KidLinks

🗞️ Our August newsletter is out, and it is filled to the brim! Check out ideas on creating transition playlists, meet our new staff, and see what KidLinks has been up to in the community. ❤️ Read it now at https://mailchi.mp/kidlinks.org/august2024

💥 Hugapalooza! is tomorrow! We are thrilled about all of our Resource Fair Partners, including new partner Sage Care Therapy Services! Sage Care provides in-home pediatric therapy for infants, toddlers, young children and teens in North Texas and surrounding Dallas-Fort Worth area who have special needs. Meet Sage Care and all of our partners tomorrow at Klyde Warren Park from 9 AM to 12 PM for a morning of music, learning, and fun!

Hugapalooza! is in 3 days! We are happy to welcome EMPOWER Empower Dreams, Foster Futures as a new Resource Fair Partner. EMPOWER recruits loving foster homes in the Dallas metro area, with a goal of strengthening families. Join EMPOWER this Saturday, August 24th from 9 AM to 12 PM at Klyde Warren Park for our FREE Children's Concert and Resource Fair!

✳️ New blog post! As kids return to the regular routine of the school year, music can be a great tool to help them transition. Read our new blog post by Sara Chigani, MA, MT-BC, about building productive playlists for your kids at https://www.kidlinks.org/news/2024/08/happy-back-to-school

🎒 The start of the school year is a prime time to make new friends. Talking about friendship skills can be easy with this interactive craft that goes along with KidLinks' song "All It Takes Is A Friend." Whether you are using this activity as a conversation starter about social skills or creating a countdown until the next playdate, spending time creating this paper chain will be sure to create a helpful dialogue and fun memories. Listen to the song and access the activity at https://www.kidlinks.org/songs/all-it-takes-is-a-friend-feat-joley-flowers

🎵 Today, August 17th, is National Nonprofit Day, which recognizes nonprofit organizations' ongoing efforts to serve the community. KidLinks began with a simple goal: to bring the healing power of music to children with special challenges. Our founder, Jim Newton, traveled to hospitals and care settings, playing his guitar and singing songs of encouragement and friendship for kids and caregivers.

🎶 That humble beginning has grown into a nonprofit organization that has served over 433,000 people over the last 41 years. Today, KidLinks' team has 7 Board-Certified Music Therapists and 8 specially trained Therapeutic Music Entertainers sharing the healing power of music with children across North Texas. We boast a media library with over 200 original songs, animations, and activities for kids of all ages. And our Social-Emotional Skills Resource helps caregivers work with children on developing healthy emotional skills.

🎹 Learn more about KidLinks' history and support our ongoing work in the community at https://www.kidlinks.org/

🎈 Happiest of birthdays to J.W. Brown, one of KidLinks' amazing Board Members! In 2001, J.W. and 4 business colleagues established The KidLinks Foundation with Hugworks as the major beneficiary. When the two merged, he served as Board Chair of the newly formed KidLinks up until 2019 and has continued to serve as a Board Member since.

J.W. has been active since 2005 in the formation and management of energy related partnerships and corporations as Chairman of Par Investments, LLC., and since 1991, he has been the General Partner of Premier Capital, Ltd. He holds a BA, Juris Doctor and Masters of Law Degree.

Happy birthday, J.W.!

Hugapalooza! is just around the corner, and we can't wait to see new Resource Fair Partner PNC there! For nearly 160 years, PNC has been committed to providing their clients with great service and powerful financial expertise to help them meet their financial goals. 💰 Join PNC at Hugapalooza! for our annual free Children's Concert & Resource Fair on Saturday, August 24th from 9 AM to 12 PM at Klyde Warren Park!

🎸 KidLinks is thrilled to welcome Tina Farquhar, MT-BC, as a new part-time music therapist! Tina received her BS degree from West Texas State University (now West Texas A&M). She is Board Certified and a member of the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). Tina completed her internship at Denton State School and remained there for 2 years, working as an aide in the education department. She took her first music therapy position at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth, working as an activity therapist in their Department of Psychiatry. She was there for 12 years before working contract in several school districts (Mansfield, Grapevine-Colleyville, and Keller) for the next 4 years. Keller ISD then opened a full-time music therapy position and Tina accepted that job, going on to work in Keller ISD for 26 years.

Welcome to the team, Tina! 🌟

🎶 We are so excited to announce City of Dallas - City Hall as a Bronze Sponsor and Resource Fair Partner at Hugapalooza! on August 24th from 9 AM to 12 PM!

The City of Dallas will offer residents an opportunity to engage with key city services through an interactive showcase. Attendees will have the chance to connect with various departments and learn about the resources available to them. Here’s a look at who will be on hand:
* Dallas Police Department: Get important safety information, learn about recruitment opportunities, and interact with officers.
* Dallas Animal Services: Meet friendly dogs and cats available for foster or adoption and find out how you can support animal welfare.
* 311 City Hall on the Go: Explore the 311 outreach program and discover how to access city services more conveniently.
* Bond & Construction Management: Learn about the 2024 Bond Program approved by Dallas voters in May 2024 and how it will impact local infrastructure.
* Park & Recreation: Discover details about various programs, including recreational activities and summer programs for all ages.
* Code Compliance: Sign up for the City’s Code Academy and understand the city’s code compliance efforts.
* Office of Community Care: Explore community programs and resources designed to support and enhance local living.
* Budget & Management Services: Review materials on the upcoming Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget and understand how city funds will be allocated.

We can't wait to see everyone on the 24th at Klyde Warren Park!

📖 The first day of school can be scary for kids. The beloved and bestselling book "First Day Jitters" by Julie Danneberg (Author) and Judy Love (Illustrator) is perfect for helping nervous children work through their school fears. The story follows Sarah Jane Hartwell on her first day of a new school year, and its surprise ending will delight anyone who is anxious about their first day. 🍎 Happy reading!

🎧 Did you know that KidLinks' music is award-winning? Over the years, our songs have won Parents' Choice Awards, American Library Association Notable Children's Recording, Family Channel Seal of Quality, and more. When your kids listen to KidLinks' music, you know they are hearing songs with positive messaging that supports social-emotional growth. Explore all our songs at www.kidlinks.org/playground

🎵 We are happy to welcome Circle of Care as a Resource Fair Partner for this year's Hugapalooza! Circle of Care provides in-home pediatric speech, physical, and occupational therapy services for children and teens in Dallas. Their team is dedicated to delivering a high quality experience that helps each child reach their maximum potential. Join Circle of Care at Hugapalooza! on Saturday, August 24th from 9 AM to 12 PM at Klyde Warren Park!

Ready for kids to go back to school? Here are some tips from Child Mind Institute on having a successful transition back to the classroom:

Back-to-School Dos and Don'ts - Child Mind Institute Transitioning kids back to school successfully after summer vacation, especially kids with anxiety, takes planning and patience.

🌟 August is Make-A-Will Month, a perfect time to reflect on your legacy and support a cause close to your heart. At KidLinks, we're dedicated to providing healing, hope, and happiness through music. Your donation can help us create brighter futures for kids with special challenges.

Consider leaving a legacy of hope and joy by adding KidLinks as a beneficiary of your Will or life insurance policy. Together, we can make a lasting impact! 🎶✨

Thank you, MySweetCharity, for featuring KidLinks' SunFund campaign as one of your MySweetOpportunities! We are so grateful for your support in sharing our mission!

MySweetOpportunity: KidLinks - My Sweet Charity According to KidLinks‘ music therapist Sara Chigani, MA, MT-BC, “The majority of the clients I see have a diagnosis of Autism, so a lot of what I do is working with kids from a behavioral perspective. However, I began seeing a child who struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts. It can be ...

🎵 Happy ! As kids get ready to go back to school, enjoy this upbeat and fun song "I Love To Go To School," featuring Gina G. Glidewell. Alongside the song, we have also included instructions for a cute apple-inspired musical craft. Stream the song and get the craft instructions at https://www.kidlinks.org/songs/i-love-to-go-to-school

🌟 We welcome Bob Grega to the KidLinks team as our new Grants and Development Coordinator! Bob lived most of his life in the South and West Suburbs of Chicago and relocated to the Dallas area in 2019. He holds a degree in Accounting and Finance from Purdue and worked for the past 25 years in various supply chain, demand planning, and accounting roles in the telecom industry at Infinera.

During the pandemic, Bob broke his leg and ended up in the hospital. It was there, after seeing the tremendous sacrifices the nurses were making, that he realized that he needed to do more with his life and that maybe it was the “big break in life” he had been waiting for. Bob has since volunteered hundreds of hours working with the homeless at OurCalling and Austin Street Center and recently left the telecom industry to work towards his BS degree in Psychology. In addition to working at KidLinks, Bob also works at Dallas Hope Charities part-time doing grant coordination and case management work with their homeless young adults.

Welcome, Bob!

New month, new playlist! Get ready for back-to-school and the end of summer with our upbeat, self-esteem focused Spotify playlist at https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Qqix95tMir8tgQHLyA663?si=993de6f1ce3f4e29

❤️ Meet Dominic! Dominic came to KidLinks' music therapist Debbie for his initial evaluation at the end of January. Since then, he has demonstrated tremendous observable and measurable progress in terms of his expressive language and increased attention-to-task/impulse control.

It was difficult for Dominic to concentrate for the 30-minute sessions when he first started. He now attends to all music therapy strategies for the entire 30 minutes without any prompting. When he started working with Debbie, Dominic shared some one syllable utterances but was virtually non-verbal. He is now imitating two to three syllable words or phrases that are presented to him in the context of music therapy songs that repeat. Dominic's mother is very excited about his progress and is encouraging Dominic at home with the techniques learned from his music therapy sessions.

Dominic just turned 4 years old in April, so to watch the progress of this little one is very exciting. Way to go, Dominic and Debbie!

TME | Therapeutic Music Entertainment | Home KidLinks is committed to linking kids to healing, hope and happiness through Therapeutic Music Entertainment (TME).

This year's Hugapalooza! will be the best one ever, thanks in part to fantastic Resource Fair Partners like Catalyst Behavior Solutions! Catalyst Behavior Solutions provides individual ABA therapy programs, family support, and better outcomes for children. We will see their team on August 24th from 9 AM to 12 PM at Klyde Warren Park. Don't miss it 😄

📣 Join KidLinks next Friday, August 2nd from 12 to 4 PM at Dallas ISD's first Special Populations Expo and Back to School Fair! We will be at Forester Athletic Complex, sharing information on KidLinks' services, alongside other organizations. We hope to see you there!