On August 26th, the Family Care Network will host its 9th annual Taste of the Central Coast, a fine food and wine tasting event benefiting the foster and high-needs children, youth and families it serves. For more information on this very special event or to purchase tickets, please visit tasteofthecentralcoast.com. As 2012 marks FCNI’s 25th year of serving the Central Coast community, the agency will be celebrating this milestone occasion at this year’s Taste of the Central Coast event, taking the afternoon to acknowledge the invaluable role our generous community has made in helping us to achieve our mission: “To enhance the lives of children, youth and families...” We invite you to join us in this celebratory event, as FCNI could not have achieved our outstanding outcomes over the last 25 years without your ongoing support!
In addition to celebrating our anniversary, FCNI will also be presenting an esteemed San Luis Obispo county community member with our 2012 “Circle of Serving” award. This award is presented to individuals or organizations who have made a notable impact on the lives of local children and families. The 2012 “Circle of Serving” honorees for SLO County will be the Central Coast Funds for Children (CCFC), an outstanding community group dedicated to improving the lives of children by supporting local organizations with like-minded goals. Established in 1994, CCFC has awarded more than $1 million to over 85 local organizations, including Big Brothers, Big Sisters of SLO County; CASA; Food Bank Coalition; Sexual Assault Recovery & Prevention; the Special Olympics of SLO; and the Women’s Shelter Program of SLO. CCFC is comprised of a small group of volunteers who work over 3,400 hours per year on CCFC’s causes; including fundraising events like their Annual Soup Supper and Christmas in November. CCFC volunteers also give their time to several important community events, including the Morro Bay Kite Festival and Camp Reach for the Stars, a camp for children fighting cancer. For FCNI, CCFC has made a tremendous impact on children entering our foster care programs with the gifting of their "Sunshine Sacks"; handmade sacks filled with toiletry items as well as thoughtful toys or books. For many children entering out-of-home care for the first time, these Sunshine Sacks are gifts that brighten a very difficult time. We invite our community to stand with us on August 26th as we say thank you to CCFC for their tremendous hearts to serve!