S.T.A.R.S. Moves into Year-Round Location!!! 

After six years of schlepping things from place to place, S.T.A.R.S. of West Orange, Inc. finally has a home!

We have been cleaning and painting and organizing to prepare for city and county inspections. We passed the inspections, and...on Thursday, April 30, we held our official Grand Opening at The West Oaks Mall in space 106!!!

You may know "space 106" better as the dollar store (which closed the first of the year). Now S.T.A.R.S. has a place for meetings, accepting donations, sorting donated supplies, packing supplies and backpacks and much more!  We'll even be working on our nap-time blankets for Pre-K children in our new space!

So, please stop by and see what's new for S.T.A.R.S. at our new Volunteer Center. We are not open the same hours as the Mall, so please call for times and dates. Generally, we are open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am till 4pm.

S.T.A.R.S. is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization whose mission is to serve as a clearinghouse to initiate and coordinate community efforts to provide backpacks and basic school supplies to economically challenged students attending public schools in Orange County.   In 2003 we started with 2037 students in 7 schools, ...in 2008 we offered supplies to 13,515 students in 46 schools. Our goal for August, 2009 was around 14,000 students attending 50 local public schools. Our final tally was 52 schools and 14,152 sets of supplies and backpacks!!!

We hope you can stop by for a few minutes to see what our community has been able to accomplish for our local children.

....OUR 2009 DONORS... (to date)
Platinum Sponsors
St. Pauls Presbyterian Church in Ocoee
Walt Disney World Cast Members and VoluntEARS

Gold Sponsors
The Bond Foundation
Darden Restaurants Employees Club
Johnny Damon Annual Charity Golf Tournament at Keene's Pointe
West Orange Chamber of Commerce Leadership Alumni
West Orange Junior Service League

Silver Sponsors
Avalon Presbyterian Church
City of Ocoee Community Merit Awards
The Crossings Community Church
Darden Employees Club
Gotha Middle School PTSA
Hal & Lin McIntyre Family
In Memory of Robert Moody
Pinnacle|American Management Services Company Employees
Universal Studios Orlando

Bronze Sponsors
Amy's Magic Keepers at Amy's Hallmark-West Oaks Mall
Arden Czyzewski (Puma)
CFE Federal Credit Union
Chick-fil-A at West Oaks Mall
Church of the Messiah
Citrus Elementary School PTA
City of Ocoee Employees
City of Winter Garden Employees
Clarcona Elementary School PTA
CNA Commercial Insurance
David Wheeler Family
Gotha Middle School
GRAPHICarts Printing
Health Central Employees
James A. Cummings, Inc.
Jeffrey Greist Family
Kiwanis Club of West Orange
Landry Restaurants
Manheim Orlando
Northland--West Oaks Campus
Oakland Presbyterian Church
Ocoee Elementary School PTA
Ocoee Lions Club, Inc.
Olive Garden Marekting Services
Progress Energy
Publix Super Markets Charities, Inc.
Ridgewood Park Elmeentary School PTA
Ryan McIntyre Family
St. Luke's United Moethdist Church of Windermere
St. Luke's United Methodist Women
Sun State Ford
UPS Foundation, Inc.
Waste Management Inc.
Whispering Oak Elementary School PTA
Windermere Community Church
Windy Ridge School PTA .

...Special Thanks to...
General Growth Properties/West Oaks Mall
Kay Behrens, West Oaks Mall General Manager
Alarie Deisgn Associates, Inc.
Derek Blakeslee
Randy June
Stoneybrook West Self-Storage
Blair Johnson, Esq.
Aggressive Applicances, Inc.
Chick-fil-A at West Oaks Mall, Ocoee and Winter Garden
Four Corners Wal-Mart
International Minute Press of Orlando
Fairwinds Credit Union
Mark Anthony, Bread of Life Fellowship, Inc.
Walt Disney World Community Relations Staff
Walt Disney World VoluntEARS
Wald Disney World Cast Members
Red Sky Media
Orange County Public Schools
West Orange Chamber of Commerce Staff
Stina D'Uva, President, West Orange Chamber of Commerce
Bernie Durgin
Reda Lacy
Kathy McCoy
Heather Paschall
OCPS School Board Member Jim Martin
Phylis Robinson
Stephanie Robinson
Linda Kearns
Beth Otts
St. Pauls Tuesday Morning Women's Bible Study Class
HopeSpring Youth
Hope Spring Young Adults
S.T.A.R.S. Board of Directors
S.T.A.R.S. Volunteers

Our 2009 Donation Stations....
S.T.A.R.S. Volunteer Center @ West Oaks Mall
Arbors at Lee Vista
Ashton at Waterford Lakes
Chick-fil-A Restaurants at West Oaks Mall, West Colonial Drive & Daniels Road
Great American Cookies at West Oaks Mall
Lunar Golf
The Offices of Dr. William K. Fravel
Winter Garden Heritage Foundation Train Museum
St. Pauls Presbyterian Church in Ocoee
West Orange Chamber of Commerce

S.T.A.R.S. Named Recipient of GOBEA
S.T.A.R.S. was presented with the Greater Orlando Business Ethics Award by Tilden Sowdon, President-Elect of the Central Florida Society of Financial Service Professionals. There were 33 nominees for the 2007 awards, in four categories--small, mid-size, large and nonprofit companies. Only two organizations were honored--A Gift For Teaching and S.T.A.R.S.--both in the nonprofit category.

The Central Florida Society of Financial Service Professionals, in cooperation with the Greater Orlando Chamber of Commerce, sponsors the Business Ethics Award program to honor companies that demonstrate a firm commitment to ethical practices in their everyday operations, philosophies and in response to crises and challenges.

OCPS P.I.E. Awards at SeaWorld...
Orange County Publlic Schools held "Our Priceless Treasures," their annual Recognition Event for Partenrs In Education (PIE), at SeaWorld on May 4, 2007. S.T.A.R.S. was nominated for an Outstanding Partner in Education Award by Orlo Vista Elementary School. They wrote: "S.T.A.R.S. of West Orange believes that 'everyone needs the right tools at work--especially our students.' Since 2002, the organization has organized community support for donations of school supplies for more than 30 schools. At the beginning of the school year, the S.T.A.R.S.' volunteers stuff backpacks with paper, pencils and pens. They then deliver enough of these vital tools to supply every student who enters Orlo Vista."

S.T.A.R.S. is able to provide for every student at Orlo Vista as a result of a partnership with St. Pauls Presbyterian Church in Ocoee. The congregation donates money to purchase the supplies, plans a packing day to put everything together and assists on the first day of school with distribution.

S.T.A.R.S. received a letter from Orange County Public Schools Community Resources stating, "Orange County Public Schools is proud to recognize your organization as an example of a partnership that is making a positive difference for education in Central Florida." The letter invited them to the awards ceremony at SeaWorld Adventure Park, Orlando on Friday, May 4, 2007. S.T.A.R.S. was nominated by Orlo Vista Elementary School for the 2006-2007 School Year.

S.T.A.R.S. is Recognized by Orange County Public Schools
In June, 2005, Orange County Public Schools presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Joe & Chesta Hembrooke and S.T.A.R.S. "...in recognition of your outstanding support of schools by supplying students with backpacks and school supplies." The photo to the right shows Lori Hager (Tildenville Elementary School), Dr. Jennifer Reeves (West Learning Community Superintendent), Chesta Hembrooke, Jim Martin (OCPS School Board Member), Dr. Patricia Ramsey-Baney (Principal, Whispering Oak Elementary School), Barbara Robertson (S.T.A.R.S. Secretary, Tildenville ES), Ronald Blocker (OCPS Superintendent of Schools) and Joe Hembrooke. Dr. Ramsey-Baney introduced the Hembrookes and the S.T.A.R.S. program. The certificate was presented by Mr. Martin.

S.T.A.R.S. featured on "Today's Family" TV Show
Chesta Hembrooke (center) is photographed on the set of the TV show  "Today's Family" with hosts Rita Christie and Ken Mikesell. The  show, which airs on TV52 and TV45 in Central Florida,, is about the challenges that  face our families today--our home families, our church families and  our community as a whole. "Today's Family" seeks to inform its  viewers on how to have better health and home life, better churches  and spiritual lives and better communities through increased social  awareness and involvement. The tie-in with the S.T.A.R.S. program  is a natural. S.T.A.R.S. provides backpacks and basic school  supplies so students are prepared to learn on the first day of  school and that creates better communities.

S.T.A.R.S. Partners with YTB Travel
Turn your Vacations into Donations!!! If you already use the internet to book your travel, hotels, arilines, etc.,
try SupportSTARStravel and S.T.A.R.S. will receive a portion of the commission earned on your vacation!
...Your travel matters! You can also order flowers, set up a honeymoon registry, arrange tee times or golf vacations and more!!!

For information on S.T.A.R.S. of West Orange, Inc.
contact Chesta Hembrooke at 407-292-3559.

In the Press:

http://www.wotimes.com/articles/2004/06/29/community/ocoee/scissors.txt http://www.wotimes.com/articles/2004/06/29/news/business/business01.txt
http://www.southwestorlandobulletin.com/directorytext.asp?id=497 http://www.wotimes.com/articles/2004/05/05/news/business/business01.txt
http://www.wochamber.com/ematters_april04.pdf