Volunteer Gardeners Needed at the Sussex County Family Success Center

Project Self-Sufficiency is seeking volunteers to assist with planting, maintenance and harvesting of fruits and vegetables from the community gardens at the agency’s Newton campus.  Volunteers would work alongside seasoned horticultural professionals on Monday – Thursday mornings, from 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  Volunteers must be at least 17 years of age.  No experience is required.

 

Project Self-Sufficiency’s Newton campus is home to numerous vegetable gardens which bear all kinds of crops for consumption by the agency’s low-income participants.  During the summer, hundreds of potted tomato plants also wreath the sidewalks throughout the 5-acre campus.  Produce is harvested daily and offered to agency participants at Project Self-Sufficiency.  Baskets are also provided for families to cart the bounty home and share with their children.  Participants are given tips on cooking and nutrition along with the food, and the children at the agency’s Little Sprouts Early Learning Center help with the harvest while learning about healthy eating habits. 

 

To volunteer to work in Project Self-Sufficiency’s community gardens, or to find out more information about the programs and services available at Project Self-Sufficiency, visit the agency’s website www.projectselfsufficiency.org or call the agency at 973-940-3500.

 

Free Job Skills Training Program for Women Starts in April

Project Self-Sufficiency announces that the next session of its popular employment skills training program, Higher Opportunities for Women (HOW), will launch April 8th.  The 16-week HOW Program combines intensive computer skills training with classroom instruction and has been reconfigured for a hybrid of in-person and virtual experiences, due to the ongoing public health crisis.  Curriculum prepares women who have been out of the work force or underemployed to seek entry-level office administrative positions.  Classes will operate Mondays and Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. through July 29^th.  In-person instruction will take place at the agency’s campus, located at 127 Mill Street in Newton. 

 

Women who take part in the agency’s HOW program can expect 80 hours of computer skills training, including instruction in Microsoft Word, Excel, and other applications.   Normally, the HOW program also includes 40 hours of classroom instruction and 120 hours at an unpaid externship at a community employment site, which further prepares participants to successfully venture into the job market.  Since the onset of the pandemic, the workplace experience component has been eliminated in favor of coursework focusing on workplace navigation, life skills training, resume preparation, and interviewing strategies. 

 

Since the HOW program’s inception, more than 1,000 women have gained self-confidence and learned marketable skills which placed them on the path to economic self-sufficiency.  Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency explains that the HOW program is more than just a job-skills program.  “The Higher Opportunities for Women program offers participants the opportunity to gain the skills and confidence to compete in today’s job market, and that in turn, helps put food on the table, pay the rent, and ultimately turn around the prospects for the entire family.  Giving our participants the tools necessary to become economically self-sufficient makes families stable and helps the entire community.”

 

Project Self-Sufficiency’s Higher Opportunities for Women program launches on April 8th. To enroll, or to find out more information about the program, call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500.  Information about Project Self-Sufficiency is available at www.projectselfsufficiency.org.

Breast Cancer Support Group Starts in Spring

 

Project Self-Sufficiency announces the launch of a new, virtual support group for breast cancer survivors.  The support group will meet over Zoom at 4:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month, beginning March 9th, and will be facilitated by Project Self-Sufficiency breast health program coordinator Haley McCracken.  Participation is free and open to breast cancer survivors who are searching for peer support, connection, information, and access to resources.

 

Since the agency has a long history of providing free breast health education, mammograms, health fairs, and celebratory events for breast cancer survivors, the support group is a natural evolution of the agency’s programming, noted Project Self-Sufficiency Executive Director Deborah Berry-Toon.  “In prior years, Project Self-Sufficiency offered breast health outreach, education, and support to women of all ages through our annual Survivor Events and Health Fairs, in-school education, and free mammograms.  This new support group offers an alternative means to reach women in all stages of breast cancer detection, treatment, and recovery.  We are looking forward to forging new relationships with breast cancer survivors and reconnecting with old friends.”

 

For almost 35 years, Project Self-Sufficiency has offered a comprehensive array of services to individuals and families who are struggling to address challenges in their lives.  Through a combination of case management, job training and education, and family support services the agency has helped thousands to gain self-sufficiency and family stability.  Breast cancer survivors who are interested in participating in the breast cancer support group are invited to call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500 to register and receive log-in details.  For more information regarding the comprehensive array of services offered at Project Self-Sufficiency, visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org.