Upcoming events.
YMCA Arcadia Community Day
We’re excited to invite you to the YMCA Arcadia Community Day at the Speer Center—a FREE event filled with fun for the whole family!
📅 Date: Saturday, April 12th
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Location: The Speer Center, 185 W. Winifred St.
Come enjoy a day of fun including face painting, obstacle courses, crafts, sports, prizes, delicious food, and so much more! Plus, over 30 organizations will be present to share valuable community resources.
This is a perfect opportunity to connect with neighbors, meet new friends, and experience the best of our local community. Don’t miss out—spread the word and bring everyone along!
See the attached flyer for more details.
Hope to see you there!
DeSoto Heritage Festival Party in the Park
One of the most adorable and heart-warming events you’ll ever see, this Parade puts the kids in charge. It’s pure and wholesome fun as floats engineered and built in schoolrooms and at home parade along the historic avenues of Palmetto, from the Manatee County Fairgrounds, south on 10th Avenue West and then along Fifth Street West to Lamb Park.
Food, fun and many activities for children, including games after the parade ends at the “Party in the Park” in Sutton and Lamb Parks. A day full of excitement and big smiles not to be missed!
Earth Day at the Bay
Engage your senses and curiosity at The Bay through hands-on, family-friendly FREE experiences that showcase the wonder of nature, art, and science. For kids of all ages.
First 1,000 Days activity will explore fruits and vegetables through fun and interactive tasks that develop kids’ motor skills and vocabulary!
ReMake Learning Days Plant, Grow, Bloom
Please join us for a FREE, fun filled family evening. We will be hosting an event at Bright Beginnings Academy in Palmetto. There will be hotdogs, chips, fruit, and drinks! We will have several different activities mainly for children 0-7 years old. You can expect to paint or paper mâché your own pot, receive seeds to plant, a playdough activity, free books, bubbles, and a scavenger hunt!
We know that providing a supportive and nurturing environment to a child has a significant effect on their resilience, growth, health, and ability to overcome adversities. Just like plants, babies respond to even the smallest amounts of attention, love, and care. Our goal is to spread awareness about how critical the first few years of a child’s life are and offer the necessary tools to ensure all children are capable of thriving.
By providing families with supplies and seeds such as herbs or flowers, we aim to increase knowledge on brain development through the activities of planting a seed, nurturing it to help it grow, and experiencing how it blooms and flourishes.
Unite Us Training Session (In-person)
Morning Session | 10-11:30am
Beginner/New User Training
Participate in this session if you are interested in joining Unite Us or recently joined. Learn
about the value of Unite Us for your organization, how to search your local network for
services, fill out client data, refer for services, and follow-up on outcomes.
Networking Lunch | 11:30-12:30pm
An opportunity for new/potential new users to connect and learn from current platform users.
Lunch will be provided by the Barancik Foundation.
Afternoon Session | 12:30 – 2:30pm
Current User Training
Join us at this session if you are a current user of Unite Us and want to learn its most recent
updates, tips and tricks to make your referral process more seamless, and/or discuss any
challenges or barriers you are finding in the community.
RSVP required by 3/19/25
First 1,000 Days Celebration
Our much anticipated celebration is just around the corner! If you have already registered for this event, THANK YOU and we encourage you to share an invite with a friend or colleague. If you have not registered yet, please do so below. Spots are limited!
Celebrate with us as we honor seven years of First 1,000 Days Suncoast on Tuesday, February 11th, 2025, from
8:30 to 11:30 am in the Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) Auditorium.
Schedule of Events:
8:30 - 9:00 am - Breakfast
9:00 - 10:30 am - Celebration
THE JOURNEY OF FIRST 1,000 DAYS SUNCOAST: Kelly Romanoff, VP of Evaluation and Strategy at the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, reflects on the initiative's history and impact.
INSPIRING KEYNOTE: Lauren Nunally, discusses the state of maternal health nationwide, highlights best practices for addressing inequities, and shares actionable steps for our community.
STORIES THAT MATTER: Hear mothers share how the First 1,000 Days partner network has supported and empowered them.
VISION FORWARD: Dr. Chelsea Arnold, Initiative Manager, provides strategic plan highlights and First 1,000 Days' roadmap for the future.
10:30 - 11:30am - Networking & Collaborative Learning Session
We want to take this opportunity to thank YOU, our partners, for your continued commitment to First 1,000 Days. We also welcome the opportunity for any newcomers who want to learn ways they can help families and babies in our community.
Soar in 4
Soar in 4 is a free event open to Manatee County students and their families held at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature. Each month a new ‘spotlight book’ will be featured, which each family will receive to take home. Families participate in activities facilitated by Manatee County teachers, non-profit organizations, and volunteers to learn how to use various materials to support the ‘spotlight book,’ as well as incorporate take-home items to continue to play, create, learn, and explore at home together. These monthly events provide families with the resources and information to become their child’s best ‘first teacher’ at home. All activities are aligned to classroom learning.
Annual MLK Jr. Day Community Health Fair
Hello Community Partners!
We hope everyone is safe from the recent hurricanes- our thoughts are with all our community partners and the people you serve. We understand there is a lot of work to be done, but want to ensure we continue forward with important health and wellness planning. We are nearing the time for our annual MLK Jr. Day Community Health Fair.
The event will again take place on MLK Day, January 20, 2025, from 11-3 at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park, in conjunction with the post-unity walk celebration.
Space is limited, so please fill out the interest form at: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/eb47192386a24ee59fb62048a5c835d0
The deadline to register is December 1. We will send out logistics information and confirmations at that time. If you have any questions in the meantime, please reach out to Dr. Hill, Mackenzie Jones, or another Health Fair planning committee member.
We will be asking you to bring your own tent and table if you have one. Also, please bring a prize worth $25 or more for the attendee raffle. This is to encourage the attendees to visit each vendor table.
Soar in 4
Soar in 4 is a free event open to Manatee County students and their families held at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature. Each month a new ‘spotlight book’ will be featured, which each family will receive to take home. Families participate in activities facilitated by Manatee County teachers, non-profit organizations, and volunteers to learn how to use various materials to support the ‘spotlight book,’ as well as incorporate take-home items to continue to play, create, learn, and explore at home together. These monthly events provide families with the resources and information to become their child’s best ‘first teacher’ at home. All activities are aligned to classroom learning.
Venice YMCA Early Learning Academy's Community Resource Fair
Geared for families with children under the age of 5 years.
Sarasota Children’s Museum’s “First Rotation Celebration”
Please RSVP with the number of people that plan on attending. Come play, explore and celebrate with us. There will be interactive play opportunities, food trucks and an opportunity to learn more about our mission. Note: Food trucks will be self-pay.
Healthy Families Day Manatee
Please join the Florida Department of Health in Manatee County in celebrating Healthy Families Day on Saturday, October 5, 2024 from 10am-2pm! The WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) lobby and parking lot area will be open to all families in the community for a day filled with fun activities, valuable resources, and community connections. We will be offering free breastfeeding resource kits to all attendees in honor of Breastfeeding Awareness Month, the Early Learning Coalition will be offering free children’s books, and more!
Stop by to connect with other families, access helpful resources, and enjoy a day dedicated to health and wellness. Whether you're a new parent, a seasoned caregiver, or simply interested in learning more, there's something for everyone. Mark your calendar, spread the word within your network, share on social media, and bring your friends and family. We can't wait to see you there!
Centerstone Life;Story Run/Walk for Suicide Prevention
There is more to your Life; there is more to your Story.
Help spread the message that every life is valued and suicide is preventable by joining us for Centerstone’s 22nd Annual Life;Story 5K/10K Run/Walk for Suicide Prevention at beautiful Nathan Benderson Park!
Your participation in this family friendly event will help provide critical care services at Centerstone for people with little or no resources.
Soar in 4
FREE Family Night! In addition to touring the museum and learning new vocabulary, early learners will receive many literacy materials and books that support classroom learning. Prevent summer slide with the help of Soar in 4 activities you can recreate at home. Play while you learn together!
Healthy Families Day
Join us to receive giveaways and resources from community organizations and celebrate breastfeeding awareness month! Free breastfeeding resource kits provided. All families welcome!
MCR Health Back to School Bash at The Ringling Museum
FREE backpacks with supplies*
FREE Healthy Snacks* (provided by MCR Health)
FREE Juice provided by Tropicana*
FREE Face Painting & Fun Activities
FREE Literacy Materials & FREE Books* (provided by Soar in 4)
FREE COVID-19 Test Kits*
*While supplies last
CenterPlace Sarasota Back to School Bash
Raffle prizes that will aid a child in helping he/she get ready for the school year and fun table activities!
Medical & Dental Health Education
Food Distribution
FREE Backpacks
School Supplies
DJ and Kona Ice
Soar in 4
FREE Family Night! In addition to touring the museum and learning new vocabulary, early learners will receive many literacy materials and books that support classroom learning. Prevent summer slide with the help of Soar in 4 activities you can recreate at home. Play while you learn together!
Landscape and Impact Assessment Webinar
Please join First 1,000 Days Suncoast on Monday, May 20th from 12pm-2pm online, as we work together to build a path for our future. ✨
Registration is open to all professionals, parents, and stakeholders who have a vested interest in supporting families and children.