o 100% of children served through our preventative services initiative
have stayed out of New York City's foster care system.
o Annual community events at our Minisink Townhouse in Central Harlem
include a community Thanksgiving dinner and turkey distribution to
needy families; Halloween party; health fair and holiday toy drive.
Program Snapshots
AMACHI NY, based on a model developed by Public/Private Ventures (P/PV), a national non-profit organization based in Philadelphia PA, is a mentoring program that matches volunteer mentors from church congregations with the children of incarcerated parents in one-to-one mentoring relationships. The program model, which was initiated in Philadelphia in 2000, is in the midst of a nationwide expansion.
CAREER READINESS AND EDUCATION WORKSHOP (CREW), administered at our
Minisink Townhouse, is a 12-month Employment and Education Program for in-school
youth aged 14 to 18. CREW is designed to create a community of care for young
people that encourages school retention, academic success and strategic career
planning. The program provides after-school activities during the school year
and full-day employment and personal enrichment activities during the summer
recess. The program service modules include Comprehensive Assessment; Counseling;
Academic Readiness; School Advocacy; Employment Training; Employability Skills
and Work Readiness; Job Development; Mentoring; Leadership Development; Health
Promotions and Crisis Intervention.
CLUB REAL DEAL offers New York City adolescents a healthy, safe, nurturing and educational environment during after school hours. This program, administered from the Minisink Townhouse, is designed to prevent unintended and early pregnancy through academic motivation and assistance; family, life and sexuality education classes; job training and employment opportunities; sports; creative self-expression; and access to medical, dental and mental health services. The program is conducted in four-year cycles to ensure that it has a maximum impact on participants.
FAMILY LIFE MANAGEMENT CENTER provides a variety of services that prevent
the disintegration of the family as a unit, including parent empowerment training
(parent advocacy and child development activities) and individual/family counseling.
Domestic violence workshops, relationship counseling, and young father/young
mother discussion groups are also provided. In keeping with the concept of a
community of care, needed services that Mission Society does not have the capacity
to provide are accessed through other neighborhood providers with whom linkages
have been established.
SCHOOL-BASED AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS provide children (ages 5-11) with a safe, fun-filled environment in which to learn and play during after school hours. These programs – which are operated in PS 175, PS 92, PS 192, and PS 28 – offer activities such as homework help, ESL instruction, arts and crafts, music, dance, computer training, and sports.
SUMMER
DAY CAMP POWER ACADEMY at Minisink Townhouse channels the energy of inner-city
children ages 6-12 into positive academic, cultural and recreational activities.
YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM provides teens from low-income families with 7 weeks of paid work experience in the public sector during the summer. Inherent in the design of the program is the development of a pool of jobs and the matching of young people to those jobs in a way that is appropriate to their skills, interests and abilities. In support of this process, adjustment to the workplace and work performance is closely monitored. Counseling relative to work place behavior is provided to support youngsters, and frequent interfacing with supervisors ensures substantive work experience and dispute mediation.
