Two Community Leaders Join Children’s Harbor Board
Clara Acero and Marleen Applebaum, two South Florida professionals noted for their fundraising prowess, education and youth advocacy, have joined the board of Children’s Harbor, a nationally accredited non-profit agency that helps strengthen families who are struggling in the community, while providing safe shelter and support to teens in foster care so that they may grow into healthy, educated and productive adults.
“We are thrilled to have Clara and Marleen join our board,” Children’s Harbor President and CEO Tiffani Dhooge said. “We appreciate their knowledge, experience and incredible passion, all of which will be an asset to us.”
Children’s Harbor Board Member
Clara Acero, Executive Director of Kingdom Charitable Trust in West Palm Beach, is a data analyst and a nonprofit leader with experience in health care, higher education and K-12 alternative education.
Also a member of the Homeless & Housing Alliance of Palm Beach County, as well as the Human Trafficking Coalition of PBC Education Committee and Junior League of Boca Raton, among other community organizations, Acero works to connect vulnerable families with the services they need. She has been a tireless fundraiser who has secured various government, corporate and foundation grants for organizations she has served.
“Growing up in a single-parent household, I can relate to needing guidance and yearning for stability. Children’s Harbor provides that safe place for youth in our community struggling to find a home and is unique as it keeps siblings together. I am honored to be part of a heart-led, impactful organization.”
Children’s Harbor Board Member
Marleen Applebaum, Vice President of Business Operations for MA Construction Group in Fort Lauderdale, is a finance expert who has channeled her passion for education into vigorous fundraising efforts for the Miami-Dade County public schools’ ACT Program, which is aimed at reducing the student/teacher ratio. With her extensive background in construction collections and accounts receivable portfolio management, she has adeptness in both domestic and international collections. Recognized as one of the Top 20 Women in Construction by SunRay Construction Solutions in 2023, Applebaum eagerly anticipates leveraging her robust marketing and finance skills to raise funds for Children’s Harbor.
In addition to her professional endeavors, Marleen has demonstrated her commitment to philanthropy by raising funds and volunteering for her synagogue, Bet Shira Congregation, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.
“Each child should have a place to call home — a safe place where they are loved, nurtured and taught skills to help them succeed in life,” Applebaum said. “For many, Children’s Harbor is that place. I’m honored to be part of this incredible organization whose professionals give of themselves every single day and every single hour to help children heal.”
About Children’s Harbor
Established in 1996, Children’s Harbor is a nationally accredited non-profit agency with a mission to help strengthen families who are struggling in our community, while providing safe shelter and support to teens in foster care so that they may grow into healthy, educated and productive adults.
With the belief that children should feel safe, that family is worth fighting for and that cycles can be broken, Children’s Harbor provides a harbor of hope and healing for children who have been impacted by the trauma of child abuse. The main campus in Pembroke Pines provides a supportive family environment for teenagers in foster care and their younger siblings. The family strengthening program prevents kids from coming into foster care by providing in-home counseling and support to families who are struggling in the community. Young adults aged 18-23 who have aged out of foster care are provided with housing and the wrap-around support and independent living programs necessary to help them overcome their trauma and navigate through the early stages of adulthood.
Brown’s Harbor is a supportive housing community that offers on-site staff, training, and wrap-around support services for young adults who have aged out of the foster care system, ages 18-23, helping to bridge the gap from dependence to independence.
