April Showers Bring… Babies

It has been more than two years since the Catholic Guardian Services Parenting Resource Center has been able to host an in-person baby shower for expectant mothers in our community of care. This April, the Parenting Resource Center in partnership with the Theta Rho Sigma – Bronx Alumnae chapter of the Sorority Sigma Gamma Rho will host an in-person baby shower!

Sigma Gamma Rho is a national, collegiate sorority founded in 1922 by seven educators. All women teachers, all African Americans on a predominantly white campus, established the heart of their mission to give back to the underserved communities where they worked. Sigma Gamma Rho has been a home to thousands of collegiate and professional women who were looking for a place to share inspiring life experiences, conquer life challenges and thrive in society. Their commitment is exemplified by their slogan, "Greater Service, Greater Progress,” and the sorority has a special preference to serve women and children. The April Showers Initiative was adapted from a national initiative, Project Reassurance, created to provide health education and support to expectant, teen moms. This service has been expanded to include moms of all ages.

Rebecca Ramos, Catholic Guardian's Senior Director of Family Support Services, is a Soror [VL1] of the Theta Rho Sigma. Since joining Theta Rho Sigma in 2021, Ramos has participated in several events and fundraisers for women and children in the Bronx. "There are several outreach projects Theta Rho Sigma leads including golden meals, a Thanksgiving dinner project - in which dinners are donated to families in partnership with a local church. Theta Rho Sigma has donated more than 100 care packages to Einstein, Jacoby Medical, to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) called the Cradle Care Project. The mothers at our April shower will also receive care packages. For most of our projects, the women in the sorority connect with their networks and partner with them, which helps build community relationships."

The Parenting Resource Center offers young mothers free parenting classes to learn how to care for themselves and their newborns during and after pregnancy, including how to feed and care for a newborn, develop appropriate child development expectations, adapt to the stresses of parenthood, and strengthen their families. The Center also provides pre- and post-natal healthcare services, counseling for women in crisis pregnancies, financial assistance, and childcare supplies including cribs and layettes.

Soraya Lithgow, Program Director of Healthy Families Parkchester and the Parenting Resource Center, and Lisa Veloz, a Catholic Guardian Social Worker, oversee the parenting classes and the baby showers. Prior to March 2020, Lithgow and Veloz would host two showers a month, a morning and afternoon session, inviting all expectant mothers enrolled in courses to attend. There was always a table filled with gifts, cupcakes, layettes, books, and necessities. Lithgow said, “mothers are excited and ready to resume in-person showers.”  Veloz mentioned, "For many women, this is the only baby shower they will have for their baby."

"The baby shower planned for April 2022 will be a test-run depending on the City's health," Lithgow reported. The shower reinforces the sense of community and support system available for expectant mothers and new parents. Many mothers who attend the classes become lifelong friends. Veloz encourages new mothers to continue consulting her and her team at the Parenting Resource Center when they need support or have questions about parenting.

There are challenges in hosting an in-person event for new mothers, such as limited space and a cap on the number people who can safely attend. Before the pandemic, dads or other families were invited but, for the time being, it seems safer for to limit the guest list to moms. Ramos believes, “the showers are essential for the start of this new mother's journey.” The April Shower Initiative is a multifaceted event to provide emotional support and education for expectant and new mothers.

To learn more about the April Showers Initiative, please visit catholicguardian.org. Please consider giving generously in support of new mothers and babies.

Sporting Clays

In anticipation of Catholic Guardian’s Outdoor Sporting Clays Event on June 24th, we interviewed Kristen, who is Sporting Clays expert with the Pawling Mountain Club.

Catholic Guardian: What is Sporting Clays?

Kristen: Sporting Clays involves a scenic course and no two courses are alike. Each target's speed, angle, and distance vary with the station. Because of the varying terrain and random nature of the targets, Sporting Clays is considered one of the most realistic bird hunting simulations. Sporting Clays is always new and different.

CGS: What is the history of Sporting Clays?

Kristen: Originally called "Hunter's Clays," Sporting Clays came to the United States from England and was intended as a practice game with shots simulating typical field shots. Sporting Clays takes place on a walking course, with ten or fifteen stations each offering a different presentation. At some courses, you might shoot from a boat at targets thrown over a pond.

CGS: What is the difference between Trap, Sporting Clays, and Skeet Shooting?

Kristen: For Trap and Skeet Shooting, a participant stands in one location while three machines throw clay targets and the participant attempts to break the target using a shotgun. Sporting Clays has twelve different stations, each station has one or two machines throwing clay targets. After six to eight shots are fired at each station, the participant proceeds to the next station where a different presentation of clay targets will be thrown. At Pawling Mountain Club, for Catholic Guardian’s event, we will set a Sporting Clays course that will give each participant the opportunity to see a variety of clay target presentations.

CGS: What else can guests do at the Pawling Mountain Club?

Kristen: For guests not interested in shooting, fly fishing and spin cast instruction are available. Fly fishing is a technique for catching fish in which the bait (which typically looks like a fly) is presented on the top of the water for fish.  The technique appears to the fish as if a bug or invertebrate has landed on the top of the water or slightly below the water’s surface.

Fly fishing is in sharp contrast to traditional fishing methods in which the bait is cast out and presented to the fish below the water. Spin fishing is an angling technique in which a spinning lure is used to entice the fish to bite. Spin fishing is used in both freshwater and marine environments. Spin fishing is distinguished between fly fishing and bait cast fishing by the type of rod and reel used.

CGS: Tell us more about the Pawling Mountain Club.

Kristen: The Pawling Mountain Club is surrounded by a 1,500-acre expanse of the Appalachian Trail National Park. The preserve offers ideal woodland and open field game cover unmarked by roads and traffic. A panoramic view from the Pawling's main lodge includes the Catskills on the horizon.

CGS: How should our guests travel to the Club?

Kristen: It is necessary to follow the written instruction because the GPS does not lead you to the actual location. From New York City: Take Saw Mill Parkway into Taconic Parkway North, Exit to the right onto Route 55 East. Continue on Route 55 through 4 traffic lights (approximately 12 miles) and take the second left after the 4th traffic light onto "Old Route 55", at the bottom of a large hill. Then turn left onto Penny Road. Follow Penny Road 1‐1/4 miles to the Club. If the weather is good, a shorter route is ‐ get off at the Beekman Road exit, marked (as Hopewell Junction/Sylvan Ave), one before Route 55. From exit‐make, a right turn onto Beekman Road and take Beekman Rd to Route 55. Make a right onto 55 and go approx. 3.8 miles. (just after the 292 Junction sign, on the left side, you will see OLD ROUTE 55). Make a left onto "Old Route 55", then turn left onto Penny Rd. Follow Penny Rd. about 1 1/4 miles to the Club. (Beekman Road is windy & a more scenic road but is shorter than going up to Route 55 exit.

From I‐684: Take 684 North to end (Exit 9). 684 turns into route 22. Take Route 22 North 12 miles and then turn left onto E Main St. Go 1.4 miles (at Clock tower) slight left onto "Old Route 55" West. Take Old Route 55" approximately 2 miles to Penny Road. Then turn right onto Penny Road. Follow Penny road about 1‐¼ miles to the Club.

CGS: Can someone arrive by helicopter?

Kristen: Yes! Guests can arrive in style. There is a chopper landing on the property. Pawling Mountain Club can also be easily reached by car or train.

CGS: Is there a dress code?

Kristen: Yes, there is. Casual attire and comfortable shoes are recommended. Guests can wear khaki pants, jeans, polo shirts, or sweaters. However, t‐shirts and shorts are not allowed.

CGS: Any tips or techniques for beginners?

Kristen: Routine is important. There will be a professional shooting instructor in each group to assist in the safe handling of a firearm as well as providing techniques to breaking clay targets. Rehearse the shot in your mind first. Think about where you will look for each target and start your gun before each pair. As long as the birds are breaking, stick with your plan. If it is not working, change something. Shoot the target sooner or later, lead it more, show it less, whatever, don’t do the same thing five pairs in a row if you are missing. Keep a steady tempo as you shoot. It is easy to rush through five pairs, which almost always leads to missing.

CGS What about safety and etiquette?

Kristen: It is important to wait until you are standing in the cage to load two shells. Your muzzle goes over the waist-high barrier and downrange when you load, not inside the cage. When you're not shooting, your gun is either pointed down at the ground with the action open, or it is in a rack. Point your finger, not your gun, at show targets if you are not in the cage.

And Enjoy the experience…Sporting Clays is the most sociable target game of all. You will be surrounded by your guests. Cheering, razzing, and advice are all allowed within reason and most experienced shooters are happy to see newcomers trying the sport and will offer advice if you ask them.

To participate in the Catholic Guardian Services Outdoor Sporting Clays Event on June 24th, visit catholicguardian.org/outdoorevent

2022 Easter Dinner Basket Drive

Board member, Catherine Nelson and her daughter, Summer, championed Catholic Guardian Services first Easter Basket Drive. Providing healthy and nutritious dinners to over 100 families within our community of care.

A special thank you to Summer, for her dedication towards our mission to provide help, create hope, and preserve dignity.

Preparing Our Youth For A Better Future

 Catholic Guardian’s Wiky Toussaint was recently recognized by the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) for his outstanding performance in helping teenagers and young adults who were raised in foster care to apply to and succeed in college. Toussaint is a College Specialist, and his role is part of the Fair Futures Initiative. He assists the young people in Catholic Guardian’s community of care in preparing for, applying to, and completing college. As a result, Catholic Guardian has one of the highest percentages of young adults in college of any foster care agency.

Foster youth face huge obstacles, including a lack of financial and emotional support. Despite having dreams of attending college, nationally, only about 10 percent will enroll in a degree or vocational certificate program. Of those 10 percent, just 26 percent will graduate. Toussaint, however, is not discouraged, “I have never been offended by a hang-up call or an email not being returned by a youth.”

Toussaint’s approach is “C & P” (Consistency & Persistency). He argues that a student’s success is fueled by mentorship, stability, and access to resources. Mentoring is distinctive from parenting, and it is different from friendship. It is a unique relationship that requires nuance, thoughtfulness, and trust. Building, establishing, and maintaining trust is a process to which both the mentor and mentee must commit. “My people perish from a lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). Toussaint feels that this scripture never rang truer than when dealing with youth in care and trying to find money for college. The typical sentiment of the uninitiated is, “I will never have enough money for college.” However, there are resources such as the Educational Training Voucher, New Yorkers for Children, FCSI, Nosoro Foundation to make dreams possible. Toussaint also guides prospective college students through the application process.

A significant issue facing many youths going off to college is culture shock due to diversity issues and new experiences. Toussaint, along with his team, advise in follow-up calls and zoom interactions. He routinely hosts a “Got Questions…College Edition” zoom with several topics including time management and study strategies. The strategy is to support new college students, so they do not become too frightened by new life experiences.

To learn more about the Journey Program or help the youth in our community of care go to college, please email: Wiky Toussaint at wtoussaint@catholicguardian.org

Family Violence Prevention Project

More than 15 million children in the U.S. live in homes where domestic violence has occurred at least once. The New York City Police Department responds to approximately 230,000 domestic incidents annually. Children exposed to domestic violence suffer trauma which can result in mental health and behavioral issues that impact functioning. Compared with other children, those who have witnessed domestic violence experience far greater incidence of bedwetting, verbal, motor, and cognitive issues, learning difficulties, self-harm, aggressive and antisocial behaviors, depression and anxiety, separation/stranger anxiety, as well as adult domestic violence, with boys often becoming offenders, victims, or both, and girls more likely to become victims.

Catholic Guardian is a multi-faceted human services agency and we have been providing services to address family violence for more than 130 years. Launched in March 2022, the Family Violence Prevention Project combines resources from two programs firmly established within Catholic Guardian’s umbrella of services—the CGS Family Counseling & Wellness Center and the Parenting Resource Center—to strategically coordinate specialized, wrap-around mental health, parenting, and case management services so that young children ages 0-5 years old and non-offending parents can thrive despite a history of domestic violence.

The Family Violence Prevention Project is a two-year pilot project that will demonstrate a low-cost model that can be replicated by other community providers. Once scaled up, the approach can serve thousands, if not millions, of children. At the conclusion of the pilot, an embedded evaluator will distribute a data analysis and report detailing the impact on the children and parents as well as recommendations so that other organizations can implement the model. The project is funded, in part, by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation and the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation.

The CGS Family Center will provide two evidence-based modalities, Child Parent Psychotherapy and Trauma Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for the child. The Parenting Resource Center will provide Incredible Years (IY), an evidence-based parenting group to address the parent’s response to the child’s trauma symptomatology. Michael Burgos, the Assistant Executive Director Family Support Services, reported, “we have begun training our staff on the Incredible Years curriculum for ages 3 to 6 to enhance previous training for working with parents of children ages 0-3. The clinicians, through a trauma-focused behavioral training programs have become equipped with tools needed for this form of service.”

Community District 9 located in the Bronx, where the CGS Family Counseling & Wellness Center and our Parenting Resource Center are located, has the highest number of domestic violence incident reports in New York City and some of the highest incidents of felony assault by an intimate partner. While there are service providers in the Bronx that work with parents experiencing domestic violence, as well as providers of mental health services and parenting skills interventions, young children and their non-offending caregivers would be better served by a single resource that combines services to address the specific needs of children ages 0-5 years who have witnessed domestic violence.

At Catholic Guardian Services, we strive to safeguard and empower families through supportive interventions that provide help, create hope, and preserve dignity through a variety of Family Support Services. The addition of the Family Domestic Violence Prevention Program will expand our services for vulnerable members of our community.

To learn more about the Family Violence Prevention Project and our other programs, please visit catholicguardian.org