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You are here: Home / Archives for Community Outreach

Down Syndrome Awareness – Meet Crew

March 21, 2023 by Baton Rouge Family Fun

March is Trisomy Awareness Month, and World Down Syndrome Awareness Day is March 21, and it just so happens our lives were changed by a trisomy condition this month last year. Most people have 23 pairs of chromosomes, resulting in 46 total chromosomes total. However, a trisomy disorder is where a person has a full or partial extra chromosome on most or all of their cells, making it 47 chromosomes in total.

Down Syndrome Awareness – Meet Crew

Some of the most common trisomy disorders are Trisomy 21, Trisomy 18, and Trisomy 13. These chromosomal disruptions can lead to various health issues, ranging from mild to severe, mild to severe cognitive abilities and physical abilities, and sometimes not compatible with life. This year we are lucky to have a very special reason to celebrate this month and World Down Syndrome Awareness Day, and it’s all because of my little boy, Crew, who has Trisomy 21.

Down Syndrome Awareness
Crew is our 5th baby, the sweet rainbow baby after two devasting miscarriages and his two beautiful sisters, Charlee (age 9) and Collyn (age 5). He was the baby we didn’t know that we needed to complete our family.

We met with maternal-fetal medicine and were told that he showed “soft markers’ on an ultrasound for possible Down syndrome, but the only way to know for sure was to do genetic testing. We chose not to do any testing because we had already made the decision to carry our baby to full term and trust in the Lord that he would be healthy, with or without Down syndrome. We knew that there was a 50/50 chance our son would have Down syndrome, and we would find out for sure on the day he was born.

World Down Syndrome Awareness Day
Crew was born on March 23rd, just two days after World Down Syndrome Day, a few weeks early, but a healthy 7.2 pounds. I knew he had Down syndrome immediately when I laid eyes on him, and he was the most beautiful boy; he was my answered prayer. He was breathing and crying, and that was the sweetest sound. He was the baby we prayed for, healthy, for the most part. They took him for a full cardio work- up and determined that he had a couple of holes in his heart, and that bought us a week stay in the NICU. This is pretty common for Down syndrome babies and to varying degrees. Usually, about 50% of babies born with Down syndrome also have major cardiac complications, and some need surgery right away.

After the year that we have had with Crew, with some scary medical issues that aren’t even related to Down syndrome, as crazy as that is, we are ready to celebrate Trisomy Awareness Month and World Down Syndrome Day!

Down Syndrome Awareness

Here are some facts from The National Down Syndrome Society, and some are just from my heart:

  • There can be a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21 – this extra genetic material is what causes characteristics that are normally associated with Down syndrome.
  • There are three types of Down syndrome – trisomy 21 (nondisjunction), which is the most common (95%) and the type that Crew has; translocation (4%) and mosaicism (1%).\
  • Down syndrome happens to people of all walks of life, all races and economic levels.
  • Some of the most common physical traits of Down syndrome are low muscle tone, called hypotonia, small stature, an upturned slant to their eyes and a single deep crease across their palms, called a palmer crease. However, every person with Down syndrome is different and has their own unique characteristics. Any one person can have all of the major characteristics to varying degrees or show none of these physical traits.
  • The life expectancy for a person with Down syndrome has increased significantly, from just 25
    years old in 1983 to 60 today! I would like to think this has to do with the level of care and awareness that is happening now.
  • People with Down syndrome can have fulfilling and productive lives with the help of educational programs, loving families devoted to their wellness and growing their abilities, access to good healthcare and positive support from their community, family and friends.

While these are some of the most common facts about Down syndrome, I have realized they don’t define my son. These traits and characteristics don’t change the fact that our whole family loves him tremendously. These things do not define us, as his loved ones, either. Crew is so much more than what you can see on the outside. This past year was one of the hardest for our family. He has absolutely rocked having Down syndrome. He was meeting his milestones and growing and thriving until Infantile Spasms knocked the wind out of our sails around six months.

This halted his progress and basically took him back to being a 3-month-old, all over again. These spasms took his smile, his bright eyes, his voice, and deteriorated his muscle tone. But God – as of now, Crew is 2 months seizure free and beginning to thrive again. He has found his voice, his smile, and is laughing and catching up on the physical “inchstones” that he has missed. For this, I have to give a huge shout-out to all of Crew’s “crew”, my parents for taking care of him daily, his occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech therapist, special interventionist, pediatrician, neurologist, and all of our friends and family.

With the year we have had, I have my own list of Down syndrome facts that I want everyone to know!

  • Tenacity – Crew has fought through having seizures and the medicine to fix his brain and continued to push through every therapy session like a champ. He does therapy four times a week, on top of multiple doctor visits every week. I can count on one hand how many weeks he didn’t have an appointment of some sort (it’s less than four weeks of his entire life).
  • Heart – The outpouring of love, support, and unfailing prayers for my little guy and my family is beyond words. I could never sum up how God has moved during this past year. Loved beyond measure.
  • Brave – Crew is so brave, and he just continues to push through the hard days. Crew has had probably close to 100 doctor visits in his first year of life. He has had more procedures than I care to remember, and we still aren’t done, but he’s teaching us every day that with God on your side, you can face anything.
  • Determined – He has continued to progress throughout all of this. He has grown and shown us how strong he is. He has shown us that he will figure out a way to get things done and prove doctors wrong. I will forever be proud of him for this.

So, these are just a few things I see when I look at my son. I see his beautifully shaped eyes, and I see the palmer crease in his hands and the sandal toe on his feet. But I also see so much love in his sweet smile and how his eyes light up when he sees his sisters. I see from week to week how determined he is to finally crawl. I see how intently he watches our mouths, just trying to get a word out. I see how loved he is by his grandparents, aunts and uncles, and especially his cousins. I see how he’s shaped me to be a better mom, guided by Christ and the Holy Spirit; because his health was out of my hands and I couldn’t fix him, I had to trust that God would. This is the awareness I want others to see. We can all see the physical traits and the common characteristics but there is so much more to people with Down syndrome. My hope is to show people to see past those common things and see things like heart, determination, strength, and love in our Down syndrome community.

We have a wonderful support system in Baton Rouge, called DSAG (Down Syndrome Awareness Group of BR) that hosts events for the children and families of the Down syndrome community in Baton Rouge and surrounding areas, and the annual Buddy Walk is a huge fundraiser for them. The Buddy Walk is coming up on March 25, 2023, at the A.Z. Young Park from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, with the walk starting at 11:00. If you want to get involved and meet other Down syndrome families, this would be a great place to start. This event is for everyone! There will be entertainment, food, drinks, dancing, and more! Come out and support this much deserving community and see what all Down syndrome has to offer. Here is the link to the event: https://www.ds-stride.org/dsagbuddywalk. If you aren’t able to participate but want to donate, it would be greatly appreciated.

Hi, my name is Jessica Walker, and I have lived in Central, LA, for most of my life. I am a Jesus lovin’ wife of 12 years and mom of 3, and also work full time! My girls are 9 and 5, and my son is 1. We are a very active family; from dance and cheer and tumble to theater and musicals, we stay on the go! We like to be involved in our community by participating in different events through our church, school, and Central chamber events, basically anything that supports Central schools and sports. As a family, we enjoy spending time with the rest of our family, outside when we can, listening to live music, watching my nephews play baseball or football, or just taking in what Baton Rouge offers.  Our lives took a detour we weren’t expecting last year when our son was born with Down syndrome. However, we have embraced all that this diagnosis has given us with as much grace as possible while learning all the new things along the way. I am an open book and ready to answer any questions about Down syndrome or any of his other medical issues. In my downtime, I love to read and research, work out and soak up the blessings we have received along the way!

Filed Under: Baton Rouge Resources, Community Outreach, Moms, Organizations, Parenting Tagged With: Down Syndrome, Down Syndrome Awareness, DSAG (Down Syndrome Awareness Group of BR)

Healthy Relationships Start at Home

February 2, 2023 by Guest Contributor

People are made for relationship – and healthy relationships start at home. We see it throughout our lives. At the moment of birth, a baby cries out for its mother, seeking the warmth and comfort of a mother’s hold. Young children desire friendship, inviting peers to engage in playground games. Our tweens and teens “hangout” at the pool and join sports teams for companionship. As college students, we register for clubs and organizations in order to build community with like-minded peers. As adults, we choose a spouse, someone to walk through life with intimately and logistically.

Healthy Relationships Start at Home

Our entire lives orbit around relationships. Friendships, working relationships, romantic relationships, social media… it all revolves around connection. As parents, we want our children to foster healthy relationships in each season of life. So how can we be intentional about preparing our children to seek and cultivate healthy relationships? Licensed Professional Counselor and parenting expert, Ally Bayard shares 3 key ideas for facilitating healthy relationships in every stage of life:

1. Prioritize Communication

Instruction without relationship lacks value. Think back to school- was there a teacher or coach you respected? Maybe one you even idolized? Think back to how you would hang on to every word of instruction or encouragement from that trusted adult. Our kids are wired the same way. If we want our children to absorb our words, there has to be a foundation of trust. This starts with prioritizing communication.

As parents, we have to be intentional about monitoring the communication our kids receive each day. Are they hearing from TikTok and Snapchat more than they’re hearing from us? More than they’re hearing from their family or their youth leader? What words are being spoken to them each day? Are they words of encouragement and affirmation, or words of correction and criticism?

As parents, we are the gatekeepers of our homes. One of my favorite resources to share with parents who feel conviction about having more control over the messages their children receive is our Screen Sanity course which equips parents to help their kids establish healthier relationships with screens. We can have so much influence over our children just by prioritizing the messages they receive each day, by the words we are speaking to them and over them, and also by limiting social media consumption.

2. Model Emotion Regulation

When we curate the messages our children receive each day, it’s then important that our actions match our words. How can we foster trust and safety in our relationships if we don’t model trust and safety ourselves? Research shows that consistency strengthens brain connections that lead to trust and secure attachments (Bales et. al. 2018). If we want our children to be slow to anger, we need to model what it looks like to be slow to anger. A few key ideas I share with parents during parenting consultations include:

•Responding instead of reacting

•Using choice and consequence language

•Loving the child, despising the behavior

•Apologizing when we mess up as adults

These four pillars allow parents to model and facilitate healthy relationship skills that can carry over from family systems into friendships and eventually into romantic relationships as well. Our children aren’t born knowing how to engage in healthy relationships. Our job as parents is to teach them.

3. Introduce Different Love Languages

Love languages are fluid and change over time as relationship dynamics and needs change. It is important for parents to understand how we give and receive love, so we can speak love to our children in a way that they understand. We often joke that it would be nice if children came out with a handbook, but the truth is, each child is fearfully and wonderfully made. As parents, our goal should be to parent each child to his or her needs and strengths.

The same way that teachers prioritize learning styles in school, we as parents need to prioritize understanding and speaking our children’s love languages. If I can show value to my child by speaking their unique love language, then they grow up feeling worthy of love. On the flip side, if a parent chooses to only show love in one way, and that is not the love language of the child, then what are we really saying? That this child doesn’t deserve to feel love? That love is only love on someone else’s terms?

Parenting can be overwhelming for many reasons. In all of my years as a counselor specializing in children and family work, the theme that seems to come up the most is fear of failing our children. Mom-guilt and dad-guilt are real and can be consuming. But if we get this piece right, raising our children to be resilient and to foster healthy relationships, the rest can simply fall in to place

Ally is the owner and founder of Refinery Counseling Center, a boutique counseling group in Baton Rouge, LA, with a heart for mental wellness. The clinicians at RCC specialize in all areas of mental health and relationship counseling, including play therapy for children, counseling for adolescents and adults, marriage counseling, and parenting consultations. Interested in working with Ally Bayard, LPC-S, CAS? Want to get to know the rest of the team? Contact Refinery Counseling here  for more information.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Ask the Expert, Community Outreach Tagged With: Baton Rouge Counseling, Love Languages, Refinery Counseling Center

225 Fest – Celebrating Baton Rouge Culture

January 30, 2023 by Baton Rouge Family Fun

By now, you’ve undoubtedly seen the brightly colored branding for 225 Fest all over social media, it immediately caught our attention, and he had to learn more. The innuagrual street festival was created to celebrate everything we love about Baton Rouge Culture while spotlighting local vendors, artists, organizations, and businesses.

225 Fest

Bring out the entire family to celebrate #225Day on Saturday, February 25th, 2023, from 10 am-2 pm for the inaugural festival kicking off in Downtown Baton Rouge on N. Fourth St. & The Capital Park Museum!

225 Fest – Celebrating Baton Rouge Culture

“We’re on an ambitious mission to defy sterotypes, data points, and rankings that don’t tell the full story of what it means to love Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge has historically meant BE RESILIENT. We’re the springboard for ambitious college students. We’re refuge to neighboring cities and states during hurricane season. AND home to best creatives, families and innovators.”

225 Fest

  •  Street Festival Entrance: North St. & N.Fourth St.
  • Street Festival: Food trucks, vendors, art walk & mini health fair
  • Capitol Park Museum: Kids Activities, Panel Discussions, $5 Museum Tours & Restroom

This festival culminates the rich history of Baton Rouge and the culture that powers the capital region combined with the 50th anniversary of hip-hop!

WHAT: 225 Fest

  • 80+ Vendors & Food Trucks
  • 30+ Health care vendors
  • Art Walk with 25+ local creatives
  • Kid’s Discovery Day with 12+ activities
  • 4 Panel Discussions
  • 1 Millennial Day Party
  • Live Performances & More

WHEN: Sat, February 25th
10 am-2 pm

WHERE: N. Fourth St. & Capitol Park Museum

ADMISSION: This event is free & open to the public

Please register today and celebrate the future of Baton Rouge with us: www.225fest.com

Family Friendly Mardi Gras

Filed Under: Celebrate, Community Outreach, Events, Family Friendly Baton Rouge, Local Business Spotlight, Things To Do Tagged With: 225 Fest, Baton Rouge Festival, Family Friendly Baton Rouge, Festival

RACK – Random Acts of Christmas Kindness

December 1, 2022 by Baton Rouge Family Fun

Tis’ the season to get into the holiday spirit! We are RACKing up Random Acts of Christmas Kindness this season, and we would love for you to join us! We are spreading the joy of the holidays by performing a Random Act of Christmas Kindness each day throughout December. It’s the perfect way to enjoy the true reason for the season… family, togetherness, community, and giving!

The best part of participating in even the smallest act of kindness and/or giving is that generosity and kindness are contagious!

Goodness spurs goodness: A single act can influence dozens more.

Please join us for our 8th Annual RACK! We are showering the Baton Rouge community with Christmas Kindness all month long!

RACK – Random Acts of Christmas Kindness

What is RACK, and how does it work?

 It’s a way to infuse holiday spirit in others by performing a Random Act of Christmas Kindness throughout December! Many do a RACK a day for 25 days leading up to Christmas, an advent of sorts. However, we are asking you to join us in doing what you can, when you can, however big, however small. Be creative and lead with your heart! Most importantly, get the whole family involved!

We have created printable RACK cards in different sizes; print and attach them to your RACK. Although there are many ways to offer a RACK, we have put together an extensive list of ideas and a calendar if you want to follow a list of acts.

RACK – Random Acts of Christmas Kindness Ideas:

  1. Rake the yard of a neighbor who can’t rake it themselves.
  2. Bless your garbage collectors with a treat or small gift card for lunch.
  3. Have your children make the mailman or lady a Thank You card or poster with treats taped to it.
  4. Tape coins on vending machines for snacks or sodas. The hospital would be an excellent place for this!
  5. Tape single dollars to items at the dollar store. (plus a dime for tax)
  6. RACK a Red Box by leaving a dollar or two and some popcorn or a candy cane.
  7. Donate items to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank
  8. Pack toiletry or snack bags for Volunteers of America Greater Baton Rouge homeless shelters.
  9. Donate a coat to Pat’s Coats for Kids.
  10. Bake treats and take them to the police station or fire station with thank you cards for their service.
  11. Take a break from texting and mail an actual handwritten letter or card to someone you love.
  12. Send letters or gifts to an assisted living home. Coordinate with your local nursing or retirement home first.
  13. Take Get Well balloons or flowers to the hospital and leave them with a nurse for someone who is alone.
  14. Fill a Good Samaritans Christmas Box
  15. Tape quarters to laundromat machines.
  16. Leave a basket of Christmas gifts on the doorstep of a family in need.
  17. Leave a $5 bill on the pump at a gas station.
  18. Bring treats to your local urgent care office on Christmas Eve.
  19. Cook a meal and deliver it to someone who could use a meal. Someone who is sick, a new family in the neighborhood or at church, a new mom.
  20. Take a person who’s working on Christmas Eve something special.
  21. Drop off books to give to patients at the OLOL Children’s Hospital.
  22. Drop off a coffee and a treat to a busy mom.
  23. Bring a gift to Santa.
  24. ‘Ding dong ditch’ your neighbors with fresh-baked goods.
  25. Before paying at the grocery store, buy a gift card, and then turn around and hand it to the person behind you or to the cashier.
  26. Leave an extra big tip at a restaurant.
  27. Donate to the local animal shelter. Contact a local animal shelter to find out what they need. (food, blankets, towels, and food bowls, etc.)
  28. Put something you no longer need on Craigslist’s FREE section.
  29. Fill purses you no longer use with toiletries and fun items for men and donate to your local women’s shelter.
  30. Foster a dog for the local animal shelter.

Rack Tag printables…

RACK CardsDownload Medium RACK Cards HERE.

RACK Christmas TagDownload Small RACK Cards HERE.

Small RACK CircleDownload XSmall Circle TACK Tags HERE

 A RACK Advent calendar can be found here.

 More cards and tags can be found here.

It’s our responsibility to discuss gratefulness, generosity, unselfishness and service not just during the holidays but year-round. We are our children’s greatest role models — we should start early to mold our children’s perspectives on the holiday season. May we create such treasured memories of family time and togetherness, and the joy of giving, that our children will hold on to these memories for a lifetime and pass them on to their children.

We wish each of you a blessed Christmas Season full of RACK!

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Filed Under: Baton Rouge Resources, Causes, Community Outreach, Family Friendly Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Social Good Tagged With: Baton Rouge volunteer, Christmas, RACK, Random Acts of Kindness

Back to School Supply Drives, Events, & Programs

August 1, 2022 by Baton Rouge Family Fun

The first day of school is quickly approaching families in the Baton Rouge area. The start of the school year can be a stressful time for families. For one in five children living in poverty, parents often have to choose between buying school supplies or putting food on the table. Yet, whether they’re attending class online or in the classroom, school supplies remain critical to helping students feel prepared to succeed. Here’s a running list of back-to-school events to help parents prepare their children for the upcoming school year.

Back to School Baton Rouge Supply Drives, Events, & Programs

Back to School Bash and School Supply Giveaway

EBR Schools is hosting their annual city-wide Back to School Bash and School Supply Giveaway! Join EBR Schools at the Raising Cane’s River Center Saturday, August 6th, from 11 am – 2 pm for a fun-filled day. Get ready for school all in one place! Get information about all of the wonderful opportunities available for students and families in East Baton Rouge Parish, along with enjoying free fitness sessions, health screenings, haircuts, entertainment, and more!


WBRZ Stuff the Bus

WBRZ’s Stuff the Bus Campaign is a school supply drive that assists parents and teachers in East Baton Rouge Parish and West Baton Rouge Parish to receive the school supplies their children need in order to succeed.

Help them fill up East Baton Rouge Parish school buses and West Baton Rouge Parish school buses with school supplies for the children of our community! Drop off supplies on Wednesday, July 28th, at the Walmart on College Drive in East Baton Rouge and the Walmart in Port Allen in West Baton Rouge.


Annual Backpack Give-Away Back to School Community Fair

The Salvation Army is hosting its Annual Backpack Give-Away Back to School Community Fair on Saturday, 6th.

-Event is from 9 am to 12 pm.
-Child needs to be present in order to receive a backpack
-The adult accompanying the child must have a V A L I D I.D.
-School supplies and backpacks will only be handed out to children ages 5 yrs. – 12 yrs.

Baker Schools Back to School Giveaway


Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office


 

Filed Under: Community Outreach, Education, Family Friendly Baton Rouge Tagged With: Back to School, Baton Rouge Schols, Salvation Army, School Supply Drive, Stuff the Bus

Top Box Foods Louisiana – healthy, affordable, accessible food.

July 14, 2022 by Baton Rouge Family Fun

Top Box Foods Louisiana (TBFLA) is a nonprofit organization committed to making fresh, healthy food affordable and accessible for all. Every time you shop with Tob Box Foods, you directly contribute to building a more equitable and localized food system. TBFLA provides year-round access to fresh, affordable produce, frozen meats, seafood, and poultry.

Top Box Foods

About Top Box:

Top Box is a community-driven nonprofit that creates access to healthy and affordable food. We offer fresh produce and other healthy groceries, support community partners in hunger and nutrition initiatives, and promote the development of a more sustainable food system. Anyone in Baton Rouge can get Top Box grocery boxes delivered FREE right to their door!

How it works:

Placing an order is easy! Visit www.topboxfoods.com or call (504) 304 – 2319 to shop our fresh, affordable produce, frozen meats, seafood, poultry, and local items. Place your order by 11 PM Sunday to get your boxes Monday, and by 11 PM Wednesday to get your boxes Thursday. All items can be paid for with EBT or credit/debit, and we even have a 50% off discount every time you use an EBT card! Discounts will be applied when payment is taken at your door. On delivery day, we will text you with live updates and a tracking code, so you never miss a delivery.

Top Box history:

In 2012, Chris and Sheila Kennedy established Top Box Foods’ flagship location in Chicago.

Top Box Foods Louisiana (TBFLA) launched in New Orleans in 2013 with one mission: to make healthy food accessible and affordable for all. Since 2018, TBFLA has increased access to fresh and affordable foods in Baton Rouge in collaboration with the Geaux Get Healthy initiative, a project of Mayor Sharon Broome’s citywide health and wellness program, Healthy BR.

Ready to place an order? Visit our website to start shopping!

Filed Under: Causes, Community Outreach Tagged With: Baton Rouge Gives Back, Top Box Foods, Top Box Foods Baton Rouge

Capital Renaissance International School (CRIS)

June 21, 2022 by Baton Rouge Family Fun

There’s a new school in town – Capital Renaissance International School! You may remember that the Baton Rouge International School (BRIS) recently announced that it would permanently close at the end of this school year after operating as a private International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in Baton Rouge for more than 20 years.

Baton Rouge Parents to the rescue!

However, Baton Rouge parents have joined forces with a plan to continue the International School legacy, the only multi-lingual school in the region. The school will be relocating with a new name and new administration. The new Capital Renaissance International School (CRIS) located at 10420 Baringer Foreman Road in Baton Rouge is currently enrolling students (6 weeks – 5th grade) for the 2022-2023 school year.

Capital Renaissance International School

The inaugural Capital Renaissance International School (CRIS) Renaissance Family Night benefits the NEW language immersion education program in Baton Rouge.  This exciting event features live entertainment by living legend blues artist Kenny Neal and a variety of fun activities for the kids including miniature pony rides, face painting, and balloon art.

Capital Renaissance International School

CRIS Renaissance Family Night is part of an inspirational effort led by a group of passionate parents determined to preserve and continue Baton Rouge’s only multilingual immersion education program following the sudden and unexpected closure of Baton Rouge International School (BRIS) in May 2022. This group has dedicated the last few weeks to school relocation and renovation, recruitment of educators and administrators, student enrollment, and has spent many nights and weekends preparing classrooms and for the start of the 2022-2023 school year beginning this August. School administrators and educators will be on hand at the June 25th event to provide more information about enrollment and our unique curriculum.

What: Capital Renaissance International School (CRIS) Renaissance Family Night Fundraiser
When: Saturday, June 25th | 4-8pm
Where: Red Stick Social – 1503 Government Street, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802
Cost: Admission $10/Adults $5 kids (10 & under FREE)
Entertainment: Live music ft. legendary Louisiana blues artist KENNY NEAL, miniature pony rides, face painting, balloon art, jump house, food & drink, and MORE! 

CRIS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN: 88-2401255).  All proceeds from CRIS Renaissance Family Night will go towards school reopening efforts:

• Completing Purchase of School Property
• Paying for Operational Costs and Teacher Salaries
• Renovating Classrooms
• Purchasing School Supplies, Educational Materials, and Infant Cribs for Early Learning Program
• Jumpstarting CRIS Student Scholarship Fund

Follow Capital Renaissance International School (CRIS) online and learn more! 

Things to do in Baton Rouge

Filed Under: Baton Rouge Resources, Community Outreach, Education Tagged With: BASIS, Baton Rouge schools, Capital Renaissance International School, East Baton Rouge Schools

Free Swimming Lessons in Baton Rouge this Summer with BREC

May 31, 2022 by Baton Rouge Family Fun

The extremely popular Free Swimming Lessons in Baton Rouge are back this summer at BREC! Kids ages 5 to 12 have the opportunity to learn to swim like fish and take on a skill that will serve them for a lifetime!

BREC, SELA Aquatics, and the American Red Cross are pleased to offer FREE swimming lessons for the 2022 season as part of the Centennial Campaign. SELA Aquatics employees will teach free lessons using the Red Cross Learn-to-Swim Program.

Registration is being done on a first-come, first-served basis. All sessions will be capped to ensure the health and safety of program participants + proper instructor-to-student ratios.

Free Swim Lessons

Free Swimming Lessons in Baton Rouge

Session One (June 15-17 & June 22-24 @ City Brooks)

  • Registration opens online on or before June 6 at 5pm.
  • Ages 5-12
    • 5 to 8 Year Olds from 5:45pm – 6:15pm
    • 9 to 12 Year Olds from 6:30pm – 7:00pm
  • Note: All lessons will take place at CB Pool

Session Two (June 29-July 1 & July 6-8 TBA @ Anna T Jordan)

  • Registration opens online on or before June 20 at 5pm
  • Ages 5-12
    • 5 to 8 Year Olds from 5:45pm – 6:15pm
    • 9 to 12 Year Olds from 6:30pm – 7:00pm

Note: All lessons will take place at Anna T Jordan Pool


Session Three (July 13-15 & July 20 – 22 @ City Brooks Pool)

  • Registrations will only be collected in person at CB during regular hours starting June 29.
  • Ages 5-12
    • 5 to 8 Year Olds from 5:45pm – 6:15pm
    • 9 to 12 Year Olds from 6:30pm – 7:00pm
  • Note: All lessons will take place at CB Pool

Session Four (July 27-29 & Aug 3-5 @ Anna T Jordan Pool)

  • Registrations will only be collected in person at Brooks Pool during regular hours starting July 13
  • Ages 5-12
    • 5 to 8 Year Olds from 5:45pm – 6:15pm
    • 9 to 12 Year Olds from 6:30pm – 7:00pm
  • Note: All lessons will take place at ATJ Pool

To register and for more information on swim lesson sessions and dates visit brec.org/aquatics

Join in – learn to swim. It could save your life!

Here are some startling facts on drowning!

      • Child drowning is a silent death. There’s no splashing to alert anyone that the child is in trouble.
      • 58 percent of parents do not consider drowning a threat to their children. (Resource ISR)
      • Drowning is the leading cause of death for infants and young children between the ages of 1-4 (CDC)
      • Drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury deaths in children aged 1-14 years (CDC)
      • The majority of children who survive (92% percent) are discovered within two minutes following submersion. (Branche 1999)
      • Rates of fatal drowning for minorities are notably higher among these populations in certain age groups. The fatal drowning rate of African American children is 20% higher than that of Caucasian children in the same age range. (CDC)
      • 19 percent of drowning deaths involving children occur in public pools with certified lifeguards present.
      • Nearly 80% of people who die from drowning are males.
      • Drowning can happen quickly and quietly anywhere there is water and even in the presence of lifeguards.
      • Many adults and children report that they can’t swim. Research has shown that participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning among children aged 1 to 4 years.

Source: http://usapoolsla.com

Filed Under: Baton Rouge Resources, Community Outreach, Family Friendly Baton Rouge, Parks / Rec Tagged With: Baton Rouge Swim Lessons, BREC, Free Swim Lessons, Liberty Lagoon, Water park

Merry Market of Louisiana

April 10, 2022 by Baton Rouge Family Fun

There’s a NEW indoor Christmas shopping show launching this year – with the same shopping experience you have come to know and love! Owner and Founder Anne Ogea will host Merry Market this November at Lamar Dixon Expo Center!  With family-friendly shopping, a Kid’s Corner, and Mimosas in the Morning – a VIP shopping experience – Merry Market will surely prove to be a wonderful shopping experience for the whole family!

Merry Market

Merry Market

Support our community by committing to shopping local this holiday season!

Shoppers will have access to a multitude of local vendors from boutiques, to chefs, to hand-crafted work. Merry Market is ready and set to provide the best shopping experience by creating a child-friendly environment with wide aisles for ease of shopping (strollers welcome), along with a Kid’s Zone and cookies with Santa!

Mimosas in the Morning

Saturday, November 12th, 8 am – 11 am

Enjoy a red carpet experience with 20% off select VIP Vendors, private shopping from 8-9, complimentary mimosa, sweets, and treats, and FREE up-close parking – tickets on sale soon!   But until then… we have a Giveaway coming up for TWO Mimosas in the Morning tickets on our Facebook and Instagram pages – Monday, April 18th!

Kid’s Corner

Kids of all ages can visit and take photos with Santa in the Kids Corner. Baton Rouge Family Fun will host a craft table and also take part in Cookies with Santa – we lo0k forward to meeting you all in the kid’s corner.

Cookies with Santa

More details and Santa’s schedule coming soon!! Check back for updates!!

Merry Market

 

WHAT: Merry Market of Louisiana
WHERE: 
Lamar Dixon(9039 S. St. Landry Ave, Gonzales, La 70737)
WHEN: November 12th, 9 am – 6 pm and November 13th, 10 am to 5 pm

Join the Merry Market – New Vendors are still being accepted!

Stay connected with Merry Market on Facebook and Instagram for more details and ticket sales – starting May 1st!

 

Filed Under: Community Outreach, Family Friendly Baton Rouge, Holidays, Local Business Spotlight Tagged With: Baton rouge Christmas shopping, Baton Rouge Events, Baton Rouge Market, Merry Market, Mistletoe Market, Red Stick Christmas

225 GIVES – Giving Tuesday – CASA Toy Drive

November 30, 2021 by Tiany Davis

Today is Giving Tuesday #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving that brings people together around the values of service and giving back to others, the perfect time to bring back our Baton Rouge Gives Back series where we highlight local nonprofits. Our local Giving Tuesday effort, 225 Gives, highlights local nonprofit organizations that uplift and strengthen our community. We will highlight some of the organizations taking part in this year’s “225 Gives” on our social media platforms throughout the day. You can also go to 225gives.org to learn more about the participating organizations!

225 GIVES

This holiday season and throughout the year, we can make a difference right here at home by giving and volunteering our time.  There are over 100 nonprofit organizations to support in the Baton Rouge area. Make it a family effort, go through the list of organizations, and ask the kids who they would like to support and why. There is no better way to teach our children that we value our community and our neighbors than by giving back as a family.

225 GIVES

One organization in particular that we are supporting this year and every year is CASA with their annual CASA Toy Drive. Capital Area CASA accepts donations from the community so that volunteers can select gifts for their CASA children to open during the holidays.

What is CASA?

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocate. Capital Area CASA Association serves East Baton Rouge Parish and trains volunteers to advocate for these children. Children need to do more than survive;  they need to thrive in the safety and love of a family. CASA volunteers do not provide legal representation, nor do they replace social workers. A CASA volunteer is an independent voice speaking solely for the best interests of the child with the ultimate goal being a safe, permanent home.

CASA volunteers get to know the child and talk with everyone involved in the child’s life to gather facts about the child’s history and current situation. Using this information, the volunteer submits recommendations in a report to the juvenile court judge.

Since most CASA recommendations are accepted by the court, children with CASA volunteers are more likely to find permanent homes and spend less time in foster care. CASA volunteers also ensure that children’s needs are being met while in state custody.

Abused and neglected children will spend this holiday season living in foster care, rather than in a safe and permanent home with a family of their own. This holiday season, you can help bring a smile to a child served by Capital Area CASA Association by donating a new and unwrapped item. Please deliver to the CASA  office at 848 Louisiana Avenue by Friday, December 3, 2021. Contact Sarah Tranchina at (225) 379-8598 or email stranchina@casabr.org for more information.

Collectively, we can strive to make a difference in the lives of those in need; our efforts will, in turn, help create a stronger, healthier Baton Rouge for all! So join your neighbors today and become part of a growing tradition of helping and giving. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to learn more about this year’s 225 Gives Baton Rouge participants!

Filed Under: Community Outreach, Local Business Spotlight, Louisiana Tagged With: Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge Gives, Baton Rouge Gives Back, Christmas, GiveBR, Giving Tuesday

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