Flawless Garden of Miracles.mov
The topic of kids in the home has been all about how we cherish, love and nourish children and finally, release our little ones to the world and let them spread their wings as a whole being, complete. This month I attempted to capture how we best value and empower our kids. I would like to introduce you to a program called the Flawless Foundation, which takes steps to assure this is happening for children in need....
please watch this
touching video about
the beauty of helping kids through gardening
My children's nursery school was special and I felt fortunate to provide them with a unique, safe school where they learned to play with clay and blocks, plant the flowers around the surrounding church, and enjoy a happy place to grow. The school is on the top of a church in an urban setting with beautiful art work strewn about, but you would think we were in a rural setting due to the focus of children learning through imaginative play and emphasis on family involvement. This is where I met Janine Francolini as she was my daughter's teacher. Later she was promoted to Director of Admissions, but while we had Janine as Gabby's teacher it was truly a gift. She and my four year old bonded, and specifically over the simple fact that they both have lots of energy and an infectuous love of life. Gabby nicknamed her Ms. "Tortellini" and they giggled over that often. Years later, it is not surprising for me to learn that Janine, a warm and dynamic professional who loves children, has taken her experiences on a path to help children in need. Janine is the founder of a non profit organization called Flawless Foundation. Flawless brings a sense of home and healing to children with serious behavioral challenges due to mental health and neurodevelopmental issues. She brings her expertise, light and joy and shines it in very dark places. At-risk youth, foster children, and teens in juvenile detention are difficult issues to handle, yet she brings a dynamic and generous energy to her work. What a force for good and beauty in the world - we need more dedicated and talented professionals like Janine to help these kids!
Her Flawless programs include healing through gardening and the arts, girls' empowerment groups, yoga, and a wonderful approach to working with children called Collaborative Problem Solving, a program that they support at Mass. General Hopsital/ Harvard Medical School. For more information please check their website - http://www.thinkkids.org/
An interesting part of Janine's work is her collaboration with the building that she lives in.
Dan Zanes, Janine Francolini and Jim Watkins
My children's nursery school was special and I felt fortunate to provide them with a unique, safe school where they learned to play with clay and blocks, plant the flowers around the surrounding church, and enjoy a happy place to grow. The school is on the top of a church in an urban setting with beautiful art work strewn about, but you would think we were in a rural setting due to the focus of children learning through imaginative play and emphasis on family involvement. This is where I met Janine Francolini as she was my daughter's teacher. Later she was promoted to Director of Admissions, but while we had Janine as Gabby's teacher it was truly a gift. She and my four year old bonded, and specifically over the simple fact that they both have lots of energy and an infectuous love of life. Gabby nicknamed her Ms. "Tortellini" and they giggled over that often. Years later, it is not surprising for me to learn that Janine, a warm and dynamic professional who loves children, has taken her experiences on a path to help children in need. Janine is the founder of a non profit organization called Flawless Foundation. Flawless brings a sense of home and healing to children with serious behavioral challenges due to mental health and neurodevelopmental issues. She brings her expertise, light and joy and shines it in very dark places. At-risk youth, foster children, and teens in juvenile detention are difficult issues to handle, yet she brings a dynamic and generous energy to her work. What a force for good and beauty in the world - we need more dedicated and talented professionals like Janine to help these kids!
Her Flawless programs include healing through gardening and the arts, girls' empowerment groups, yoga, and a wonderful approach to working with children called Collaborative Problem Solving, a program that they support at Mass. General Hopsital/ Harvard Medical School. For more information please check their website - http://www.thinkkids.org/
An interesting part of Janine's work is her collaboration with the building that she lives in.
“The building I live in has many
corporate apartments so when people move out
they donate their furniture and
household items to our programs where we help to
feng shui the environments
that are underfunded and very, very run down.
One librarian felt like it was
Christmas in September when we
delivered furniture to her library. She was
thankful for
the furniture donations and noted that furniture serves two
purposes – when
a child takes time to process something on a couch with a
therapist or
needs to de-escalate, it is so much more therapeutic to sit on a
nice,
intact piece of furniture over something that is broken and has foam
coming out
of it ”
corporate apartments so when people move out
they donate their furniture and
household items to our programs where we help to
feng shui the environments
that are underfunded and very, very run down.
One librarian felt like it was
Christmas in September when we
delivered furniture to her library. She was
thankful for
the furniture donations and noted that furniture serves two
purposes – when
a child takes time to process something on a couch with a
therapist or
needs to de-escalate, it is so much more therapeutic to sit on a
nice,
intact piece of furniture over something that is broken and has foam
coming out
of it ”
Janine Francolini
Dan Zanes, Janine Francolini and Jim Watkins at a Flawless Foundation Fundraiser
upcoming NYC Flawless eventsOctober 19/20 parent, educator and clinician workshop -The Churchill School and center
peacock drawing
I have always valued the home as a safe haven, and this is very much in line with the "Nest by Tamara'" philosophy, so bravo to Janine and people like her in the world who take on big challenges to help others. See below some Flawless upcoming events. What better gift to give a kid in need than the basic skills of creating a warm hearth and home and surroundings; valuing our Nest as a place we rejuvenate and nourish ourselves. So, for this special month of September, I would like to dedicate this topic to Janine, a shining star! xo Tamara
upcoming NYC Flawless events
April 9, 2011 -Annual Fundraiser - check the website for information
peacock drawing by John, age 10 (a Flawless Foundation artist)
For more information contact:
The Flawless Foundation
Janine Francolini
Founder/Board Chair
Flawless Foundation
www.flawlessfoundation.org
917 501 6078
Founder/Board Chair
Flawless Foundation
www.flawlessfoundation.org
917 501 6078
