling, life skill classes, and referrals. In addition to counseling and classes, on any given day we can be found giving out emergency food, toiletries, or diapers to someone in desperate need, or finding shoes for someone who only has flip flops to wear to an interview, or helping someone with the paperwork to apply for housing, or taking young people to a local nursing home to boost their confidence and make the residents feel special, and on and on.
The unique and wide scope of our services makes it hard for those outside to instantly grasp what the organization does. SNN Local News 6 is ‘shining a light’ on our agency all next week, and we hope you will catch some of the news stories and PSAs that will be airing between July 29th and August 2nd, repeated on Saturday, August 3rd. You’ll see some of our classes, our youth program, former clients who have worked so hard to turn their lives around, our board members and most importantly, you should come away with an all round picture of this special organization and the work we do. Equally important, you will learn how you can become a part of Second Chance through volunteering, donating, and sharing your expertise.
We are grateful to SNN for their professionalism, compassion, and generosity, and hope you will tune in next week to Comcast Channel 6 and Verizon Channel 26.
by SCLO | Apr 14, 2014 | Blog
The holidays bring out the best in people and we love working with so many wonderful organizations with the goal of helping others less fortunate have something to celebrate.
Examples of this sort of partnership are groups who have organized toy drives to benefit Second Chance families, such as the team at Spa Hollywood, Women’s Resource Center Peer Counselors, First Step staff, the Sarasota Farmers’ Market, and the Laurel Oaks Women’s Golf Association. Then there are the locations that are accepting donations of unwrapped gifts such as Nicole Salon on Palm, Chase Bank, Peggy Ann’s Consignment, James Griffith Salon, Shapes Fitness, and Finebloom, Haenel & Higgins.
In addition to our generous Christmas sponsors The Granite Place, Distinctive Surfaces, and European Marble, we have a new partner for all the holidays.
We are delighted to announce that Florida criminal defense law firm Finebloom, Haenel & Higgins has partnered with Second Chance-Last Opportunity to help provide holiday meals and as a drop off point for our annual Toy Drive.
The law firm approached SCLO when they read about our struggle to provide for all our clients and the lightbulb went off. ‘When I read in the newspaper that there were families going without Thanksgiving dinner, I knew that we had to assist”, says David Haenel, a founding partner of the firm. Attorney and business partner Darren Finebloom was right behind the effort as sponsors of our holiday activities. “To be able to bring joy to kids through holiday toys – well, what could be better than that? We are happy to be part of this community effort.”
For more information about Finebloom, Haenel & Higgins, visit www.fightyourcase.com or call (941) 953-2622.
For a list of ways you can help during the holidays and toy drop off locations, go to our ‘You Can Help’ page on our website.
For more information about how you can get involved with our preparations for the holidays or how you can partner with Second Chance, call April on (941) 360-8660.
Together we are better.
by SCLO | Apr 14, 2014 | Blog
The birth of a baby brings indescribable joy, but that happiness can be overshadowed by the reality of not having enough money to pay for baby essentials.
Second Chance-Last Opportunity’s clients learn to become self-sufficient through free SCLO parenting, goal-setting, budgeting, and communication skills classes.
We have a new project up at Gulf Coast Gives which will enable us to keep a small supply of diapers, lotion, shampoo, bottles, and more available to help our new parents (and their young ones!) while they work toward achieving their goals. Our goal is to raise $350 and we have 14 days left to do it.
Please visit www.GulfCoastGives.org/projects/818 and give generously.
