Local Service Spotlight: Pernet Family Health Services

This week, I thought I would focus on Pernet Family Health Service. Pernet is a local service founded by the Sisters of the Assumption after their arrival in Worcester in 1955. Their mission is to help disadvantaged families, to "support the physical, social, pyschological and spiritual development of individuals and families by providing home-based health and social services that lead to long-term strengthening and enhancement of family and community life." (http://pernetfamilyhealth.org)

So what services does Pernet offer to foster individual and family development? There are several programs available:

• Early Intervention
• Emergency Assistance Program
• Family Support Program
• Fathers & Family Program
• Homemaker Program
• Maternal Child Nursing
  
• Spiritual Life Program
• Worcester Healthy Start Initiative
  
• Young Parent Support Service
• Youth Program

As StandUp For Kids works with at risk and homeless youth 21 and under, I thought I would focus on three of the above services. I encourage you to read their Programs page for more great information on the services above:

The Fathers and Family Program
The Fathers and Family Program offers weekly parenting/support groups and individual case management services. This program also provides support services to incarcerated fathers.

Young Parent Support Service
The Young Parent Support Service assists youth 23 and under with parenting skills, time management methods, and help in establishing a support network.

Youth Program
The Youth Program offers a free, drop-in Homework Club, an after school program run by local colleges. Pernet also offers a Mentoring Program for middle school students on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. that includes arts and crafts, recreation, and youth events.

Location
Pernet Family Health Services is located at 237 Millbury Street in Worcester.

For more information, visit their site at http://pernetfamilyhealth.org or call Pernet at 508-755-1228.

Local Service Spotlight: AIDS Project Worcester

During the next few months, I'll be randomly focusing on several key services within the Worcester community. It's not only important for our outreach counselors and our kids to know about these services, but it's critical for the community as a whole to become familiar with them.

This Week's Spotlight: AIDS Project Worcester

AIDS Project - Worcester was founded in 1987 "to provide education to the community about HIV/AIDS and services to individuals and families infected with HIV disease." (http://www.aidsprojectworcester.org/history.html).

What Services does AIDS Project Worcester Provide?
When a person contacts the program, his or her needs are assessed and a care plan is established. Services can include:

• Referrals (e.g., Local Medical Providers, Support Groups, Legal Services)
• Advocacy (e.g., Phone Calls to Local Services on Behalf of the Consumer)
• Transportation Support (Cab Vouchers and Bus Tickets for medical appointments)
• Housing (e.g., Rental Start-Up Program, Homelessness Prevention Program)
• Nutrition Program
• Mental Health Services (e.g., Individual Counseling, Group Counseling)

Another great program offered is the Peer Program. The Peer Program staff are people living with HIV. "Sometimes just being able to talk to someone else who is HIV+ can make all the difference." (www.aidsprojectworcester.org/peerprogram).

Those interested in services provided by AIDS Project Worcester can set up an appointment with a Case Manager or drop in during business hours (location business hours are provided on their site).

The not-for-profit organization has two different locations in Central Massachusetts: 85 Green Street in Worcester and 39 Elm Street in Southbridge.

Check out more information about this local service at their website, including statistics on the current population they serve and new projects in the works:

http://www.aidsprojectworcester.org

Where is the closest food pantry?

Do you know where the closest food pantry is to your house?

What about to your workplace?

When is the food pantry open?

Don't know the answers to these questions.? Well, many of the youth we work with also don't know the answers. It's not the first thing your parents or your community teaches you about as we don't think of anyone in our lives becoming homeless.

We regularly update a two-page document of local places to get meals (food pantries and soup kitchens). If we run into any youth that are having trouble affording their rent and their meals, we pull out the list and work with them to find a few places that are close by. We also provide them with the hours of operation for these places as they are not usually open all day (in fact, some are only open once a week).

So here's your assignment this week. Whether you live in Worcester, Boston, or all the way in Austin, Texas, I want you to findone food pantry in your area. Get the details on the place: it's name, location, hours of operation, and any other pertinent information. Then tell at least two people you know about the food pantry.

Next week, we'll start focusing on some great local services in the Worcester area.

Want to volunteer with SUFK?

Our next volunteer orientation is Wednesday, September 8th from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Worcester Public Library (Banx Room).

RSVP to worcester@standupforkids.org to receive an orientation packet.

Welcome Amber Dudley and Amanda Ethridge!
We are pleased to announce we have two new volunteers: Amber Dudley and Amanda Ethridge. Both are trained as outreach counselors and Amber has already jumped into weekly street outreach.

What would you like to hear about?
As this is a weekly blog, I'd love to get some feedback and suggestions on what you would like to hear about. In the next couple weeks, I'll be talking about local services in a "Did you know" theme to help promote awareness of all the great services out there for youth, but would really love recommendations for the months to come. E-mail me at kristinae@standupforkids.org.

SUFK Worcester Volunteers are the Best

Just in case we don't say it enough, SUFK Worcester Volunteer are the best!

Our volunteers not only donate several hours to street outreach. Many also help keep us going on the administrative end with fund development, time tracking, marketing, etc.

The Grants team continues to be hard at work researching grants for us. Both Liz Burrows and Donna Katsoudas (Co-Executive Directors) are helping the grants team establish proposals for future services that could use some funding.

The team is also working on ways to improve our outreach center. Donna K. and Kathy Senior (Outreach Counselor) have reached to Community Health Links to find out where there are possible gaps in the services offered to youth.

Also, the team did a great job organizing our first big fundraising event: The Community Fundraiser at Moe's Southwestern Grill). Thanks to Rob Donnelly (long distance volunteer) for creating the flyer for this event. And a special thankyou to Moe's Southwestern Grill for hosting the event for SUFK - Worcester!

Grab a Burrito on Thursday, September 16, 2010 (Your Purchase Helps SUFK - Worcester!)

Thursday, September 16, 2010
11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Moe's Southwestern Grill
Shrewsbury, MA

Print the flyer and bring it with you.*

http://www.standupforkids.org/worcester/Fundraising%20Flyer.pdf

*You must present a flyer for 10% of your purchase to go to SUFK - Worcester.

Youth Homelessness Exists

Here's a request.

Search the web this week for youth homelessness articles.

Over the past two weeks, I've been searching google each day for relevant articles pertaining to youth homelessness. When I find an article that covers National youth homelessness or an important theme on youth homelessness, I post the article to our Facebook Fan page.

What I didn't expect to find was so many articles. Articles all across the country talking about the same thing - the growing numbers of youth finding themselves on the streets.

How do they find themselves on the streets?
Some articles discuss the growing gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer population (referred to as GLBTQ for short). Kicked of their homes for coming out, they have no where to go but the streets with the lack of services out there for them.
Other articles focus on kids that have aged out of foster care. They turn 18 and lose all the services and support they've been accustomed to as kids. They have no family, no one to go home to or to call just to talk. How many of us call our parents on the way home from work just to chat and hear their voices? These kids are missing that support system.

The articles range in theme but one thing is clear - youth homelessness exists. The problem is that so many want to solve this issue, but how do we solve it? We need to get out there, find the kids, assist them.

They need a family. A support structure. They need someone who says "I care about you".

They need someone to say they have a life worth living and that they can live it.

Think about it.

The solution isn't an overnight solution. It's a commitment to our youth that will take years. But it's a commitment that needs to happen.

worcester@standupforkids.org

Latest Update from Worcester

The Worcester team has been hard at work in several areas:

• Our grants team is currently created a fund development spreadsheet and working on some grant applications. This team is fairly new (Brian Finley and Jason Goranson joined in Spring 2010). It's amazing to see how much they've done in such a short time.
• The outreach team is growing! This means we can expand our outreach hours and days. Several outreach counselors have been trying new times and new locations. We still ensure we go to the same location on our regular Tuesday night outreach, but we have also found another busy location in Worcester to start outreaching.
• Cleon McClure, Co-Director of Adult Training, successfully facilitated his first Basic Volunteer Training this month.
  
• We have two new volunteers: Amber Dudley and Amanda Ethridge. Both will join the outreach team after outreach training this Saturday. Welcome to the group, Amber and Amanda!
• The group is looking at other ways to raise funds. Stay tuned for more information on our Moe's Southwestern Grille Day!

Okay, that's it for now. Have a great week and see you again next Thursday!