Gateway Community Action Partnership is proud of its employees who have obtained degrees in higher education while still finding time to excel at work, take care of their families and deal with life's many obligations.

     Albert B. Kelly, Gateway's President and CEO, and Edward Bethea, Gateway's Executive Vice President and COO, decided it was time to celebrate, inviting Gateway employees who recently obtained degrees to lunch.

     Nine of the Gateway employees receiving degrees attended a luncheon, where they also received certificates of accomplishment.

     "Mr. Bethea came up with this idea as a way of recognizing employees who wanted to achieve more and improve themselves," Kelly said. "The mission of Gateway is to provide services that improve the quality of life and promote self-sufficiency. By getting additional education, in spite of many factors such as work, family and other obligations, these employees are exemplary in that they wanted to better themselves and be role models for the entire agency."

     The group shared their educational experiences and challenges. Their stories were inspirational. It was also an opportunity for the employees to discuss various aspects of the agency with Gateway's leaders, which Mr. Kelly and Mr. Bethea welcomed.

     "We certainly admire and respect you and we are proud of your accomplishments," Bethea said. "We applaud your efforts in accomplishing your goals. Today is all about saluting you."

     Attending the luncheon: Jo Pearson, Operations, Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing from Walden University; Cristina Torres, Head Start, Associates Degree in Liberal Arts from Salem Community College; Felicia Moore, Head Start, Bachelor's in Humanity and P3 Certification, Fairleigh Dickenson and Montclair State University; Terry Blount, Holly City Family Success Center, Masters in Human Services, Wilmington University; Casey Nothnick, Central Administration, Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice with focus in Human Services, University of Phoenix; Shernette Morais, Weatherization, Associates in Business Management and Human Resources, Cumberland County College; Jenise Graves, Finance, Masters in Accounting and Financial Management, Keller Graduate School of Management at DeVry University; Dionne Pitts, Head Start, Bachelor's Degree in Education K-12, Wilmington University; Rosebert Muzamani, Head Start, Masters in Education (Preschool and Elementary Education) Montclair State University.

Unable to attend, but recognized: Karen Aikens, Maria Del Rosario, Renee White, Abigail Lamanteer, Charlene Dixon, Courtney Gordon and Gabrielle Sabo.

 

Members of the Bridgeton Youth: Helping to Feed, Learning to Lead program visit a Bridgeton Area Police Athletic League soccer game and distribute food. The summer program, designed to inform the public about federal food programs while teaching leadership skills to its youth participants, was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

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Internet Essentials , a program offered by Comcast, gives income-eligible families access to the Internet for $9.95 a month with no activation fee, equipment fees or price increases.  Having the Internet enables children to do homework, type reports or do research and enables the parents to e-mail teachers as well as look for jobs, pay bills or find doctors.

Gateway Community Action Partnership is working with Comcast to inform families of the program. Internet Essentials is available to households that have children eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program.  They must reside in a Comcast service area and must not have subscribed to Comcast Internet in the last 90 days or have overdue Comcast bills. Also, low-cost computers are being offered for $149.99 and free training is accessible if needed. To get more information or to sign up, visit www.internetessentials.com or call 1-855-846-8376. ... Gateway operates the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants & Children (WIC) in Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic and Salem counties. The program provides supplemental foods, nutrition education, lactation support, immunization education and health care referrals to income-eligible pregnant women, new mothers, infants and children up to age 5. Gateway WIC serves more than 23,000 clients annually through flexible hours through its eight (8) offices and a full-service, health screening mobile office. WIC is an equal opportunity program. If you believe you have been discriminated against because of race, color, national origin, age, sex or handicap, write immediately to: USDA, Director-Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC, 20250 - 9410. For additional information on the Gateway WIC program or nearest office location and hours of operation, call the Gateway WIC program at 856-451-5600 or 856-225-5050. ... Gateway's Head Start program is once again sponsoring the Child Care Food Program. This program is designed to provide meals to children receiving services in Head Start centers located throughout Atlantic, Cape May, Mercer, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. Meals are available at no separate charge to all children 12 and under enrolled in the Child Care Food Program and are served without regard to race, color, national origin, disability, age or sex.