By Christopher Manson
Embrace Florida Kids is an offshoot of Embrace Alabama Kids, a faith-based organization that has been helping children and families since 1890. Director of Development and Community Relations Ramsey Lawrence has been speaking to churches and civic organizations and spreading the word about the nonprofit’s Florida arm since 2020.
Embrace Florida Kids has four programs. “First, we teach people how to parent,” says Lawrence. “People who are dealing with addiction and communication problems. It’s one-on-one intense parenting intervention. We have a 96 percent success rate.”
The nonprofit also licenses adults that wish to become foster parents. They offer residential homes, including one located in Milton for girls ages 12 to 18 “who have been in the foster care program, but have had too much trauma in their lives,” says Lawrence. And there is a higher education program for any child that has been in foster care or alternative living situations (with grandparents or other relatives, for example) and wishes to attend college. “We’ll coach and tutor them and assist with tuition.”
Lawrence says these programs benefit local children throughout Bay, Okaloosa, Walton, Santa Rosa and Escambia counties.
On Monday, April 7, join Embrace Florida Kids for its Second Annual A Walk Down Magnolia Lane at the WaterColor Lakehouse in Santa Rosa Beach. The golf-themed soiree will feature a tournament-themed menu, signature cocktails, live music from local favorite Jacob Mohr and a live Calcutta, during which tournament participants are “auctioned off” and money is collected in a prize fund. Dress is golf attire and smart casual; attendees are encouraged to don golf’s royal colors of green and yellow. Purchase tickets at walkdownmagnolialane.org.
Doors open for cocktails at 5 p.m., followed by golf activities at 6 and the live Calcutta at 7:15. This year’s event sponsors include Good News Church, Shoreline Title, Peaceful Family Oklahoma, Hill Coleman LLC, Liufau McCall, Hancock Whitney and Review Harvest.
Sponsorship opportunities are still available, and participants will receive badges to attend the event, recognition on promotional materials, and a number of additional benefits. If interested, email Lawrence at ramsey.lawrence@embraceflkids.org or call 850.533.9968.
According to Vie Magazine, 2024’s inaugural event, held at Regatta Bay Golf & Yacht Club in Destin, raised over $78,000. Musician Mohr, who returns following a successful appearance at last year’s soiree, says, “I’m excited and proud to be a part of another Embrace Florida Kids event. This organization literally stands in the gap for children and families in crisis. It’s easy for us to go about our lives with relatively few problems and forget there are young people bravely dealing with all sorts of trauma. I love that they focus on keeping families together. More and more, we see the disintegration of a family unit being the harbinger for multitudes of trouble.”
He adds that last year’s A Walk Down Magnolia Lane was “a veritable Who’s Who of Destin and South Walton business people and philanthropists. The entertainment is decent, and the opportunity to help a great organization that does such important work will just make you feel good. I hope to see some old friends and make some new ones.”
Embrace Florida Kids’ Program Center is located at 5414 U.S. 90 in Pace, Florida. The nonprofit provides comfort and safety to abused, neglected and traumatized children, young mothers and struggling families through group homes, foster care programs and family preservation services throughout Northwest Florida and Alabama. Call 800.239.3575 or visit embracekids.org to learn more.
