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Today, Voices for Children Foundation, Inc. and the Nomi Health Charitable Foundation hosted a back-to-school shopping event for 400 children in Miami-Dade County’s foster care system. The Old Navy at the Shoppes at Dadeland closed its doors for the special event, where children and their caregivers received $400 in school supplies, clothing, shoes and additional gift cards ahead of the 2023-2024 school year, with Nomi’s donation totaling $100,000.
The event helps ease the financial burdens many caregivers of children in foster care experience as children head back to the classroom. Back-to-school spending for K-12 students is expected to average nearly $600 per student this year. A new report found that 55 percent of parents find back-to-school shopping more stressful than holiday shopping.
Many of the approximately 1,600 children in foster care in Miami-Dade County are in need of school essentials like backpacks, lunch boxes, clothing and shoes.
“The back-to-school season is an exciting time for many children, but for children in foster care and their caregivers, the new school year often brings financial stress,” said Kadie Black, President and CEO of Voices for Children in Miami. “As children in foster care often move to new placements, many will also be starting a new school, which can bring heightened feelings of uncertainty. Children in foster care deserve the opportunity to have the supplies and clothing they need so they can focus on what matters: learning and being a kid.”
“Every child, no matter their background or situation at home, deserves to return to school with the essentials they need to be successful,” said Rebecca Armstrong Langle, Director of Social Impact at Nomi Health. “Nomi Health is proud to partner with Voices for Children as part of our commitment to support underserved communities because we know investing in education is one of the most important factors that influence a person’s long-term health and well-being.”
Nomi Health has partnered with Voices for Children for two consecutive years for the annual back-to-school event.
Nomi Health has been serving the community of Miami-Dade County by providing free COVID-19 testing and vaccination services at more than a dozen sites across the county. Earlier this year, Nomi partnered with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to create a communitywide vaccination campaign by launching mobile units to deliver vaccines by knocking on approximately 200,000 doors in under-vaccinated neighborhoods. These efforts contributed to Miami-Dade County vaccinating over 2 million residents, over 70 percent of the population.
The Nomi Health Charitable Foundation also has a partnership with Miami Dade College in Florida to support students and young professionals pursuing careers in healthcare.
About Voices for Children
Voices For Children Foundation is a nonprofit organization that raises funds to help ensure that abused, abandoned, and neglected children in Miami-Dade County each have a court-appointed Guardian ad Litem and that financial assistance and other resources are available for their health, educational, and social needs. Guardian ad Litem volunteers are trained, court-appointed adults who serve as a child’s representative voice in dependency court proceedings. Currently, 100% of Miami-Dade’s 1,600 children in foster care have representation through a Guardian ad Litem. For more information, please visit www.BeAVoice.org.
About Nomi Health
Nomi Health is a nationwide direct healthcare system making it easier than ever for any buyer of healthcare to access the highest quality affordable care for their communities. The company’s direct care ecosystem encompasses a real-time operating and payment platform — inclusive of analytics and payment infrastructure — as well as an integrated care delivery architecture featuring essential care services, pharmacy, and an open network. To date, Nomi Health has saved buyers of care an average of 30 percent compared to traditional healthcare costs, while enabling them to give their communities more access to lower-cost, high-quality care. Visit us on Twitter @NomiHealth and www.nomihealth.com.
