June 2008

Thank you for your support in the first half of 2008, which has made the past several months a great success for CFLS!

        Since the start of the year, CFLS has made a significant progress in several areas.  Our Youth Development Program helped seven children finish the school year on the honor role, and one child graduated 3rd in her middle school class.  Our housing program has also had enormous success.  During the months of May and June alone, two clients have moved into permanent   housing after a two and a half year stay in separate transitional housing programs.  One of those is the mother of a teenage son and has purchased her first condo home with the assistance of the MANNA Homebuyer Club.  The other has landed a job that she loves selling cars and is currently moving into an apartment with her two children.  Both of these clients were referred to CFLS from transitional housing programs that help clients with credit counseling and budgeting.  Over the course of the entire year we have successfully relocated over 20 families into permanent housing all over the city.  We are also in the process of starting a new employment services program, which you can read more about below.

         You can help someone receive the services they need in order to change their quality of life forever.  Please help CFLS provide the helping hand that so many in our area are desperately searching for by donating today.

Sincerely,

Claudia Thorne

Executive Director

New Beginnings for CFLS and the Unemployed

            Community Family Life Services (CFLS) is currently embarking on a new employment program that is sure to become a vital service for many of our clients.  The goal of this new project is to promote a successful transition into permanent employment for hard-to-employ populations.  We at CFLS believe this program is so promising due to a combination of three factors: a strong foundation, a clear vision, and a demonstrated need.  First, we have an exciting new partnership with the District of Columbia's Department of Employment Services (DOES), which will be referring clients to CFLS to participate in our employment program.  Second CFLS' new Employment department has bold ideas and aspirations for how to maximize the program's effectiveness and impact.  Third, the current economic slowdown has created a growing need for services for the unemployed to help them develop and maintain self-sufficiency amidst growing economic challenges.  CFLS is determined to develop job opportunities for our clients that are meaningful and that offer a livable wage.  We are confident that this program will not only allow those we serve to improve their economic prospects, but that it will also      empower these individuals and their families to develop sustainable strategies for a happy and productive future.

            The focal point of our employment program is to give hard-to-serve people the tools they need achieve permanent employment.  This group of people is comprised of ex-offenders, discouraged workers, and others.  DOES will refer such individuals to our organization and to other organizations in the city so that we may help them to overcome their barriers and gain financial stability.  Initially, the program will look to establish temporary jobs for clients at a starting wage that will be subsidized by the DOES.  These jobs may include skilled or unskilled work, clerical positions, entry-level jobs in a variety of industries, and apprenticeships.  The final goal will be to move the workers from their subsidized jobs into unsubsidized, permanent jobs with higher wages.  This will be accomplished through a series of intermediary steps based on an Individual Employment Program, which will create specific employment and learning goals for each person.  Tailored to each individual, this program will teach a variety of life skills and job skills, including resume building, interview preparation, and training specifically focused on particular job sectors for those who need it or are interested.  By partnering with various employers and unions, CFLS will be able to bring in guests from various fields who can discuss their own line of work, as well as offer more general advice on what employers are looking for in job candidates.  These partners will also serve an essential role by giving clients access to employers through job fairs held on site at CFLS.  Community Family Life Services is thrilled about the creation of this employment program and we are very hopeful that it will have a profound and lasting impact on all those it touches.

            Are you or your company interested in partnering with CFLS to share your expertise with our clients or participate in our job fairs?  If so, please contact us at development@cflsdc.org.

Get Ready for the Summer of Your Dreams

           As Washington's sizzling June weather turns everyone's thoughts to dreams of summertime fun, Community Family Life Services is gearing up for the start of the 2008 Summer of Dreams Camp.  The camp is a free, six-week day camp that serves fifty-one DC youth ages 5 to 13, and it is run by CFLS staff and volunteers.  With activities planned including academic enrichment programs, field trips, swimming, drug & alcohol education, arts & crafts, and more, this summer is bound to be a success.  An exciting new change taking place this year is that the camp will now operate directly out of CFLS' Youth Centers at our northwest and southeast Washington sites--where our after-school program is held during the academic year.  This means that many of our campers will be closer to home and in an environment that is already comfortable and familiar to them.  The CFLS Youth Program Manager, Cianna Ramble, says: "The Summer of Dreams Camp allows students the opportunity to make new friends, to learn about their surroundings, and to embark on educational projects."  Along with the rest of the staff at CFLS, Ramble is very optimistic about this coming summer and about providing children with a safe, nurturing program that is filled with enrichment and academics, but most importantly lots of fun.

The Summer of Dreams Camp is an important component of CFLS' Youth Development Program and its overall mission.  Its primary purpose is to assure that children have structure during the summer months, and to maintain their happiness, safety, and academic progress.  The camp and the rest of CFLS' youth programs are based on the Positive Youth Development Model, which strives to provide children with healthy bodies and minds, smart habits for a successful future, effective education, and opportunities to help others.  Summer of Dreams achieves these goals through recreation and physical fitness, intellectual stimulation, and character building through sports, art, music, day trips, and lessons on civics and citizenship.  Children and staff have consistently enjoyed the range and diversity of activities, but the weekly field trips are always the true highlight of the summer.  This year we are looking forward to trips that include the National Zoo, the Museum of Natural History, the National Museum of African Art, and the U.S. Botanical Gardens.  Adding even more variety to the summer, the children will participate in an assortment of workshops each Friday that are led by volunteers and summer interns on anything from music and dance to painting and cooking.

The end-of-summer reflections written by last year's campers were filled with glowing remarks about the camp.  On the enrichment aspects of the program, one camper wrote: "Over the last five weeks I have had lots of fun. . .Even though this was summer camp, we still did educational things like writing poems and reviewing math and reading skills. . .We also played games that would teach you to use life long skills, communication skills, social skills, intellectual skills, and teamwork skills."  Other children wrote about the encouragement and motivation they felt from their counselors, the many opportunities they had to get in shape, the new games and sports they learned, and the friends they made.  A past summer intern for the camp commented: "The campers never failed to impress me with their comments and enthusiasm."  The exciting schedule of events that is planned, the many opportunities for personal growth, and the beginnings of new friendships, will certainly leave this year's campers and the CFLS staff just as pleased.

            Would you like to get involved in the 2008 Summer of Dreams Camp?  Each Friday during the camp session, special workshops are held in which volunteers come to Community Family Life Services to teach a 45 minute lesson on an area of their expertise.  Please contact Cianna Ramble at volunteer@cflsdc.org for more information on how you can participatefor more information on how you can participate.

            We would like to extend an advanced thank you to all of the foundations, corporations, individuals, and faith-based organizations that support our programs.  The support that these individuals and organizations are providing to the Summer of Dreams Camp will help to ensure another successful summer.  Thank you! We couldn't do it without your help.