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Agency Honors Successful Men and Women

Celebration of Literacy Award Winners, 2019


The annual Celebration of Literacy was held recently at Project Self-Sufficiency to honor agency participants who had impressive academic achievements, as well as those who had completed significant steps towards economic self-sufficiency during the past year.  Seven participants received honorariums in memory of longtime Project Self-Sufficiency supporters, including Dina DiGiacomo, Stephanie Freer, Elisha Johnson, Ben Lauridsen, Rachel Linzalone, Holly Pheifer, Jennifer Space, and Jessica Struble.  Honorees were addressed by New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development Deputy Commissioner Paul Yuen, Sussex County Freeholder Director Sylvia Petillo, and Sussex County Freeholder Dawn Fantasia.  Agency clients Debbie Ayers and Taiya Lewis inspired the attendees by sharing their personal experiences and the obstacles they had overcome along their respective paths to academic success.

The men and women who were acknowledged at the event included community college graduates, medical assistants, nursing students, and students at business colleges.  Several of the evening’s awardees were graduates of the sixteen-week Higher Opportunities for Women or the New Jersey Youth Corps programs.  Others had completed courses at the non-profit agency in QuickBooks or Microsoft applications.  A group of young mothers were congratulated for graduating from one of the agency’s three home visitation programs, while several other young parents were honored for their long-term participation.  Finally, several agency participants were honored for obtaining employment leading to economic self-sufficiency.

“The Celebration of Literacy is intended to honor those Project Self-Sufficiency participants who have successfully worked towards academic achievement or economic self-sufficiency during the past year,” noted Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency.  “We are very proud of the goals achieved by these men and women.  These milestones are vital steps on the path to economic self-sufficiency for these participants and for their families.”

In reviewing this year’s group of award recipients, Beverly Gordon, President of Project Self-Sufficiency’s Board of Directors, commented, “Each step these men and women take brings them closer to their personal goal of financial self-sufficiency.  We are proud to have been able to help them to determine their career paths, and more importantly, to give them the tools to start the process with a solid education in their chosen field.”

Project Self-Sufficiency has provided services to individuals and families in the New Jersey counties of Sussex, Hunterdon and northern portions of Morris and Warren for more than 30 years.  For more information, visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org.
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