CORA CONNECTION
January 2017
Happy New Year CORA family and friends!
 
I hope you all enjoyed a lovely holiday and are feeling renewed and ready to take on 2017! The CORA Services staff has hit the ground running this year and is gearing up for big things.

In a meeting I had before the break, a Philadelphia Councilman said to me, "You can't solve the problem if you don't know what it is and you can't hear the problem if you aren't listening - CORA really seems to be listening".

Listening is not the same as hearing. The most important thing we can give others is our attention and the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages should never be undervalued. Listening to our clients and our community is one of the things CORA does best. The ability of our dedicated professionals to listen and respond by providing the appropriate quality support services has made this agency what it is today and will continue to guide us in supporting the changing needs of children and families in and around Philadelphia . 

I think you'll see from the content in our freshly redesigned newsletter, The CORA Connection, that CORA is doing all they can to address the issues that are affecting the Philadelphia community.  CORA is known as the Resource Center for Children, Youth and Families. Please continue to take advantage of the many resources we provide and share with others the great things that CORA is doing so they can be encouraged to access our outstanding services.
 
Thanks so much to the many of you who made year end gifts to CORA! With your support, CORA was able to give a little something extra to 100 of our client families this holiday season. I am grateful for your generosity and continued commitment to helping CORA help kids and families!
 
AnnMarie Schultz, CEO and President
10 New Year's Tips for Parents from CORA Experts
 
January is the mid-way mark for the school year. After holiday break, students and parents can feel overwhelmed by the increased work load and other life stressors. Your friends at CORA have some advice to help you stay focused and better motivate your children.

Support your children even better in 2017!

Talk more - do not let our reliance on technology hinder our ability to communicate! Speaking more with you will better prepare your children to be effective communicators in school and beyond.
   
Listen more - being a good listener does not just happen to be the theme of this issue of the CORA Connection. Listening really is vital to building your child's esteem and plays a major role in their school success. Stop what you're doing, make eye contact and encourage them to tell you more!
 
Read more - Reading with your children is the easiest and maybe the most important thing you can do to help your children succeed in school. For older kids, ask them to talk to you about what they've been reading or study with them and find ways to make it fun. Ask questions about the characters and their feelings on the text.
 
Involve them  - Make a schedule with your children, rather than for them, and allow them to have input. They will be more invested when they feel part of the plan .      
 
Set goals with appropriate time lines with your children and come up with rewards for their successes together. Display the written goals in a prominent location for the children to see daily. Celebrate when any goal is achieved.

You can't properly support your kids if you aren't feeling supported!

Pack a healthy lunch and enjoy lunch with your co-workers more often. Leave the office if you can occasionally and go out to lunch or just take a quick walk and enjoy some positive interaction with other adults.
 
Take time for yourself , even if it's only 20 minutes. Read, work on a crossword puzzle, stretch, run or listen to music. Do anything that relaxes you, whenever you can squeeze it in, but don't stress out if it doesn't happen.
 
Stay calm! Stressing out usually makes situations worse and adding pressure to a problem won't help you solve it faster. Remember to take a deep breath and put your anxiety into perspective.
 
Clean and reorganize your desk or your room or your car. An organized area equals an organized mind.
 
Seek Support . Ask for advice. Someone else has been there. Don't be afraid to look for help - it's out there!

Remember that CORA is a resource for parents and families. Our professionals are here to listen and guide you through the obstacles of life and parenting.

 *Submitted by CORA Staff members; Christine Fink, Stacy Leonard and Teresa Zamorski 

Did you know CORA offers Professional Development Resources? 
 
CORA's approach to family service is based upon a belief in the value of the whole person and apprizing each individual's unique potential for growth. CORA gives psychological and educational evaluations, s peech and language services and individua l, family and group counseling.  Among the many services CORA provides to children, youth and families, our non-profit agency also provides professional development services. 

One of our next professional development opportunities focuses on a threatening hidden criminal activity that exists in today's society,  Human Trafficking. Human trafficking  i s on the rise throughout the world, however, its presence in the Philadelphia region, has only recently gained media attention. CORA will host a workshop on Friday, February 17th in our Conference Center to present an overview of this complex issue, providing education and awareness regarding the issue of human trafficking in Pennsylvania. Special attention will be given to the need for a coordinated responses across legal, mental health and school agencies. 
 
Opioid Crisis Challenges All Philadelphians in 2017
 
The opioid use crisis is changing the landscape of every community in Philadelppills2.jpghia and in our neighboring suburban towns as well and the fight for solutions can no longer be left to government and treatment agencies. According to the City's Department of Public Health, Philadelphia is projected to have 840 drug overdose deaths in 2016, an 80% increase from 2013 and nearly three times the number of homicides in the city. Eighty percent of those overdose deaths involved opioids, including prescription painkillers, heroin, and fentanyl. 
 
 
In 2015 alone, of the nearly 600 persons dying of opioid overdose, males outnumbered females 3:1, deaths were two times higher among Caucasians than among African Americans with rates for those of Hispanic ethnicity rated as intermediate; and rates were highest among persons ages 25-59 years, though deaths of youths as young as 15 years were reported.
In greater Northeast Philadelphia, 134 deaths were recorded - that's 22% of all opioid related deaths in Philadelphia in 2015!  
 
Additionally, in November, Philadelphia suffered 50 overdoses in one day . The 35 people who are thought to have died of drug overdoses in just five days in December ranged in age from 19 to 66, 69% of whom were male and 60% non-Hispanic whites according to the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.
 
In response to this crisis, in early November, Mayor Jim Kenney announced the formation of a Task Force to combat the opioid epidemic in Philadelphia. "The opioid epidemic has been taking lives, destroying families and undermining the quality of life of Philadelphians across the city," said Mayor Kenney, "This is a significant social and public health challenge requiring a comprehensive, citywide approach."   Read the entire article to learn how CORA is listening and responding to this problem.

kids_hugging.jpg
Early Years La Salle Openings
 
If your toddler is ready for more socailization, it is time to introduce them to CORA's affordable preschool and prekindergaren programs.
 
CORA's Early Years facility on La Salle University's campus has openings for children ages 2 1/2 - 5 years. This state licensed center is a Keystone Star 4 program offering a unique curriculum that encourages young minds to start exploring early. In addition to a children's library and outdoor play space, there are frequent field trips to museums, parks, nursing homes, playgrounds and La Salle's art museum. 
 
To arrange for a tour or learn more, visit our website.

 
  CORA Services
215.342.7660
8540 Verree Road, Philadelphia
 w
A 19111