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This is the season to spread joy, and 2024 was a very good year for toy donations and the underprivileged children that Friends of South Florida Music serves.
Dr. Joy Galliford, Founder and Executive Director of Friends of South Florida Music, says that the Christmas Spirit is alive and well making this 6th Annual Santa’s Workshop a record breaker, with over 850 children receiving gifts.
A history of giving
Friends of South Florida Music (FSFM) provides Dr. Joy’s researched based free, weekly 30 minute Music FUNdamentals classes for over 1,600 children enrolled at twelve schools throughout Miami-Dade County.
As part of serving the students and families in the program, Dr. Joy identified a need at seven schools: Arcola Lake Elementary, Future Leaders of Tomorrow Academy, Pine Villa Elementary, Promised Land Academy and Therapy, Kinderkids Learning Center and Preschool 2 in Naranja, Kinderkids Academy 3 in Florida City, and Kinderkids Daycare and Learning Center in West Flagler.
Many of the children at these schools come from homes where making sure everyone gets a Christmas present is difficult, and Dr. Joy is ensuring that the program has the sponsors to fill that gap.
Making Friends Ambassadors
Leading the organization of this year’s 6th Annual Santa’s Workshop is the FSFM Making Friends Co-Ambassadors, Adrianna Zubero and Mia Gonzalez. Making Friends’ purpose is to support the leaders of FSFM to achieve their goals. The group enlists student musicians to raise awareness and provide volunteer support throughout the year for various FSFM activities.
Adrianna and Mia, both high school students, have worked side by side with Dr. Joy to ensure that all children in these selected schools will receive a new toy from Santa, who is visiting each school to distribute the gifts personally.
This year Penelope and her 14 year old daughter, Victoria Pinochet, one of the Making Friends Ambassadors, organized the delivery for Pine Villa Elementary. Victoria and her mother increased their role by helping FSFM providing every Pine Villa Elementary enrolled student, kindergarten to Fifth grade, a present.
Key Biscayne resident Raine Calva and her daughter, Alessandra, and son, Guillermo, who are also Making Friends Ambassadors organized the toy delivery at Arcola Lake Elementary School.
Mary Turso and her daughter, Mackenna, another FSFM Making Friends Ambassador, served as the coordinators for the Promised Land Academy and Therapy School in Homestead.
In addition this year, donations have been provided to distribute over forty $50 Walmart gift cards given to parents of the enrolled children for extra assistance holiday season.
The Carrie Meek Foundation, the Kirk Foundation, and Seacoast Bank were key sponsors of the toy drive.
Many of the students on Friday expressed to Dr. Joy that they were not expecting to receive a Christmas present this year. One whispered to Santa, “you made a miracle happen.”
“Providing a new toy and seeing the smile and happiness is truly precious and a true blessing for all that deliver. We, at Friends of South Florida Music, see this every day as we teach the students at our school. Sharing this same joy with others this Christmas season is a special gift as together, we strengthen community and provide for our children who are building the future for each of us.” Dr. Joy
Friends of South Florida Music is a leading organization providing quality music education for children birth to 18 years of age in underserved communities of South Florida. We provide research based free, weekly music classes and the needed instruments fostering stimulation for children in all developmental domains to ensure all children have the opportunity to thrive while experience the joy of music.”
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