APRIL 2014 Family Spotlight: The Miles Family ASK US ABOUT: ShopRite Sexual Assault Awareness Month PN Youth of Promise eacon B The Promise Neighborhood INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Family Highlight 1 D.A.R.E. 2 New Number 3 Healthy Snack 4 PNFSC Calendar 5 The members of the Miles family are familiar faces to the staff and visitors of the Promise Neighborhood Family Success Center. Whether it’s Sister Zola or her husband Baba leading a workshop, their daughter Teafinie stopping by to fold the clothes on the donation table, or Teafinie’s children coming in excitedly for the day’s activity, the Miles family are no strangers here. “I like to let the kids come over and play on the computers while I help out and make sure the donation table is neat,” Teafinie expressed. Sister Zola and her husband have lived in Camden for almost 15 years and in that time they have been active in their community through teaching and entrepreneurship. They had the opportunity to open two clothing manufacturing companies and Sister Zola taught in the Camden school system. “Even though times are challenging for many of us, we can still show love and find ways to share with others,” Sister Zola explained over a cup of coffee in the Success Center kitchen. The Success Center has been able to work with Sister Zola through her experience with clothing manufacturing. The largely successful Doll Fashion Workshop was created and led by Sister Zola and it gave young girls from Camden the opportunity to learn how to sew clothing for their own dolls. The workshop was followed by a fashion show where the young girls were able to showcase their hand- made doll clothing. While the Success Center was very happy to have Sister Zola, it seems she even returns the sentiment saying, “The Center is open for ideas which gives individuals the opportunity to come in a develop programs that they may want to lead. I think that the Center goes out of its way to be open for the entire family. Open for children as well as the adults.” Baba has also been able to lead successful workshops at the PNFSC. His Business Opportunity workshops showed participants alternative ways to earning money. Honesty Box Is there something you’d like to see in the newsletter? Is there something we could be doing better? We look forward to your call or visit. Can’t make it? We’ll see you on our walk-throughs of the community! The workshops also encourage entrepreneurship and personal success. The Miles family shows that the Success Center caters to every member of the family just by their participation. From the oldest, 21-year-old Rashida (who is a mother of two and Baby’s Best Start graduate) down to the youngest Najah (who participated in the Doll Workshop) and even their younger cousin Asiah (who was a little timid but participated in the Zumba program), Sister Zola’s grandchildren, and family as a whole, are able to find their own niche at the Promise Neighborhood Family Success Center. “The fact that the Center is an opportunity for people from the community to benefit in many ways is great,” Baba explained as he smiled brightly, “as a matter of fact, I think Center For Family Services is pretty good all the way through.” The Miles family smiles on the couch at the PNFSC.
Transcript
A P R I L 2 0 1 4
Family Spotlight: The Miles Family
ASK US ABOUT:
ShopRite
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
PN Youth of Promise
eacon B The Promise Neighborhood
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Family Highlight 1
D.A.R.E. 2
New Number 3
Healthy Snack 4
PNFSC Calendar 5
The members of the Miles family are familiar faces to the staff and visitors of the Promise Neighborhood Family Success Center. Whether it’s Sister Zola or her husband Baba leading a workshop, their daughter Teafinie stopping by to fold the clothes on the donation table, or Teafinie’s children coming in excitedly for the day’s activity, the Miles family are no strangers here.
“I like to let the kids come over and play on the computers while I help out and make sure the donation table is neat,” Teafinie expressed.
Sister Zola and her husband have lived in Camden for almost 15 years and in that time they have been active in their community through teaching and entrepreneurship. They had the opportunity to open two clothing manufacturing companies and Sister Zola taught in the Camden school system.
“Even though times are challenging for many of us, we can still show love and find ways to share with others,” Sister Zola explained over a cup of coffee in the Success Center kitchen.
The Success Center has been able to work with Sister Zola through her experience with clothing manufacturing. The largely successful Doll Fashion Workshop was created and led by Sister Zola and it gave young girls from
Camden the opportunity to learn how to sew clothing for their own dolls.
The workshop was followed by a fashion show where the young girls were able to showcase their hand-made doll clothing.
While the Success Center was very happy to have Sister Zola, it seems she even returns the sentiment saying, “The Center is open for ideas which gives individuals the opportunity to come in a develop programs that they may want to lead. I think that the Center goes out of its way to be open for the entire family. Open for children as well as the adults.”
Baba has also been able to lead successful workshops at the PNFSC. His Business Opportunity workshops showed participants alternative ways to earning money.
Honesty Box
Is there something you’d like to see in the newsletter? Is
there something we could be doing
better? We look forward to
your call or visit. Can’t make it? We’ll
see you on our walk-throughs of the
community!
The workshops also encourage entrepreneurship and personal success.
The Miles family shows that the Success Center caters to every member of the family just by their participation. From the oldest, 21-year-old Rashida (who is a mother of two and Baby’s Best Start graduate) down to the youngest Najah (who participated in the Doll Workshop) and even their younger cousin Asiah (who was a little timid but participated in the Zumba program), Sister Zola’s grandchildren, and family as a whole, are able to find their own niche at the Promise Neighborhood Family Success Center.
“The fact that the Center is an opportunity for people from the community to benefit in many ways is great,” Baba explained as he smiled brightly, “as a matter of fact, I think Center For Family Services is pretty good all the way through.”
The Miles family smiles on the couch at the PNFSC.
P A G E 2
“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
~Albert Schweitzer
This Month in Cooper Lanning
Promise Neighborhood Resources
Center For Family Services has partnered with ShopRite to bring your groceries to you! This Food Access Program will
assist families in buying groceries online and picking them up from the PNFSC or the Isabel Miller Community Center. Need help registering or ordering online? Stop by the Promise Neighborhood Family Success Center and use our FREE computer lab.
Call 856.964.8096 for more info
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies
Get involved in your community and participate in monthly community meetings for Lanning Square West. The next meeting will be held on April 1st at 6pm in the OEO building (538 South Broadway). Bring your questions, comments, and concerns about your neighborhood.
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and to do our part in spreading awareness, the PNFSC is hosting a Denim Day Drive & Project. Community members are encouraged to donate an old piece of denim clothing to be decorated and displayed in honor of those affected by sexual assault. Come to the Sheila L. Roberts Park and hear Sister Zola recite her original poem titled, “Celebration Time”.
See Calendar on Page 5 for details.
ShopRite
Camden Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies/Healthy Start advocates for pregnant women, babies and families in Camden City to improve birth outcomes and positively influence the health of the community. Services include: one-on-one care for pregnant women and new moms, Fathers on Track, a peer support group for dads and health education on parenting, pregnancy and child development.
Call 856.665.6000 for enrollment information
The Promise Neighborhood Initiative, in partnership with Planned Parenthood of Southern New Jersey (PPSNJ), is introducing Youth of Promise. Each month, PPSNJ will lead educational sessions for local youth at the Promise Neighborhood Family Success Center, covering meaningful topic areas such as positive relationships, reproductive health and the like. PPSNJ will engage youth in discussions surrounding these topics, empowering the youth to become educated role models for their local peers. Youth will also work together to create monthly service projects to be executed in their communities. Participants will have the opportunity to attend monthly field trips with other youth involved with PPSNJ as a reward for their active role as a Youth of Promise.
Call 856.964.8096 to get your youth involved
Youth of Promise
Camden Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies/Healthy Start will be having a coalition meeting on Wednesday, April 23rd from 5:30pm-7:00pm at Camden Healthy Start Annex located at 2600 Mt. Ephraim Avenue. Come out and learn more about the program and how you can benefit. Dinner will be served.
Call 856.665.6000 for more info
Bring your children out to participate in an egg hunt this month. The Promise Neighborhood Family Success Center will be hosting an egg hunt for children on Tuesday, April 15th at 4:30pm. Surprise giveaways will be provided on a first come, first serve basis. Who will find the most eggs?
See calendar on page 5 for details.
P A G E 3
Family Success Center Updates
Hello neighbors,
The staff at the Promise Neighborhood Family Success Center would like to invite you to participate in our Food Access Program. Center For Family Services has partnered with ShopRite to provide you with more convenient access to healthy food options.
You can order your groceries online at shoprite.com and have them delivered to our building (580 Benson Street), FREE of any delivery charges or fees. When you pick up your order, you will receive a punch card and when you get 10 punches you will receive a gift from the PNFSC as a way to show our appreciation for your loyalty to our program. Do you have friends that live far from Benson Street? We have another delivery location at the Isabel Miller Community Center at 8th & Carl Miller Boulevard in Centerville.
The Food Access Program has been designed to help members of the community get more nutritious foods regardless of the lack of a grocery store in the area. As another aspect of the program, we now have a Couponing Club at the PNFSC as well as financial literacy workshops. Stop by today and ask us how to register for an online ShopRite account.
Best wishes, Your Promise Neighborhood Team
An invitation from...
Your Promise Neighborhood Team
Would you like to lead a workshop or activity at the Promise Neighborhood Family Success Center? Talk to us about your ideas and we can make it happen!
Call us directly at 856.964.8096
The Promise Neighborhood Family Success Center has a new phone number! We can now be reached directly at 856.964.8096. Save us in your phone contacts or address book!
Stop by the PNFSC and give our new Americorps VISTA Data Manager a warm welcome to the community. We are glad to have Patrick as a member of the Promise Neighborhood Team!
P A G E 4
April Family Recipe:
Fresh fruit and yogurt pops
What you need:
-2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
-1/4 cup corn syrup
-2 cups fresh fruit of your choice
-blender or food processor
-wooden popsicle sticks
-frozen pop molds or small cups
-aluminum foil
NOTE: These ingredients can be purchased from ShopRite and delivered to the Promise Neighborhood Family Success Center. Ask us how to get your groceries delivered… FREE of charge!
Call 856.964.8096 or stop by 580 Benson Street today.
Springtime is here and what better way to celebrate than
to have a creative snack made with fresh fruit?
Ingredients ready to be blended
The final product
What you do:
1. Place yogurt, vanilla extract, lemon juice, corn syrup and 1 cup fruit in blender or food processor.
2. Blend mixture until smooth.
3. Add remaining cup of fruit and pulse in blender until fruit is broken down into small pieces.
4. Pour mixture into eight 1/2 cup frozen-pop molds and push the tops on (or small cups). *If using small cups, use aluminum foil to cover cups.
5. Insert wooden sticks.
6. Freeze at least 4 hours.
P A G E 5
What has Promise Neighborhood been up to?
This month’s PN events! Join us!
~ ShopRite grocery delivery - City-wide and Cooper Lanning outreach
~ Cure Violence Initiative - to interrupt violence in our city
~ Partnerships with businesses, organizations and individuals in the community - bringing nutrition, and financial literacy workshops to the Promise Neighborhood Family Success Center
~ Community Café - bringing residents together to discuss issues facing the community
~ 24/7 Dads - covering a state-certified curriculum based on the National Fatherhood Initiative
~ Collaboration with Planned Parenthood - providing youth with an educational youth group: Youth of Promise
~ Computer classes - helping families become acquainted with computers and computer programs
~ Daily assistance at the PNFSC - providing families with resume building, suits for job interviews, job searching and volunteer opportunities
Read the CCLPN Blog at: centerffs.org/promise-neighborhood/blog
Contact us or stop by today!
Facebook.com/centerffs
Your CCLPN Team
Kelsey Sanderson
Volunteer & Community
Partnerships Coordinator
Nicole Sheppard
Associate Vice President
Juan Rivera
PNFSC Program
Director
Veronica Mason
Family Partner
Marchelle Roberts
Promise
Neighborhood
Program Assistant
Fatima Dale
Family Partner
Dumisani Bankole
Community Organizer
The Camden Cooper Lanning Promise Neighborhood
Camden Cooper Lanning Promise Neighborhood (CCLPN) is an initiative led by Center For Family Services (CFS) that is designed to strengthen Camden families. This initiative covers families living in the 08103 zip code, which consists of the Cooper Plaza and Lanning Square West neighborhoods. In efforts to break down barriers and encourage working together to better the community, Cooper Plaza and Lanning Square were united and the one community is now Cooper Lanning. With funding from a 2013 Department of Education Promise Neighborhood Planning Grant and your personal consent, CCLPN Team members will be able to track your family to ensure that all residents of Cooper Lanning receive the services and resources necessary to lead healthy and successful lives.
The CCLPN Team is working with:
The City of Camden
Cooper University Hospital
Cooper Lanning Civic Association
Lanning Square Residents Association
Rowan University at Camden
And more than 20 other providers to guarantee that we are: Remaining community-based and focused on local community needs
Maximizing educational achievements for children in Cooper Lanning
Ensuring that each of the individual programs within the initiative is
effective, fostering strong links across programs to ensure smooth
transitions and continuous services for families
We ask that you, the residents of Cooper Lanning, hold us accountable to our commitments to you and your family.
