Back-to-School Open Houses at Little Sprouts

Parents who are thinking about the back-to-school season are encouraged to take a look at the daycare and the morning and afternoon pre-school programs offered at the Little Sprouts Early Learning Center.  Open Houses will be held at the state-of-the-art facility on Tuesdays, August 7^th, 14^th, 21^st and 28^th, from 7:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  Families with children from infancy through the age of six are invited to tour the daycare and preschool facility, which is located on the Project Self-Sufficiency campus at 127 Mill Street in Newton.

The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center features separate classrooms for each age group, from infants through those entering pre-school.  Fully-qualified teachers are available in each classroom and the child-teacher ratio adheres to or exceeds state standards.  In addition to the sparkling classrooms, there is an all-purpose room for active indoor play and parent presentations, as well as a sick room for those children who may fall ill during the day.  The center is equipped with two separate playgrounds, one for younger tots and one for older children.  Each room has new equipment, as well as learning centers for dramatic play, computers, science, housekeeping, sand and water play, reading, and music.  The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center offers the National School Lunch Program (NLSP), a federally-assisted meal program which provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day.  Any child may purchase a meal through the NLSP.  Children from families at or below 130% of the poverty level are eligible for free meals.  Those with incomes between 130% - 185% of the poverty level are eligible for reduced-price meals, for which students can be charged no more than 40 cents.  Children who are part of households who receive food stamps or benefits under the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) are automatically eligible.   Afterschool snacks are provided to children on the same income eligibility basis.

The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center, which has been named after B. Douglas Gordon and Elizabeth Houskeeper Gordon, uses “Creative Curriculum” in all of its programs.  “Creative Curriculum helps instructors to design a preschool program that teaches children important academic skills and helps them to develop socially,” notes Claire Willetts, Program Coordinator at Project Self-Sufficiency.   “The classrooms are set up to give structure to each child’s day, and to provide appropriate experiences for children, in accordance with their level of development.  The curriculum also involves families in the program, and guides learning in literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, and technology while supporting children’s social and emotional development.”

“We are delighted to be able to offer quality childcare services to the community in a state-of-the-art building,” noted Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency.  “Our staff is excellent, our site is beautiful, and the curriculum we offer will ensure that all of the children placed in our care learn the social and academic skills they need to succeed.”

The Little Sprouts Early Learning Center is located at 127 Mill Street in Newton.  Little Sprouts offers space for 83 youngsters, ages 6 weeks to 6 years.  The facility accepts all types of subsidized daycare assistance, and slots for new students are still available.  Those who are unable to tour the Little Sprouts Early Learning Center during the August Open Houses are invited to contact Clare Willetts at 973-940-3500 to make alternate arrangements.  For more information visit the center’s website, www.littlesproutsearlylearningcenter.org.

Community Garden Provides Fresh Food for Families in Need

Frances Gould Naftal and her husband, Marvin, own a farm in Sussex County, raising animals along with fruits and vegetables.   Longtime financial supporters of Project Self-Sufficiency, a local non-profit agency which specializes in services for low-income families, the couple were mulling over alternative ways to help the participants served by the non-profit agency.   “One day it hit me,” remembers Frances.  “I thought Project Self-Sufficiency should have a garden.  I feel very serious about food and food systems.  People should be growing some of their own food and it should be a part of our culture.  It’s vital that people have access to fresh food because it makes people healthier.” 

Coincidentally, the agency’s Board of Directors had been grappling with the issue of providing fresh, locally-grown produce to their participants for years.  While Project Self-Sufficiency has a food pantry for participants, fresh produce was not donated consistently and there was no system in place for educating participants and their children about using fresh fruits and vegetables in meal planning.  With the agency’s recent move to a 5-acre campus in Newton, the issue appeared to resolve itself.  Why not start with the children in the agency’s childcare center?  Build a large garden behind the Little Sprouts Early Learning Center and involve the children in the planting, care and harvesting of fresh fruits and vegetables.

So Frances hired a back hoe one day last spring and the garden was born.  Much of the summer months were spent installing fencing and raised beds for planting.  Some produce was harvested and the education program began to gather steam.   Fast forward to Spring of 2012, and the agency was once again faced with the challenge of caring for such a large parcel of land.  At the same time, Erin Shroll and Lisa Kelly, coordinators of Harmony Starts, a local organization which grows organic plants from seedlings, were searching for a project that would involve their volunteers.  Erin is a Master Horticulturalist and Lisa is a marketing specialist involved with local organizations such as the Foodshed Alliance and Genesis Farms.  Harmony Starts donated vegetable seedlings to fill six raised beds with cucumbers, broccoli, kale, tomatoes, beans and other plants. 

Project Self-Sufficiency Treasurer Rhoda Seider gathered a team of volunteers made up of agency supporters, local gardeners and friends of Harmony Starts, including Mary Spector, Pat Wilson, Chuck Mathia, Laura Quigley, and Elysia Ochs.  Throughout the spring and summer months the team has met weekly and together they have mulched, watered, weeded and created a bountiful garden.  “The spirit of the committee and the enthusiasm of the idea of providing homegrown vegetables to our participants was such a lift for us,” noted Rhoda Seider.  “It’s bringing a smile to everyone’s face.”  Produce is harvested daily and offered to agency participants as they enter the lobby at Project Self-Sufficiency.  Baskets are provided for families to cart produce home and share with their children.

“Getting fresh food to low-income families in our area is a constant challenge, yet we live in an area of New Jersey renowned for its lush farmland and the fresh produce available at local markets,” remarked Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency.   “We are humbled by the efforts of all of the volunteers who have come together to help to address the issue of hunger in our community in a meaningful, long-lasting way.  They have helped to break the cycle of poverty by not only providing food to these families, but educating them about the importance of fresh fruits and vegetables as part of a daily diet.”

The garden project at Project Self-Sufficiency has been a successful venture, and Frances Gould Naftal would like to see other community gardens popping up throughout the area.  “We are doing our best to get the food into the pantry.  Project Self-Sufficiency does a wonderful job.  They serve the community that needs it.  When you see a little child pulling carrots out of the ground and realize that they know where their food comes from, it’s really kind of a miracle.”

For more information about the programs and services available at Project Self-Sufficiency, visit the agency’s website www.projectselfsufficiency.org or call the agency at 973-940-3500.

Local Kids Learn about the Arts at Project Vacation

Sussex County children learned all about dance, music, fine arts and visual arts at the “Project Vacation: Exploring the Arts” summer camp held recently at Project Self-Sufficiency.   Local professionals volunteered their time to teach children about photography, dance, and pottery, while teen volunteers supervised art projects and shepherded the children between activities.  A final performance from the group highlighted their knowledge of dance and other theatrical arts.

“This camp would not have been possible without the extraordinary efforts of Program Coordinator Stephanie Sumpman and numerous volunteers,” noted Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency.  Volunteers included artists Colleen Duffy and Kasey Kornak, photographer Rob Yaskovic, vocal music teacher Helen Evans, instrumental music teacher Rick Rentler, harpist Katie Pachnos, and dance teachers from the Dance Expression Dance Arts studio.  Teen volunteers included Tim Allocca, Andrew Alsot, Liz Alsot, Catharine Berry-Toon, Nick Esposito, Ruby Esposito, Victoria Kunesch, Brian Jefferson, Emily Jefferson, Elsie Lee, Carly Leifken, Katie O’Brien, Laura Pachnos, Heili Pallan, Hans Pallan, and Spencer Sumpman.

Computer Classes offered during August

Project Self-Sufficiency will be offering a variety of computer classes in August, including a basic Introduction to Personal Computers, an advanced class in Microsoft Excel, an introductory course in Microsoft Word, and courses designed specifically for seniors and for men.  All classes will take place in the agency’s Career Center, which is located at 127 Mill Street in Newton.   The fee for each Microsoft course is $10; the remaining workshops are free.     Students must be registered Family Success Center or Project Self-Sufficiency participants. Call 973-940-3500 to register.

Free Family Law Seminar in August

Amanda Best, Esquire, will discuss grounds for divorce, court procedures, child support, custody, alimony, equitable distribution of assets and other topics related to divorce at a free Family Law seminar on Tuesday, August 7th, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at Project Self-Sufficiency.  Free and open to the public; registration required.  Call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500 to register.

Free Legal Advice offered at Project Self-Sufficiency

Free one-on-one meetings with an attorney are available between the hours of 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. on Thursday evenings, August 2^nd – 30^th, at Project Self-Sufficiency in Newton.   Legal education is provided by attorneys affiliated with the Sussex County Bar Association.  Consultations are scheduled at 45-minute intervals.  The sessions are free and open to Sussex County residents who meet income eligibility guidelines; consultations are available by appointment only. Call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500 to schedule an appointment.

Enroll in New Jersey Family Care at Project Self-Sufficiency

Project Self-Sufficiency offers open enrollment appointments for New Jersey Family Care, the health insurance plan offered by the state of New Jersey to eligible children and low-income parents, every Wednesday morning, from 9:00 – 11:00 a.m., and every Thursday evening, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. 

New Jersey Family Care is a comprehensive health insurance program that provides a wide range of services, including visits to a physician, eye glasses, hospitalization, lab work, x-rays, prescriptions, regular checkups, mental health, and dental coverage.  Medical services are available at Health Maintenance Organizations in each county.  Depending on family income, there may be restrictions on certain services.  Coverage in the health care plan is available for children 18 years of age and younger, as well as parents who meet income eligibility requirements.  Eligibility is based on family size, monthly income and other factors.   For more information, visit http://www.projectselfsufficiency.org/nj-family-care-application-sussex-county-new-jersey.html or call Project Self-Sufficiency at 973-940-3500.