With the ​Cape Cod Parent Resource Fair rapidly approaching we will be sharing blog posts on our participating sponsors, vendors and nonprofits.  You will find out more about these amazing businesses and what they offer to our community. They will be sharing their services, advice, what challenges face our community as well as upcoming events they will be having.  Make sure to check out our virtual program and resource guide ahead of the event so you can plan for what you want to see including our famous speaker panels. If you preregister for the speakers you will earn extra raffle tickets. You also earn them by attending any of our entertainment sessions! Just email us and you will receive tickets at the door! We hope to see you at the Resource Fair!

1.     Tell us about your business/non profit and how it benefits local families? 
I am an estate planning attorney that focuses on planning for young and non-traditional families with children.  I work parents to ensure their children are properly safeguarded should a parent become incapacitated or pass, not only for passing of assets, but for care as well.  I also work a great deal with families that have special needs children.

2.     Where is it located?  
​My office on the Cape is located at 100 Independence Drive, Hyannis, MA 02601.  I also have offices in Boston and Miami, Florida.

3.     What is your favorite thing about our community?  
I love how the Cape has wonderful outdoor activities available.  Families are able to interact in a natural setting, allowing children to grow and develop with a deeper understanding of respect for the environment, animals, and nature.

4.     How else do you get involved with the community?  
I believe giving back to the community is important.  I strive to give my time and legal experience through pro-bono opportunities for families and individuals who do not have the resources for legal services.  

5.     What do you think are the biggest challenges facing parents in our community?  
I believe the education system is a challenge on the Cape, as well as in many communities.  As parents, we want the very best education for our children.  The public school system's focus on standardized testing, large class sizes, lack of sufficient funding, and non-individualized child attention by teachers and administrative staff lend many parents on the Cape to homeschool or look to private education options.  For parents that do not have the liberty of these options, they are left to attempt to navigate and work with the system at hand.  

6.     What is your favorite memory or story over the years involving you and your business?  
Over the years, I have been able to assist many families with their planning.  My favorite memory is of a family I assisted with planning for their child with developmental disabilities, establishing a special needs trust.  Due to this planning, the child is able to receive government assistance, while still maintaining the legacy left by her parents.

7.     What advice would you give parents and caregivers in our community? 
Make sure to take time to listen to the children.  Sometimes we think we know better because we are older, but the wealth of knowledge in those little minds is astounding.  We need to ensure we are encouraging the minds of the future.

8.     Do you have any specials, events, or anything else taking place this upcoming year that our parents should know about?
  I always give 15% off estate planning packages for Cape Cod Moms!

1.     Tell us about your business/non profit and how it benefits local families?

Cape Cod Bear Factory travels the Cape in our completely renovated Bear Bus stuffing animals and creating memories with children and adults alike. We come to you for Birthday Parties, Fundraisers and Special Events. Operating all year round, we offer a fun Birthday experience for Cape Cod Families.

2.     Where is it located?

We are based out of Centerville but with our mobility, we can travel and serve the entire Cape and beyond!

 3.     What is your favorite thing about our community?

My favorite thing about the Cape Cod community is its passion, excitement and support for local business. We have been blessed to meet some amazing families and fellow business owners all who invest themselves by reaching out, sharing our story and encouraging our dreams and ambitions as we push towards the newest branch of our business.

4.     How else do you get involved with the community?

The Cape Cod Bear Factory has had the opportunity to partner with some amazing community resources to help raise funds, including the Osterville Village Library and the March of Dimes. We offer fun activities for children at community events and have some BIG announcements coming that will enhance the community in a large way!

5.     What do you think are the biggest challenges facing parents in our community?

As a homeschooling mom of a 4 and 5 year old, I think the biggest challenge is providing fun/playbased learning experiences for our children on Cape Cod.

6.     What is your favorite memory or story over the years involving you and your business?

My favorite business memory comes from Pajama Nights at Polar Cave Ice Cream. On one specific Friday night, we showed up early to accommodate a very special, and our very first, wheelchair customer. When we purchased our bus, having a wheelchair lift and being able to offer fun memories to children of all abilities was a top priority. The entire experience with this sweet customer of ours will be with me forever. With the help of her mother and me, she stuffed a new cow as her father, grandmother and home-health-aid watched on, all with the biggest smiles on their faces. Tears of happiness were shed by all and it was by far the most fulfilling experience we have ever had aboard the Bear Bus.

7.     What advice would you give parents and caregivers in our community?

My advice to parents and caregivers is to let your children take the lead, follow their interests and use every day experiences to teach and inspire your children.  Focus on making memories and always try to leave one day a week open for them to stay home and play/use their imagination.

8.     Do you have any specials, events, or anything else taking place this upcoming year that our parents should know about?

The Bear Factory has a few events coming that we can’t wait to be a part of. Find all of our events at facebook.com/ccbearfactory

• Come see us in the Cape Cod St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 9th in Yarmouth.
• We will be running a Rock Painting Party in the coming weeks at the Osterville Library. (Stay tuned for more information)
• Find us at the Festival of Museums on 4/6/19 where we’ll be providing one of the children activities (animal t-shirt decorating)!

​1.     Tell us about your business/non profit and how it benefits local families?
 
Dream Tale Puppets produces and performs puppet shows for families, conducts puppetry, acting and theater classes and workshops, leads residencies (we are ready to visit an organization or cultural center and stay for shows and/or workshops) and hosts other puppet theaters. All Dream Tale Puppets’ artists and performers are highly skilled, well educated, trained and experienced professionals. Our shows tell stories based on fairy tales, and masterpieces of children’s literature. We use a variety of theatrical languages. We enjoy exploring traditional and developing puppetry styles.
Each project is an adventure led by curiosity. The shows are like recordings of these creative processes in which we examine characters, shapes, and textures and play with motifs, materials, colors, words and sounds and mix theatrical storytelling with the poetry of children’s play and dreams.
 
We offer life theatrical experiences with all benefits high quality life art offers.  Our shows are invitations to the world of play, dreams, inspiration, enchantment and reflection. The world is much better with arts. We offer our art and we invite children, families and all interested to join us in making the world a little nicer.
  
 
2.     Where is it located?
 
We are associated with and supported by John Wesley United Methodist Church in Falmouth where we have a studio for building puppets, a storage, where we rehearse, perform and present other puppeteers. I live in Cotuit; two actors live in Falmouth some are from Boston area and NYC. We perform at Cape Cod libraries, the Cape Cod Children’s Museum, Woods Hole Community Hall, Cotuit’s Freedom Hall and many other places both on Cape and off, including out of state.
 
3.     What is your favorite thing about our community?
 
People on the Cape understand, value, appreciate and support arts. We are lucky to be surrounded by friends, fans, patrons and supporters. This allows us to do things which we really like and we believe are important. We are able to follow our curiosity and inspiration, we can explore, research, study, practice and create. Dream Tale Puppets operates as a small creative community supported and in cooperation with many other art, cultural, educational and spiritual communities and organizations. Thanks to our supporters and partners we can develop our programs and create new ways to share joy. We can bring together families and communities in pursuit of a richer world of togetherness through diversity.
 
4.     How else do you get involved with the community?
 
We respond to all calls and invitations and we reach out to organizations we consider potentially interested in collaboration. We have programs ready to be performed; we work on new ones, we teach and work with children and adults. We also customize content of the programs to the specific circumstances and needs of our partners be these libraries, schools, other cultural centers, or parents.
 
5.     What do you think are the biggest challenges facing parents in our community?
 
I am not sure if my assumption would be correct if I would say that today parents face a much harder economic reality than their parents faced. Then I may have yet another assumption that today it is harder to connect with others, parents have less time, they are further apart from their friends and even families, and they are more stressed by demands of economy and pressures of culture of consumerism.
 
6.     What is your favorite memory or story over the years involving you and your business?
 
There are so many treasured memories. My favorites are those meetings with our hosts and audiences. There is always a lot to do before we can invite the audience. Our hosts most often had to raise funds to have us perform. Preparing space is an art in itself and we often do it together. It happens sometimes that our host may at first not be aware of how important this is. We arrived once to an elementary school in Hartford and we found that there had been some misunderstanding and we had less time to set the stage then we needed. On top of this the cafeteria where the show was planned was simply very dirty after the lunch period. There wouldn’t have been anyone to help us if not for an amazing principal. She took the mop and the bucket and after 20 minutes the room was sparkling clean. When she was mopping we were setting the stage and all was ready on time. And the show was great. This was one wonderful person’s act, but to organize the show a community is needed. Another memorable example of this would be the presentation of Jack and the Beanstalk at the Harvest Festival organized by Bourne Society for Historical Preservation. We performed in an old historical Carriage House with a dirt floor and no light. But they really wanted us to perform. They moved out the old carriages. Someone brought many pieces of large painter’s canvas to cover the dirt. On top of that, small squares of carpet (samples) were arranged for the audience to sit on. Many lamps were brought in to light the stage area. The audience was wonderful and after the show we were treated to an amazingly tasty homemade lunch. I could continue with this kind of memories. This is so rewarding to bring in our little community and art and to be embraced by all these wonderful communities and people.
 
7.     What advice would you give parents and caregivers in our community?
 
If the problem as I assumed earlier exists, I mean problem of not enough time and pressure of consumerist reality, I wonder if seeking other like minded parents interested in good old values of togetherness, playtime, imagination, inspiration, joy of sharing time, resources and activities would help. I wonder if looking for places, programs and communities where these values are explored, cherished and practiced could be a way to go. Scientists warn us that children of today’s parents may live in an apocalyptic world. Should we pretend we don’t care or could we seek hope in seeking other ways to live and people with whom we could share concern, values and with whom we could try to change the direction the world is heading to?
 
8.     Do you have any specials, events, or anything else taking place this upcoming year that our parents should know about?
 
We have “Rumpelstilskin” scheduled at the Cotuit Public Library for Saturday, April 20 at 10:45 a.m. For February school vacation we are inviting children 7 -12 years old to the Acting, Puppetry, and Theater Workshop at the John Wesley United Methodist Church in Falmouth. We will work Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. and we will have a lot of fun playing acting games, building puppets, creating, improvising, rehearsing, and performing. Following months and with the help of Falmouth Cultural Council and Falmouth cultural organizations we will be presenting our other programs and programs by a number of other excellent New England puppetry artists.
 
We invite parents interested to e-mail us at info@dreamtalepuppets.org and to give us contact information. We will be sending out newsletters with information on upcoming programs and offers. This information could also be found on our website: http://www.dreamtalepuppets.org/calendar/calendar.html and on our Facebook profile. Also on Facebook I post regularly pictures from our present production development.  

1.  Tell us about your business/non profit and how it benefits local families? 

The Children’s College offers year-round preschool education from 2 years, 9 months to 8 years old (vacations and summers).  The center is designed to promote social, physical, and cognitive development in each child. Our activities allow children to face and overcome individual challenges.  We strive to enhance the essential elements of creativity, critical thinking, self- control, responsibility, independence, social skills and self-esteem to face and overcome individual challenges.

2.     Where is it located?

We are located in West Barnstable at Cape Cod Community College in the Life Fitness Center

3.     What is your favorite thing about our community?

Our community builds strength from each other in time of need.

4.       How else do you get involved with the community?

The Children’s College has community visitors throughout the year along with involvement from CCCC students and programs at Cape Cod Community College.

5.    What do you think are the biggest challenges facing parents in our community?

The biggest challenges facing parents in our community is technology – so many of us forget that being in the moment is what is important.  Do more things with your children that make you forget to look at your phone.  Wouldn’t you rather be in the picture or the memory then just behind the “camera”?

6.    What is your favorite memory or story over the years involving you and your business?

There are so many memories it is hard to pick just one; I am reminded of something every day.  There are many comical preschool compilations and compliments that come to mind.  I believe that myself as well as my staff can remember at least a dozen times when a child finally realizes a concept or gets inspired to try something new.  I am so grateful for the parents that entrust their children with me and my teachers.

7.     What advice would you give parents and caregivers in our community?

The advice I would give parents and caregivers in our community is to ask for help or assistance when you need it -there is so many resources out that can help with developmental and financial issues.


“If a child cannot learn in the way we teach,
we must teach in a way the child can learn.”
                                                -Unknown

1.     Tell us about your business/non profit and how it benefits local families? 
BZZYFINGERS was born out of my love for creating fun and functional items for babies, children, and adults. I strive to provide high quality products at fair prices, and regularly donate merchandise to a variety of non-profits and charity organizations. 


2.     Where is it located?
My studio is based at my home in East Falmouth. BZZYFINGERS baby items are available for purchase at Caline for Kids in Falmouth and Cape Kids in Mashpee Commons; adult accessories at Little Anchor Boutique in East Falmouth. 

3.     What is your favorite thing about our community?

I was born and raised in Falmouth. My family and friends are here, my home, the people and places I’ve grown up loving are all RIGHT HERE. I love the small town vibe and the way so many people work together to make Cape Cod a magical place to live. 

1. Tell us about your business/non profit and how it benefits local families?

WE CAN, Women's Empowerment through Cape Area Networking... Through WE CAN's unique and practical services, empowered women achieve lasting, positive change for themselves, their families, and our community.

Here is what we offer (all services are free & confidential):

• Practical & Unique Services:
  1:1 Financial Empowerment - 1:1 Legal Consults 1:1 Work Support & Workshops

• Personal Growth & Support Series: Circle of Support (Divorce) - Personal Development Group with a Life Coach - PathMakers Mentoring Program

2.     Where is it located?  
Our main office is in Harwich Port at 783 Rte 28.  
Other service locations include:

• Offering Workshops/Series Cape-Wide
• Mentoring Program offered in Falmouth or Harwich
• 1:1 Appointments in Falmouth; Hyannis; Outer Cape; Harwich Port

3.     What is your favorite thing about our community?
Our Cape Cod community and villages are willing and ready to come together and find local solutions as needed.  

4.     How else do you get involved with the community?
WE CAN collaborates with area businesses and organizations on several annual "fun"-raising events such as The Current Quarterly Fashion Show; Puritan's Girls Night Out; A Day of Words, Wit, and Wisdom at Wychmere Beach Club; Valentine Luncheon at Chatham Bars Inn; The Last Gasp bike event; The Andrea Holden 5k.

5.     What do you think are the biggest challenges facing parents in our community?
One common concern for parents is finding time for self-care.  
Women can join WE CAN personal development programs facilitated by a life coach - such as Create-U, Design Your Life, Reclaim Your Life.  These programs are designed to provide opportunities for self-discovery, exploration, connection, and idea sharing. 

6.     What is your favorite memory or story over the years involving you and your business?
WE CAN was started by the concepts of a program originally developed at Cape Cod Community College, Women in Transition, which was designed to help women of all ages and demographics improve their lives through education.

7.     What advice would you give parents and caregivers in our community?
Take care of yourself so that you will be better able to care for your family.  WE CAN provides detailed Information & Referral by telephone or drop-in.  We listen carefully to provide answers and resources to the questions callers have.  (508) 430-8111

8.     Do you have any specials, events, or anything else taking place this upcoming year that our parents should know about?
The PathMakers Mentoring Program for women is offered in Falmouth at The Falmouth Museums on the Green (one in Harwich as well).  PathMakers is a 10-month program running from September through June.  Participants meet as a group monthly and there is a one-hour workshop component and a group prepared supper.  Women meet individually with their mentoring partner.  There are two social events planned during the year and a members-only Facebook group.