The Project Self-Sufficiency administrators and Board of Directors paid
homage to the agency’s hard-working staff by creating a drive-through celebration
at the agency’s parking lot on Thursday.
Employees at the non-profit organization were greeted with raucous
applause as they arrived in their cars, receiving a container of Cliff’s Ice
Cream from longtime Project Self-Sufficiency supporters Pete Freund and Melissa
Lewandowski, a beautiful perennial from agency supporters and Cahill’s Farm
owners Bob and Eileen Cahill, and a note of gratitude from Executive Director
Deborah Berry-Toon. The parade of cars
was serenaded by violinist Susan Mittelstadt.
The timing was serendipitous according to Berry-Toon. “The Project Self-Sufficiency staff has been
incredible during this public health crisis.
Our daycare and preschool teachers, along with our New Jersey Youth
Corps staff, have been moving forward with classes online. Our nurses and home visitors have been
keeping up their scheduled visits with their clients by using telehealth and
video outreach. Our Career Center staff
has continued the Higher Opportunities for Women coursework via Zoom,” she
remarked. “At the same time, we have
been able to launch The Food Project: Nourishing Our Neighbors and we successfully
converted our annual Taste of Talent to a direct mail fundraising campaign. We are tremendously grateful to the community
for their continued support.”
Typically, Project Self-Sufficiency serves thousands of clients each
month at its Newton campus or in the privacy of their participants’ homes in
the New Jersey counties of Sussex, Warren and Hunterdon. With the advent of the current public health
crisis, the agency’s more than 70 employees quickly adapted to serving these
individuals and families remotely. Video
chat platforms have been used for large group gatherings, like the monthly
Mommy Parties for home visitation clients, as well as smaller group instruction
for the Little Sprouts Early Learning Center preschool classes and the New
Jersey Youth Corps high school diploma equivalency program. Project Self-Sufficiency’s Central Intake,
which fields calls from Sussex and Warren County residents in need of medical,
educational and social services, has operated seamlessly since the onset of the
public health crisis. Meanwhile,
visits to the agency’s food pantry have soared in recent weeks.
“We wanted to show how proud we are of the overwhelming
dedication of the Project Self-Sufficiency staff to serving the area’s neediest
families at a time when their own lives may have been disrupted by school
closures, and the furloughs of their own family members,” added Berry-Toon. “This is a beautiful way to show our
gratitude and kick off the Mother’s Day weekend.”
Project Self-Sufficiency is accepting food and monetary donations, Monday
– Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Those
who need assistance or who want to drop off a donation are encouraged to call
the agency at 973-940-3500 prior to visiting the campus at 127 Mill Street in
Newton. To make a donation, or to find
out more about the programs and services offered by Project Self-Sufficiency,
visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org.
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