Cale Takes 17 Mothers on a Christmas Shopping Spree
Making a difference in the lives of young mothers
Clearwater, FL – A gift may not change the world, it can, however, make a positive difference. On Friday, December 15th at 2pm at a Target in Clearwater, Florida, numerous shoppers witnessed how one organization found a way to make some spirits bright.
The Ready for Life, Inc. (RFL) Mommy and Me Support Group received some holiday cheer from Cale America to help several young mothers provide opportunities to create a sense of belonging and family tradition in their own homes, providing the the kind of Christmas they wish they would have had in their own turbulent childhoods.
17 young parents had the chance to shop with 40 Cale America Staff for Christmas gifts that they will get to give from Mommy to their children.
“This is a dream come true,” said one mom when she learned of the opportunity. “Christmas always brought a bitter-sweet, heart-sick feeling for me growing up because I never got that loving family moment where everyone unwraps their gift with awe and laughter. To be able to share that family feeling on Christmas with my own kids makes me forget about every bad Christmas I ever had.”
Kathy Mize, Ready for Life CEO, adds, ”The Holidays can be a very difficult time for the young adults who have transitioned out of foster care. The turbulence many face growing up in the system often leaves them without a sense of belonging, and their many disappointments often convince them that this special time of year will be no different than all the tough days they’ve been through. That’s where our RFL community comes in, especially CALE who help in so many ways. Anything you’d do for your own kids is what we are up to on any given day of the week, 
and we couldn’t do this work without their amazing support.”
“We are humbled and thrilled to have partners like CALE,” said Michelle Walag, Ready for Life Director of Operations, ”…who take the time to understand what our youth face, and realize how important it is to help the RFL young adults to provide to their little ones the kinds of Christmas they wish they had growing up. Creating a sense of belonging is so important in breaking the generational cycles of abuse and neglect.”
Not only did Cale America staff settle with the cashiers upon check out, but they made sure the mothers walked away with something for themselves. With both arm full with bags of new christmas toys, each mother was suprised with a $50 Spa Gift Certificate to help them relax from the holidays and stress of motherhood.
For more information, contact Julianne Wilhelm, Marketing Coordinator at Julianne.Wilhelm@CaleAmerica.com or visit CaleAmerica.com.
About Cale America:
Cale Group incorporates over 60 years of experience in the design and development of secure and innovative payment solutions for unattended parking and transit locations with cloud-based management applications. Headquartered in Kista, Sweden, the Cale Group has subsidiaries in ten countries and a network of partners in over 30 countries worldwide.Cale America Inc. was established in 2012 and is Cale’s largest subsidiary with systems installed in over 200 municipalities, campuses and privately-managed properties throughout the US, Puerto Rico and Bermuda.
About Ready for Life
Ready for Life, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to helping former foster care youth to make a successful transition to independence. Annually, RFL touches the lives of 425 young adults age 15-25 in Pinellas County, plus 98 of their children age 0-12. The tough truth is that youth enter the dependency system through no fault of their own, yet the trauma’s and challenges they face become theirs to deal with, especially after age 18. RFL lines up beside these resilient young people to help them fill in life skill and learning gaps that could stop them. With the help of an extraordinary community of mentors, volunteers and supporters, the youth served by RFL are breaking through the statistics of this vulnerable population with dropping recidivism rates, increased college attendance, and successfully parenting their own children. To learn more please visit www.readyforlifepinellas.org.
Contact Information: Julianne Wilhelm, Marketing Coordinator
Cale America Inc.
13190 56th Court, Suite 401, Clearwater, FL 33760
727-471-4827
Julianne.Wilhelm@CaleAmerica.com
www.caleamerica.com