Parents Invited to Give Input on Community Services

 

Local parents are invited to offer input about their families’ needs, challenges, and concerns, as well as suggestions for upcoming events, at a meeting of the Journey Family Success Center Parent Advisory Board at Project Self-Sufficiency, Tuesday, September 23^rd, 5:30 p.m.  Family Success Center staff will highlight ways the agency can address issues facing local parents and incorporate feedback into future programs. Dinner and childcare will be provided for those in attendance.  The gathering will also be available on Zoom; interested participants are invited to call 973-940-3500 to obtain log-in details. Advance registration for the in-person session is required.

 

“Input from parents is crucial to the success of the Family Success Center and we are excited about offering residents the opportunity to meet area providers, express their concerns about gaps in services, and identify strategies for moving forward,” remarked Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency.  “The Family Success Center has supported Sussex County parents and children for many years, and we are looking forward to responding to the needs of area families and incorporating their suggestions into existing and new programs for the community.”

 

Those who attend their first meeting of the Journey Family Success Center Parent Advisory Board will be eligible to receive a gift card. Project Self-Sufficiency is located at 127 Mill Street in Newton.  For information about the Parent Advisory Board, or to find out more about any of the programs sponsored by the Journey Family Success Center at Project Self-Sufficiency, call 973-940-3500 or visit www.journeyfsc.org.

Free Job Training for Women

 

The Journey Family Success Center at Project Self-Sufficiency announces that the next session of its popular employment skills training program, Higher Opportunities for Women (HOW), will launch September 23rd.  The 16-week HOW Program combines intensive computer skills training with classroom instruction and on-the-job experience.  Curriculum prepares women who have been out of the work force or underemployed to seek entry-level office administrative positions.  Classes will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the agency’s campus, located at 127 Mill Street in Newton.  Open Houses about the Higher Opportunities for Women program will be held at 10:00 a.m., September 11^th, and 4:00 p.m., September 10^th and 17^th. Interested participants are invited to call 973-940-3500 or visit https://www.projectselfsufficiency.org/higher-opportunities-for-women to enroll.

 

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.  The HOW program also includes 40 hours of classroom instruction and 120 hours of an unpaid externship at a community employment site, which further prepares participants to successfully venture into the job market.  Additional coursework focuses 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 job market is constantly evolving, and the Higher Opportunities for Women program gives participants the skills and confidence they need for success.”

Local Salon Donates Haircuts to Kids in Need

 

Stylists from the Mancuso Salon & Spa and Essence Hair Studio recently donated free haircuts to 57 local children to help prepare them for the new school year.  The free service, which also included a wash and style, was part of Project Self-Sufficiency’s initiative to help prepare low-income families during the back-to-school season.  The free haircuts served as the culmination of the agency’s Back-to-School effort, which also featured an interactive fair hosted by the Journey Family Success Center at Project Self-Sufficiency, at an earlier date.   

 

“Offering free haircuts to children has been a staple of Project Self-Sufficiency’s Back-to-School initiative for many years,” commented Project Self-Sufficiency Executive Director Deborah Berry-Toon.  “We are overwhelmed by the generosity of these stylists who volunteered to work on their day off to assist so many students in need. The children were delighted with their experience, and they all look fantastic!”

 

“Our staff volunteers, along with Jessica from Essence Hair Studio, were so grateful to be able to host and participate in this event for our second year! What a privilege to see so many transformations and smiling faces in one day,” noted Jacqueline Cox, co-owner of Mancuso Salon & Spa. “We received, from the children and their parents, more than we could ever hope to give! Thank you, Project Self Sufficiency, for the opportunity you have extended to us to be a part of your altruistic community! We are already looking forward to next year and hope to encourage other licensed stylists from the area to join us!"

Hundreds of Families Get Help Preparing for a New School Year

 

Hundreds of parents and children recently turned out for a Back-to-School Fair hosted by the Journey Family Success Center at Project Self-Sufficiency.  Designed to prepare the entire family for a successful academic year, the event featured numerous parenting skills workshops, children’s activities, information from local social service agencies and healthcare organizations, mobile gaming, and more. Children and families received new backpacks filled with school supplies and were invited to enjoy free pizza and snacks while being serenaded by local musicians, including Mia Bonaldi, Rich Pell, and students from the Meaningful Melodies vocal studio in Sparta. Transportation for patrons was provided by the Stocker Bus Company.

 

“We are pleased to be able to help both parents and children to prepare for a successful school year at the annual Back-to-School Fair,” commented Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director at Project Self-Sufficiency.  “We commend all of the social service agencies, healthcare organizations, businesses, and volunteers who have taken the time to lend a helping hand to local families in need.”

 

In addition to dinner and activities for children, the Back-to-School Fair featured a seminar about positive parenting techniques and introduced parents to the peer-to-peer support offered by a Parent Cafe.

 

Informational exhibits and interactive activities for parents and children were provided by ABC for Literacy; Atlantic Health System, Pediatric Psychiatry Collaborative and Newton Medical Center; Brain Injury Alliance of New Jersey; CarePlus New Jersey Kinship Navigator Program; Caring Partners of Morris & Sussex; Center for Family Services; Center for Prevention & Counseling; DASI; New Jersey Department of Human Services, the Office of New Americans; New Jersey Department of Children & Families, Division of Child Protection & Permanency; Family Partners of Morris & Sussex Counties; Family Promise of Sussex County; Ginnie's House Children's Advocacy Center; Mental Health Association; Newton Volunteer First Aid & Rescue Squad; NORWESCAP Child & Family Resource Services; Project SEARCH; Journey Family Success Center at Project Self-Sufficiency; Project Self-Sufficiency Master Gardeners; Skylands Ride; Sussex County Community & Youth Services; Sussex County Division of Health, Public Health Nursing; Sussex County Division of Social Services; Sussex County Library System; Sussex County Special Child Health Services; Sussex County YMCA; Youth Advocate Programs, Inc.; and Zufall Health Center.

 

Patrons also toured the Newton Volunteer First Aid & Rescue Squad ambulance, enjoyed the Triple A Mobile Gaming Truck, and were invited onboard the Sussex County Library System’s bookmobile.