News from Project Self-Sufficiency

  Enrollment for the next session of the New Jersey Youth Corps program at Project Self-Sufficiency is underway.   The sixteen-week program launches in March and is currently being offered as a hybrid of virtual and in-person curricula and activities.   The New Jersey Youth Corps gives those who have not completed high school the opportunity to boost their literacy skills, prepare for the high school equivalency exam, obtain on-the-job work experience, and transition into a career, college or the military.   Interested participants are invited to attend a virtual Open House hosted by Project Self-Sufficiency to learn more about the New Jersey Youth Corps and to complete an application.   Virtual Open Houses will be held at 11:00 a.m. on January 31 st , February 7 th , 14 th , 22 nd , and 28 th , and at 5:00 p.m. on January 27 th , February 3 rd , 10 th , 17 th and 24 th .   Interested attendees are invited to call 973-940-3500 for log-in details.   In addition, program coordin

  Project Self-Sufficiency will continue the workshop and discussion series, “PACEs at PSS”, designed to facilitate the conversation about issues surrounding Positive & Adverse Childhood Experiences (PACEs ), with a virtual session on Monday, February 7 th at 5:00 p.m.   P articipants are invited to explore the Connections Matter curriculum, a program funded by the New Jersey Department of Children and Families and led by Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey designed to engage providers, parents, and community members in building caring connections to improve resiliency.   Discussion will focus on understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences and trauma and demonstrate how caring connections serve as a primary buffer in the negative effects of trauma.   The training is appropriate for parents and providers raising and teaching school aged children.   During the periodic PACEs at PSS workshops, trauma experts and guest speakers address the impact of adverse childhood experiences

  Project Self-Sufficiency is seeking donations of new and gently used formal wear, including prom dresses, bridesmaids’ dresses, gowns for mothers-of-the-bride, evening bags, jewelry, wraps and shawls, as well as shoes in good condition for display in the agency’s annual “Sister-to-Sister” Prom Shop.   Dresses must be dry cleaned and on a hanger.   In the shop, which is housed on Project Self-Sufficiency’s Newton campus, gowns and accessories are displayed in a boutique-like setting, and teen girls are invited to select shoes, wraps and jewelry to complement their dress.   The Sister-to-Sister Prom Shop will be open during select dates in the spring.   “The community has been particularly supportive of the ‘Sister-to-Sister Prom Shop’ every year, and we are fortunate to have a large collection of beautiful gowns and accessories in our collection,” commented Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency.   “We believe that every young woman deserves the chanc