Help New Horizons win a free five minute video to tell about what we do for our kids!

New Horizons needs your help!

Right now, Abilene Gives (a website to showcase Abilene non-profits)
is running a contest for local non-profits on their website.

From their website:

Abilene Gives has partnered with IN-Focus Digital to give a
local nonprofit a fully produced, five minute video for free!
This prize (value: $2,500) includes all videography, editing
and producing of a new video to help local charities tell their
story more effectively. The contest runs from December 21,
2010 through January 20, 2011.

Why?

This is a chance for some publicity in Abilene and will allow us the
opportunity to let people know why we care so much about the kids
we help! It’s a chance to tell them why New Horizons’ kids are so important!

How do I vote?

You can vote each day by one of two ways (or both!). Just
add Abilene Gives as a friend on Facebook and post the name
“New Horizons” on their wall. You can also text “New Horizons” to
865-224-6747. Remember, you can do this every day! The more
votes we get, the closer we are to a free video!

With your help, we can make this happen! So come on and
get to posting! J

New Horizons' Executive Director interviews on Austin's Channel 8

Foster care panel finalizes system redesign

A year of meetings, discussions and disagreements came to a close Monday.Twenty-eight members of the Public Private Partnership, assembled to improve the state's foster care system, submitted their recommendations.All recommendations submitted were required to stay within the system's $107 million budget.

For the past 21 years, Michael Redden worked in the private sector running New Horizons in Abilene. Now, he co-chairs the partnership. "In this process, the providers came together, the stakeholders that have a vested interest and work together, and in the end, I feel like we have partners. When you have a partnership, focusing on the best interest of the children, [the] children have the best opportunity for success," Redden said.

If lawmakers approve the model, it could begin rolling out by January 2012.