Preparing youth & families for healthy lives
www.nyfs.org
July 2008
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An electronic newsletter from your friends at NYFS Preparing youth & families for healthy lives |
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www.nyfs.org |
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IN THIS ISSUE: |
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A Message of Thanks from Kay Senior Chore Program Helps Older Adults Turtle Lake Donation Drive NYFS Donor Gives Beds to Low-Income Families NETS Students Dance With The Zenon Dance Company Vacation - A Necessity of Life? NYFS Summer Camp: Making A Lifelong Impact Coming Up... Contact Information |
If you have any comments or suggestions for future publications, please contact Sandra Bahr sandra@nyfs.org. |
I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the more than 300 individuals who attended and to those who donated over $32,000 in response to our 2008 Leadership Luncheon event at the Midland Hills Country Club.
Your support means seniors in our community will continue to live independently in their homes. It means a youth caught stealing will get a second chance to turn his life around. It means a low-income mother struggling with depression can get counseling without worrying about the cost.
In short, your support means a lot.
I am grateful for your collective pledge of support for NYFS and in return I pledge our continued service to those who need it most. Together we are contributing to the health and vitality of individuals, families and the entire north suburban community.
Again, I thank you.
Kay Andrews, President
Northwest Youth & Family Services
There’s no place like home. Just ask 9 out of 10 baby boomers who will soon be facing retirement.
According to a recent survey conducted by Ecumen, a Shoreview-based provider of nursing homes and community services for the elderly, 9 out of 10 baby boomers said they want to live in their own homes rather than in rental apartments or nursing facilities for the elderly. It is a simple enough wish, but helping seniors live well in their homes can become a complex effort involving family, friends and local support services.
For 30 years, NYFS has been helping seniors live full and independent lives in their own homes through our Senior Chore Program. The program matches youth and adults with seniors in need of indoor, outdoor and seasonal chore services.
“They really appreciate what we do,” says Debbie Peterson, Senior Chore Program Specialist.
The program serves over 100 seniors every year. Our low-cost services include routine home cleaning and lawn maintenance as well as seasonal work such as snow shoveling or leaf raking. Some low income seniors qualify for free assistance. The program also benefits youth who gain valuable work skills while interacting with, and learning from, the seniors they serve.
The program has been helping Ann Krawczyk, 83, since 1998. Ann recently underwent quintuple bypass surgery which required a long recovery period, some of which was spent in a nursing home. For some, a nursing home would have been a permanent solution, but thanks to support from family and the senior chore program, Ann is once again living independently in her own home. She was recently out working in her yard, planting flowers in anticipation of the next group of senior chore volunteers scheduled to help her maintain her deck.
“You have done so much for me,” Ann says. “I wouldn’t be here without you.”
Debbie notes that she stays in regular contact with local block nurse programs in our service area in order to make sure seniors’ needs are being met. “If I see a health need I call the block nurse, and if they see a home need, they call me,” Debbie says. “We like to make sure our seniors are getting as much help as they can.”
Debbie notes that volunteers are always needed for the Senior Chore program. Youth and adults are welcome to help out on a one-time or regular basis. For more information, call Debbie at 651-379-3451.
People from all over the Shoreview area arrived at Turtle Lake Elementary School on May 23 carrying boxes and bags of housewares, clothing andmore during the school’s donation drive to supportNYFS’Penny PinchersThrift Store. The event waspart of a school sponsored leadership training project. “They really wanted to organizesomething that would allow them to see the impact of theirdonation locally,” explained Tim Gusk, NYFS Director of Community Services.
The event was sponsored by the school’s third, fourth and fifth grade students who were proud to have filled a large cargo van and trailer with all theitems collected. The donated items will be sold atPenny Pincher’s Thrift Store in Mounds View, which serves as a Youth Employment Training Program for area teens.
Low-income families served by NYFS got an unexpected boost this month thanks to a generous donation of over $5,000 worth of beds and household furniture from the Davidson Companies.
Rob Davidson explained that his company recently acquired the former Arden Hills Holiday Inn property and is in the process of converting the space into dorm rooms that will be leased by Northwestern College. The existing hotel furniture had to be moved out to make room for dorm furniture and Davidson wanted NYFS to benefit from this turnover.
He credits NYFS Board Member and Arden Hills City Council Member Brenda Holden with helping him connect with NYFS. “We were delighted to have a group to donate to. You do such great work.”
Over 20 families served through our Community Social Work program received the gently used beds. "This is a tremendous gift to families", says NYFS Community Social Worker My Der Yangtze. “There are some of my families who have never had a real bed before.” She added that due to the rising cost of gas and food, many families are struggling just to cover day to day costs and the idea of purchasing any type of furniture is out of reach. “They are really happy” she says.
Other furniture that wasn’t needed by families will be sent to NYFS’ Penny Pinchers Thrift Store located in the Mounds View Square Mall in Mounds View. Proceeds from the sale of these items will be invested back into the store, which also serves as a Youth Employment Training site for teens.
Students in NYFS’ NETS program participated in a week-long dance residency with the Zenon Dance Company. Students, staff and dancers worked together to learn about creative and emotional expression through dance.
In tough economic times, people often cut corners and pare down their lifestyle to include only the “necessities” of life. Did you know that a relaxing vacation can be one of those necessities?
“We all need to take a break at some point,” says Rachel Cain, Director of Outpatient Mental Health Services at NYFS. She reminds people to have a proper understanding of what makes a vacation satisfying. “Vacation is an attitude. Some people spend thousands of dollars on a vacation and still make sure to check work emails and voice mails. Others make it a long weekend at home and say (out loud to themselves) ‘I am on vacation!’ and give themselves the permission to not clean the house or do laundry and make sure to get themselves little treats.” Cain says that taking a vacation, even if it is only a long weekend, can make a person less stressed, more productive and even more creative at work.
“Vacations don’t have to be expensive,” adds Cain. One of the new trends this summer is the “staycation,” a vacation spent at home. Instead of jetting off someplace exotic, more people are choosing to save on travel and hotel expenses by staying home and exploring the parks, museums and tourist attractions in their own communities. Some are even using the money they save on hotel or travel expenses to hire a cleaning service to spruce up their homes before they “check in” on their first day of vacation.
For more information about the benefits of taking a vacation, please follow this link. For information about “staycations” click here.
At first glance, the NYFS Summer Camp program looks a lot like any other camp: we offer similar crafts and games and we are just as capable at keeping kids occupied over the summer.
But upon closer inspection, it becomes very clear that we aim to do much more than alleviate summertime boredom. NYFS camp activities are specifically designed to build confidence and improve social skills in low-income children who are often isolated from their peers and unable to participate in expensive summer activities.
Since 1995, NYFS has offered a five-week-long camp opportunity for children living in mobile home communities. This year we plan to serve a total of 90 youth living in the Towns Edge, Lakeside and Brookside mobile home communities.
Our goal isn’t just to occupy their time, but to teach life skills that will benefit them, their families and their community long past summer. Recent research shows that low-income youth fall farther behind their wealthier peers due to lack of affordable educational opportunities in the summer. Social skills can also decrease when youth remain isolated in their communities.
At camp, everyday games are used to teach valuable lessons. “Take a simple game of kickball,” explains Tim Gusk, NYFS Director of Community Services, “to stay in the game, kids can’t just rely on their athletic skills. They must be able to resolve conflicts, keep their temper under control and work well with others.” Gusk adds that camp staff are specifically trained to develop a camp environment that facilitates these skills.
The majority of senior camp staff are local college students who are pursuing majors in various fields of youth work. They are assisted by high school age junior camp leaders who are able to develop their own leadership skills as they work with youth.
Camp staff and youth work together to create an end-of-camp variety show that showcases the talents of camp youth. Parents, siblings and friends attend the performance. For some parents, this is the first time they have seen their children shine in a public setting.
While the benefits of quality summer programming are great, so often is the cost. NYFS has always been dedicated to helping youth and families receive the types of services they need to prepare them for healthy lives, regardless of their ability to pay. A recent three-year, $75,000 grant from the McKnight Foundation will help offset the cost of camp. Donations from individuals and businesses also help defray costs. Over 80 percent of parents report that their child would not have been involved in any structured summer program if not for our program.
For more information about how you can support NYFS Summer Camp Program, please call Sandi Bahr at 651-379-3422.
We have some exciting news about upcoming changes/transitions happening here at NYFS. A full announcement will be made in the coming weeks. Check your email for important updates.
Main number: 651-486-3808
Fax: 651-486-3858
Penny Pinchers Thrift Store: 763-783-3626
Kay Andrews, President & CEO: 651-379-3401
kay@nyfs.org
Jerry Hromatka, Associate Director:
Fran Smith, Business Manager: 651-379-3402
fran@nyfs.org
Rachel Cain, Outpatient Mental Health Director: 651-379-3403
rachel@nyfs.org
Jill Buckingham, Day Treatment Services Director: 651-379-3405
jill@nyfs.org
Tim Gusk, Community Services Director:
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