AYUDA, Inc. is a community-based non-profit organization in Miami Beach, Florida that was established in 1977 to receive and maintain funds and apply the income and principle thereof to develop and administer programs that promote the psychological, educational, rehabilitative and medical well being of the citizens of Miami-Dade County. Since its establishment in 1977, AYUDA has served over 145,000 children, adolescents, adults, and elderly – more than 1/3 have had multiple disabilities. This agency has also provided early educational scholarships and after school childcare assistance for the low income working parents in Dade. Since its inception, AYUDA has met the needs of the at-risk tri-ethnic population of South Florida by incorporating Language Development, Socialization and Exploration into its early childhood experiences. These features lend themselves well with children and families that are speakers of other languages. Translation services are available in Spanish to assist those families with childcare and early childhood education needs for their children. To further meet the needs of the Dade County population, the staff of AYUDA represents the rich cultural diversity of South Florida with professionals including African American, Hispanics, Haitians, and Americans. These staff members attend community workshops throughout the year that keeps them updated with the latest developments and techniques to meet the needs of children. AYUDA’s service area is a region of great economic and cultural diversity. In 1999, AYUDA served a total of 600 children in its Day Care Center Scholarship Program, with an ethnic distribution of 70% Hispanic, 5% African American, 10% Haitian, 10% American, and 5% other nationalities.

DeAnne Connolly Graham
Chair of the Board
Ayuda Foundation Miami
www.ayudamiami.org
954-559-1758 cell

• September Women Series Ritz Carlton