Phenomenal Woman is a celebration of womanhood.

It is all about encouragement, education, and empowerment of women to excel in life.

What a phenomenal turnout we had last Saturday evening! The house was packed and all the ladies were looking extraordinary! Everything was simply gorgeous and outstanding. From the décor, to the food, to the photo shoot and fashion show. The discussion on the topic of REST and the entire program was phenomenally phenomenal! If you weren’t there, you truly missed a wonderful and inspiring evening. It was truly a relaxing evening of REST – refreshing and renewal.

Let’s start with the atmosphere. The design team really outdid themselves this year. Pink and white flowers all over the stage. Butterflies cascading up walls. Billowing fabric overhead. Dim lighting for a soothing glow. Combine that with the deep blue on the tables, and you have what is reminiscent of a beautiful sunset over cool waters. What an image of relaxation! And that is just the beginning. As the ladies came in they were greeted with a warm welcome by the greeters and had a chance to browse some of the tables of our sponsors as well as have their photos taken at the photo booth. They were then escorted to a table by a handsome gentleman as they enjoyed inspirational music by Lori Jean Smith, the violinist. She played with such vigor and passion that you couldn’t help but to be drawn in and allow the music to envelope you. The food was delicious! Even though there were table after table of food, it didn’t take long before the delectable offerings began to disappear.

The discussion on REST was spot on for women today. Through the 2-part discussion, we learned the importance of rest as well as the consequences if you fail to do so. REST has to do with Refresh, Experience, Soar, and Transform. If we fail to do these then we end up with the opposite: Rot, Expire, Sink, and Terminate. The choice is yours! We then enjoyed 2 inspirational dances that encouraged and uplifted our spirits. Last but not least, we experienced a fierce fashion show. The models were definitely working the runway as they strutted in different looks for business, international, and formal wear.

This year’s Phenomenal Woman Award recipients were Mrs. Nora Quintana, Ms. Syble Courtney, and Captain Tara Woods. These women have been role models for what it looks like to be phenomenal! Not only excelling in their respective fields, but also giving back to their communities and the people around them. Congratulations ladies! You are truly phenomenal!

This was just a glimpse into the night that was truly an experience. If you missed it this year, make sure you don’t miss it next year! It only gets bigger and better from here, and we are already looking forward to what the future holds!

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The Silver Springs Shores Resource Center distribution of pajamas during the Christmas holiday season was a success. We thank all the contributors who made the pajamas drive possible.

The Silver Springs Shores Resource Center (SSSRC), with its mission to equip and empower families to live increasingly responsible and empowered lives, recently played a vital role in improving the life of one of our community’s residents.

Shantell Edwards, a single mother with a 7 year-old daughter moved to Silver Springs Shores within the past six months. Having once lived in a shelter for single mothers, Shantell was grateful for the food stamps and the subsidized apartment that kept her off the streets and out of the shelters. Nevertheless, she soon began to desire more than the sparse existence that government assistance had provided for her and her daughter. Shantell took a big step forward by coming to the Silver Springs Shores Resource Center to attend one of the Center’s regular workshops put on by the Workforce Connection. Workforce Connection comes to the Resource Center to provide job-seekers much needed assistance on the first Thursday of every month. It was at one of these workshops that Shantell learned the specifics of how to apply for a job at the new Wal-Mart store. Within a month of the workshop experience, Shantell was called for an interview, and subsequently landed a job. Because of the family atmosphere among Wal-Mart employees, Shantell has made many new friends, in addition to having taken a big step toward a better future for her family.

As you can see, the Silver Springs Shores Resource Center is a valuable part of our community. In addition to its partnership with the Workforce Connection, the SSSRC also networks with various professionals within the community who regularly host other workshops to increase the quality of life for residents in the Shores. Some of the regular workshops available include Financial Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, and Health.
The Resource Center, which is located on the Sun Tran bus line with its own bus-stop, also offers free use of computers with internet access, computer literacy classes, and dance, music, and self-defense classes

The Silver Springs Resource Center is an invaluable asset to our community and provides tours of its facility on a regular basis in order for residents to have a more complete understanding of just how much is available to them at this site. Stop by and see what the SSSRC can do for you!

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Summer vacation is rapidly coming to a close for school-children and their parents, but not without an opportunity for Silver Springs Shores residents to have one last chance to enjoy a little family fun at the first annual “Shores Summer Bash.”

The Saturday, August 3 event was, in large part, a back-to-school party with generous participation and support from over 30 different community organizations, sponsors, and vendors. The generous and freely donated support of the organizations made it possible for upwards of 400 children and their parents to receive much needed school supplies and to also take part in health screenings, dental exams, raffle give-aways, bounce-houses, water slides, face-painting, and of course – plenty of good food!

The Silver Springs Shores Resource Center (SSSRC) provided student give-aways, as well as information about its After-School program. The SSSRC After-School program offers children daily homework assistance, music, dance, karate classes, and a safe and positive environment to thrive in. A limited number of scholarships are still available for interested families who have limited financial means. If you would like more information about SSSRC’s After-School program, please call 352-687-0350. If you would like to contribute to the scholarship fund, log on to http://www.shoresresource.org and click on “About Us,” then click on the “Donate” button. Instructions will be provided on the web-page.

As we all gear up for another school year, a sincere note of thanks is extended to Keren Sewell and Mark Burleson for their hard work on this important event. Also appreciated are all who participated, donated, and otherwise helped to make the first annual Shores Summer Bash a real smash!

Please stay abreast of important events in your community by keeping up with the SSSRC Newsletter which is published bi-weekly. Best wishes to all for a prosperous and successful 2013-2014 school year!