About GIFT
Guardians Involved for Tomorrow
About Us
Guardians Involved for Tomorrow (GIFT) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization located and operating in Broward County Florida. Our mission is to empower the youth to become a constructive factor of positive societal change, becoming innovative and integrative leaders in the community and have a sustainable lasting social change globally.
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How We Started
Founded in 2016 the GIFT project was created by the School Resource Police Officer Yvonne Pubien; as a direct initiative to partner with local business, community leaders, and those who could provided needed resources specifically for Broward Estates Elementary school. Throughout the course of the 2016-2017 school year and with additional funding provided through new partnerships and the collection of donations/in-kind items several incentive programs were funded. Theses programs included the Youth Crime Prevention Council, enrichment activities, fun field trips, school supplies, one on one and group mentorship, incentive game room day, mural projects, gardening, educational/civic field trips, and volunteer activities. Needless to say several documented changes were made student positive participation increased, the school overall grade went up, less fights, and increased learning time. Due to the success of the GIFT project, GIFT was incorporated in 2018, and officially became a recognized non-profit 501(c)3 organization designated in March 2019.
GIFT is currently run by its three founding and working Board members, the Founder/Executive Director, Yvonne Pubien, and a host of volunteers.
Get To Know Our Founder
The Executive Director, Yvonne Pubien; is a retired Broward County Police Officer with decades of experience as a law enforcement officer, school resource officer, community liaison, and special event planner for the police department community events. Mrs. Pubien has been working in the City of Lauderhill community for more than twenty years professionally and personally and has developed repute with community leaders, school leaders, teachers, and administration over the past two decades.
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Programs and Services
Currently GIFT provides mentoring, educational/team building, volunteer activities, career exploration, lifeskill training, and civic engagement to youth from under-resourced communities. Our goal is to prevent/decrease the overall high school drop-out rate, teen pregnancy, teen incarceration, and criminal activities due to poverty, lack of resources and related disparities. The organization provides youth services through three programs; Leading Ladies, a girls mentoring program that empowers girls through career exploration, volunteer activities, and re-building community initiative starter projects. Divas in Defense, a basic self-defense and crime prevention program, and Creative You a kids arts program. The organization also hosts several community events such as back to school events, vision board workshops and participation in numerous community-oriented events and fundraisers.
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