Youth Service Advisory Board

NORWICH YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES ADVISORY BOARD MEETING May 8th 2012 ROOM 335, NORWICH CITY HALL (860) 823-3782 - FAX (860) 892-6031 Email: nyfs@cityofnorwich.org MINUTES The Norwich Youth and Family Services Advisory Board meeting was held on September 11th, 2012 in Room 335 in Norwich City Hall. Those in attendance were as follows: Kay Eyberse-Coordinator Jodi Vara-Norwich Free Academy, President Deb Kievits-Community Member Laura Koniecko - NPS Angela Rae Duhaime-Community Member Soledad Busto-Juvenile Court Absent: Duncan Profitt-Community Member Anthony J. Gomes – NP Sorna Sarker-Youth Member/Secretary Vouise Fonville-DCF Jodi called the meeting to order at 8:30. She began the meeting by having everyone introduce him/herself, sign in and update any email information. There was no meeting on July 10th. Many members were unavailable for a variety of reasons and Kay was called to jury duty. At the time it was decided to simply meet the next meeting date…9/11/12. The minutes from the May 2012 meeting were distributed and read. The minutes were approved as written. Program Review ~ • “Summer Jam and Learn” Diversion Collaborative- This six week summer program ran from July 2nd through August 9th. This specialized program focused on at-risk kids 10-14. 18 young people participated in the six week program which focused on anger management, character development, community service and fun. • Norwich Youth Action Council- NYAC raised $1558 with their Flocking Flamingo Fundraiser throughout the month of May and June. One half of the proceeds were donated to the Norwich Recreation Department and half was donated to the Summer Jam program. Many of the NYAC youth volunteered over the summer for the Summer Jam and Learn Program…they acted as mentors for the program youth. They were also the primary participants in the Norwich Prevention Council’s Sticker Shock initiative aimed at increasing awareness of the consequences of buying alcohol for minors. We also managed to get a fun  day in over the summer and took them over to Block Island on the Ferry for a day of exploration. Family Fun Night is scheduled for September 25th, they are planning “Halloween Movie Night” on Monday October 29th for preschool through 3rd grade at NFA and November 18th are schedule to host a Pancake Breakfast/Silent Auction at the Senior Center to raise money for the post 9/11 Memorial. • Girls Circle- Girls Circle will begin in early October for 2012-2013. Recruitment is ongoing. • Norwich Prevention Council – Will be meeting directly following the NYFS Advisory Board and final plans for the upcoming grant will be discussed. • Strengthening Families- The program is scheduled to begin on Tuesday October 23rd and will be held at the Senior Center. Recruitment is in progress. • Juvenile Review Board/FWSN- We will be hiring a new case manager to work with both the JRB and FWSN Boards beginning in October. We hope to see 70 or so new cases in this upcoming year. • Summer Youth Employment Program – We had 121 successfully employed young people this summer. That’s 121 youth x 25 hours per week x 6 weeks or approximately 18150 man hours of labor these young people were able to provide to the community. • Cool Directions - We will be reapplying for funding this year at the same level as before. We serviced a total of 31 youth during the year, providing intensive work, and employment services. New Business Updates ~ • We will be beginning the process of integrating the work of the Norwich Prevention Council more thoroughly into the NYFS Advisory Board this month. It will meet directly after this meeting. • Family Day is coming up FAST on September 16th at Mohegan Park!!! It is the 10th anniversary of this fantastic community event. Please join us! Next Board meeting will be November 13thth 2012 from 8:30-9:30am. Room 335 in City Hall Refreshments will be served. All are welcome! NYFS is now on Facebook. Check it out for program updates, tips and upcoming events!