Latest news with #Valdes
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local students help pass more legislation in Tallahassee
The Brief Students from Hillsborough County are helping pass more legislation in Tallahassee. The "Ought to be a Law" program is sponsored by Hillsborough County Public Schools and the Florida legislature. The students say the program gives them a voice and an opportunity to advocate for their own educational experiences. TALLAHASSEE - Students from Hillsborough County are helping pass more legislation in Tallahassee. The "Ought to be a Law" program has been in Hillsborough County Schools since 2004. On Monday, Rep. Susan Valdes announced the passage of two Florida House bills that were crafted with the help of students from Hillsborough County high schools. What they're saying "You can simulate civics all day, but putting kids in a position where they can live civics, they can learn how to address their local representatives, they can find out that these representatives are people who are interested in the things that they see as important and are willing to listen," Tony Pirotta, the project coordinator of Ought to be a Law and a teacher at Sumner High School said. Valdes says HB 1105 and HB 1255 were signed into law last week. She says HB 1255 includes proposed legislation from other bills. "Students from Jefferson High School created the language in House Bill 1261, which requires the mandatory financial literacy course to cover post-secondary expenses, like how to apply for the FAFSA," Valdes said. The students said they shared input about issues they noticed with their peers firsthand. "There are so many kids that we know that don't even know what a tax is," Genesis Salcedo Lima, a student at Jefferson High School said. "They don't even know what a tariff is. They don't know these simple economic things." PREVIOUS: Hillsborough students help propose legislation to help kids abused in foster care Big picture view The students say the program gives them a voice and an opportunity to advocate for their own educational experiences. "We think it's very important for these students to gain this education before they graduate high school, because it's the only way we can ensure that they will make it and be successful and are able to sit in these important seats as they grow older," Laraina Fernandez, a student at Jefferson High School said. Valdes says the new law addresses a plethora of education matters, including opportunities for children of military members. "We said, 'What issues in our community are we facing? How are these military students struggling?' And as we hear stories from kids who don't share the same backgrounds as us, I'm not a military student, none of our team members are military students, but we see that these children have these problems," Kaitlyn Chin, a student at Sumner High School said. The students said this program opened their eyes to different issues happening within their communities. "It inspires me to continue doing that and helping my peers know that they're not going unheard and that their worries and concerns are actually being listened to," Yeny Espino Vasquez, a student at Sumner High School, said. Valdes says the high school students were heavily involved in coming up with the legislation and moving it forward. "Students from Sumner High School created language for Senate Bill 1528 and their amended language saves the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children from repeal," Valdes said. The students visited Tallahassee with lawmakers to gain hands-on experience and learn how the legislative process works. "It's different than just filling out a worksheet on how a bill gets turned into a law," Grace Siderio, a student at Sumner High School said. "I actually sat there, and we watched the press conferences, and we watched the meetings, and we got to go up there and testify on the floor." Valdes says HB 1105 also addresses a number of matters, including requiring the Department of Education to implement a workforce credential for students with autism or on a modified curriculum. She says it also removes the certificate of completion that is given to students in place of a diploma. She says the certificate is a "phony diploma" that acknowledges a student's completion of school in the public school district, but it's not equivalent to a diploma. "This particular certificate does not allow the students to even go to the military, go to trade school, go into college, even apply for the FAFSA," Valdes said. Valdes says the encompassing pieces of legislation steer away from a one-size-fits-all education model. "We're learning how to be able to cater to children," Valdes said. "How to be able to educate children and meet them where they are." The "Ought to be a Law" program is sponsored by Hillsborough County Public Schools and the Florida legislature. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kylie Jones. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
True North's Valdes and Divine Savior's Kettlewell are Dade Tennis Players of the Year
Both Gabriel Valdes and Lauren Kettlewell have become excellent tennis players individually around the world. Both, however, were reminded this year how much fun and fulfilling it was to play in a team setting as each finished their seasons as state champions. Valdes, a junior at Miami True North Classical Academy, and Kettlewell, a senior at Divine Savior Academy in Doral, are the Miami Herald's Miami-Dade County Tennis Players of the Year. Valdes, who went unbeaten during the regular season, winning district and regional titles, was part of school history as he anchored True North's boys' squad to its first ever team state championship. Valdes defeated several of the county's top players, not losing a match until the Class 1A team final against overall state champion Ricardo Espaillat from Boca Raton St. Andrews. But Valdes, who also made the finals with doubles partner Caleb Chow, had the last laugh as they secured the team title following a 4-2 victory. 'It's been a tough past couple of years, but we finally pulled it off,' Valdes said. 'Our team energy was great and we were able to split the doubles point. Our singles were in a grind for hours. It's great when you hear your teammates scream and then you see them shake hands because they won and it's a great feeling. 'I feel like school tennis is always good for tennis players' improvement. It teaches you to care about your teammates and want them to do well.' Valdes grew up admiring Roger Federer, who he said always played 'beautiful tennis,' and has since tried to emulate pros such as Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. He also once got the chance to drill with women's pro Danielle Collins. 'Their competitiveness is unbelievable. They're all there for one thing,' Valdes said. 'They make it clear they're there to win and I found that really interesting.' Kettlewell had that same drive this season while making school history for Divine Savior. Kettlewell completed an impressive run through Class 1A, culminating with her first overall singles state championship. She also reached the overall doubles final with her partner, Anabella Parente. Beyond just tennis, Kettlewell is the first athlete in the history of the school, which opened in 2004 to win a state championship. 'The season was super fun. As a whole team, we put all of our energy into it. Winning state and getting to the finals with my doubles partner was great,' Kettlewell said. Kettlewell, who has signed with Boston University, had been away from team competition for a couple of years, but was happy to return to it this season. Her success on the court made it all the more worthwhile. 'It prepared me because I was away from the team environment for a while,' said Kettlewell, who plans to study data science at Boston University. 'The team itself taught me a lot about how to support each other.'
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
East Houston: Person of interest sought for questioning in deadly shooting
The Brief Investigators are looking to speak with Frank Alberto Suarez Valdes. The shooting happened Wednesday evening on Autumnwood Drive, killing a 29-year-old man. Anyone with information can call HPD (713-308-3600) or Crime Stoppers (713-222-8477). HOUSTON - Houston police are looking to question a person of interest in connection to a deadly shooting that happened on Wednesday. What we know Investigators are looking to question 39-year-old Frank Alberto Suarez Valdes. Valdes has been identified as a person of interest in a deadly Houston shooting. Police say Valdes may be driving a black Jeep Grand Cherokee with the Texas license plate VJY6439. The shooting itself was reported at about 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday on Autumnwood Drive, near the East Freeway and Federal Road. When police arrived at the scene, they say they found an unresponsive man with a gunshot wound. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. What we don't know The victim has not been named at this time. Police say he was 29 years old, and his identity will be confirmed by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. There is no information on Valdes' alleged connection to the shooting. What you can do Anyone with information on Valdes' location or the shooting can call HPD's Homicide Division at 713-308-3600. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 713-222-TIPS (8477). The Source Houston Police Department
Chicago Tribune
22-04-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Most US adults give to charity. Here's where they donated.
Fears of a 'generosity crisis' have dogged nonprofit fundraisers for much of this century as they experienced precipitous drops in U.S. household donations. The results of a new poll suggest most Americans gave at least a little to some charities in the past year but offer mixed signals for those hoping to improve giving trends. The survey, released Tuesday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found that about three-quarters of U.S. adults say their household contributed money to a charitable organization. But about one-quarter of respondents said their household had donated $0 to charitable organizations. Most Americans who donated said they gave $500 or less, far below 'major gift' territory for even the smallest nonprofits. The suggestion that many Americans gave anything, even if the totals were low, could be considered a promising sign looking ahead for a sector whipsawed by federal aid cuts and major funders' relatively muted response. After all, the past year saw pocketbooks squeezed by the rising cost of living and everyday donor attention split by the persistent small-dollar fundraising appeals of a high-stakes presidential election. But adults under age 45 were also more likely to say they donated no money in the last year — regardless of their level of income — raising the possibility that some younger generations may be less inclined to give to charity generally. Americans were likeliest to donate to religious organizations U.S. adults were likeliest to say they donated to religious organizations or groups that help with bare necessities in the past year. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults say they've donated to an organization that helps people in the U.S. who need food, shelter or other basic needs. A similar share say they've donated to a religious institution such as a church, mosque or synagogue. Some people say they trust their church best to use their money as intended. Florida resident Daniel Valdes said he donates whenever he has enough funds because 'it's just goodwill to help the disadvantaged.' He reported giving between $101 and $500 over the past year — including tithes while attending services at a local Catholic church. 'So, I feel I know where my contributions go,' said Valdes, 50. 'They don't go to a big corporation. I know they're held locally and within the community.' About 3 in 10 say they have donated to disaster relief organizations, and about one-quarter donated to animal care groups. Bethany Berry, 37, said donating became more important to her after she lost pets in the 2018 Camp Fire, which destroyed most of the homes in Paradise, California. Berry reported donating between $51 and $100 over the past year. Some goes to pet rescue organizations. The rest goes to small-dollar requests in a mutual aid group on Facebook where she said members can ask for 'anything, wants or needs.' People like her who have experienced disasters understand how easy it is to 'be in that position,' she said, and don't want to watch others suffer. 'I'm not sure you can ever put enough back into the universe to compensate,' Berry said. 'So, all you can do is try.' Younger Americans were less likely to give — even those with higher incomes Generational differences also emerged throughout the poll. Younger adults were more likely than older adults to say they didn't donate any money. About 3 in 10 adults under age 45 said they donated $0 over the past year, compared with about 2 in 10 adults age 45 or older. That gap extended to other charitable behavior. About 8 in 10 adults age 60 or older said they donated food, clothing or household items in the past year, compared with about 6 in 10 adults under age 30. The persistence of those differences as younger adults come into more money — either by making the difficult climb up the income ladder or through wealth transfers from Baby Boomers to their heirs — would spell trouble for nonprofits hoping to tap into the next generations' bank accounts. Household finances were likely playing at least a partial role. Low-income adults were more likely than higher-income adults to say they didn't donate, and older adults are more likely to have the highest household incomes overall. But there were hints that younger generations think differently about their personal obligation to give. Adults under age 45 were more likely than older adults to say that 'people like them' have only a little responsibility or no responsibility at all to help people in the U.S. who are in need. And even in higher-income brackets, younger adults were more likely to report donating no money, compared with older adults. That suggests younger adults may be less likely to make charitable gifts, regardless of their financial situation. Georgia retiree Regina Evans, 68, said she's just 'an old lady that's lived life' and learned that 'what you give comes back to you.' She falls in the roughly 1 in 10 U.S. adults who reported donating more than $5,000. Still, she said, she couldn't give as much as she wanted because Hurricane Helene knocked two pine trees onto the house where she and her husband have lived for more than a decade. Evans gives to her faith community — Augusta's Tabernacle Baptist Church — and a local homeless shelter, like many respondents. Her household stepped up its contributions to Golden Harvest Food Bank when she said inflation left the pantry low on funds. Outside of monetary donations, she's part of a network that provides secondhand professional attire and winter coats for young women and children. Donations of food and clothing are also common, according to the poll, although volunteering is less widespread. The survey found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults said they donated food, clothing or household items in the past year, while about 3 in 10 volunteered their time to a religious or secular charitable organization. Evans said she keeps giving even when it 'hurts' because she has relied on others for food and shelter during hardships, such as last fall's storm, which still has her living in an apartment. Such charitable behavior is 'normal' to Evans — and she believes there are more likeminded people who are 'generous of spirit.' 'It's like a requirement for me. If you live in this place, you live in this world, you should give if you expect to receive,' Evans said. 'It never comes back in the way that you expect, and it doesn't come back dollar for dollar. But I can say with complete surety that every dollar that I've ever donated came back to me in a way that I could not count.' ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,229 adults was conducted March 20-24, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Most US adults give to charity. Here's where they donated
NEW YORK (AP) — Fears of a 'generosity crisis' have dogged nonprofit fundraisers for much of this century as they experienced precipitous drops in U.S. household donations. The results of a new poll suggest most Americans gave at least a little to some charities in the past year but offer mixed signals for those hoping to improve giving trends. The survey, released Tuesday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found that about three-quarters of U.S. adults say their household contributed money to a charitable organization. But about one-quarter of respondents said their household had donated $0 to charitable organizations. Most Americans who donated said they gave $500 or less, far below 'major gift" territory for even the smallest nonprofits. The suggestion that many Americans gave anything, even if the totals were low, could be considered a promising sign looking ahead for a sector whipsawed by federal aid cuts and major funders' relatively muted response. After all, the past year saw pocketbooks squeezed by the rising cost of living and everyday donor attention split by the persistent small-dollar fundraising appeals of a high-stakes presidential election. But adults under age 45 were also more likely to say they donated no money in the last year — regardless of their level of income — raising the possibility that some younger generations may be less inclined to give to charity generally. Americans were likeliest to donate to religious organizations U.S. adults were likeliest to say they donated to religious organizations or groups that help with bare necessities in the past year. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults say they've donated to an organization that helps people in the U.S. who need food, shelter or other basic needs. A similar share say they've donated to a religious institution such as a church, mosque or synagogue. Some people say they trust their church best to use their money as intended. Florida resident Daniel Valdes said he donates whenever he has enough funds because 'it's just goodwill to help the disadvantaged.' He reported giving between $101 and $500 over the past year — including tithes while attending services at a local Catholic church. 'So, I feel I know where my contributions go," said Valdes, 50. "They don't go to a big corporation. I know they're held locally and within the community.' About 3 in 10 say they have donated to disaster relief organizations, and about one-quarter donated to animal care groups. Bethany Berry, 37, said donating became more important to her after she lost pets in the 2018 Camp Fire, which destroyed most of the homes in Paradise, California. Berry reported donating between $51 and $100 over the past year. Some goes to pet rescue organizations. The rest goes to small-dollar requests in a mutual aid group on Facebook where she said members can ask for 'anything, wants or needs.' People like her who have experienced disasters understand how easy it is to 'be in that position,' she said, and don't want to watch others suffer. 'I'm not sure you can ever put enough back into the universe to compensate," Berry said. 'So, all you can do is try.' Younger Americans were less likely to give — even those with higher incomes Generational differences also emerged throughout the poll. Younger adults were more likely than older adults to say they didn't donate any money. About 3 in 10 adults under age 45 said they donated $0 over the past year, compared with about 2 in 10 adults age 45 or older. That gap extended to other charitable behavior. About 8 in 10 adults age 60 or older said they donated food, clothing or household items in the past year, compared with about 6 in 10 adults under age 30. The persistence of those differences as younger adults come into more money — either by making the difficult climb up the income ladder or through wealth transfers from Baby Boomers to their heirs — would spell trouble for nonprofits hoping to tap into the next generations' bank accounts. Household finances were likely playing at least a partial role. Low-income adults were more likely than higher-income adults to say they didn't donate, and older adults are more likely to have the highest household incomes overall. But there were hints that younger generations think differently about their personal obligation to give. Adults under age 45 were more likely than older adults to say that 'people like them' have only a little responsibility or no responsibility at all to help people in the U.S. who are in need. And even in higher-income brackets, younger adults were more likely to report donating no money, compared with older adults. That suggests younger adults may be less likely to make charitable gifts, regardless of their financial situation. Georgia retiree Regina Evans, 68, said she's just 'an old lady that's lived life' and learned that 'what you give comes back to you.' She falls in the roughly 1 in 10 U.S. adults who reported donating more than $5,000. Still, she said, she couldn't give as much as she wanted because Hurricane Helene knocked two pine trees onto the house where she and her husband have lived for more than a decade. Evans gives to her faith community — Augusta's Tabernacle Baptist Church — and a local homeless shelter, like many respondents. Her household stepped up its contributions to Golden Harvest Food Bank when she said inflation left the pantry low on funds. Outside of monetary donations, she's part of a network that provides secondhand professional attire and winter coats for young women and children. Donations of food and clothing are also common, according to the poll, although volunteering is less widespread. The survey found that about 7 in 10 U.S. adults said they donated food, clothing or household items in the past year, while about 3 in 10 volunteered their time to a religious or secular charitable organization. Evans said she keeps giving even when it "hurts' because she has relied on others for food and shelter during hardships, such as last fall's storm, which still has her living in an apartment. Such charitable behavior is 'normal' to Evans — and she believes there are more likeminded people who are 'generous of spirit." 'It's like a requirement for me. If you live in this place, you live in this world, you should give if you expect to receive," Evans said. 'It never comes back in the way that you expect, and it doesn't come back dollar for dollar. But I can say with complete surety that every dollar that I've ever donated came back to me in a way that I could not count.' ___ Thomson-DeVeaux reported from Washington. ___ Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP's philanthropy coverage, visit ___ The AP-NORC poll of 1,229 adults was conducted March 20-24, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
