Ice Cream Socials through the decades

When something works, you stick with it.

That applies to Family Renew Community’s strategy of offering a hand up, not a handout, to families experiencing homelessness and to our signature fundraising event, the Ice Cream Social. Family Renew Community was incorporated as a nonprofit on Sept. 18, 1989, and within a year held its first Ice Cream Social. The photo below is from the front desk at the 3rd annual Ice Cream Social at Our Lady of Hope Church in Port Orange on April 26, 1992.

The events have evolved over the years, with the silent auction now a key feature of the event. For a while, there was an emphasis on cake decorating. The time of year also has changed for the annual event on the east side of Volusia County. When Family Renew added its DeLand Residential Campus for families experiencing homelessness, a second event was added on the west side of the county. Now the tradition is for an Ice Cream Social & Silent Auction in DeLand each spring, and on the east side of Volusia County in the late summer or early fall. The 2020 Ice Cream Social in DeLand is set for May 3.

Since the start of the social media age, the good times have been well documented in photo albums on Facebook:

29th annual Ice Cream Social & Silent Auction

2018 Ice Cream Social in DeLand

28th annual Ice Cream Social & Silent Auction

2017 Ice Cream Social in DeLand

27th annual Ice Cream Social & Silent Auction

2016 Ice Cream Social in DeLand

26th annual Ice Cream Social & Silent Auction

2015 Ice Cream Social in DeLand

25th annual Ice Cream Social & Silent Auction

2013 Ice Cream Social in DeLand

23rd annual Ice Cream Social & Silent Auction

2012 Ice Cream Social in DeLand