Self Help Inc. CFCE January 2022 Newsletter

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM CFCE

Thank you to all the people who donated to the Joy To The Children Project! Your donations have helped many struggling families. All of us at CFCE wish you a safe, happy and healthy New Year!

We need your help!

Please fill out this survey and help us understand what mental health means to you! As part of our community impact project we are trying to understand what mental health means to our families. Do you feel uncomfortable looking for mental health services? Is mental health a topic not acknowledged or forgotten in your family? Do you have a set of strategies to help you when things are difficult? We want to hear from you! This survey is quick and easy to take and will help us with our project. If you want to include your name and address you will be entered into a drawing for a fifty ($50.00) dollar gift card from Target. Your personal information will be kept confidential if you want to enter the drawing.  This information will be used to help us develop further mental health resources for our families. You all are our greatest source of information to help determine what families need. Please help us so that we can support our families and ensure that we all can thrive!

CFCE Specialists Marsha Wright and Gina McGarrigle had the privilege of spending three weeks in December with the Bernard, Malani, Prasad, and Wang Families. These families participated in the program We are Family: Sharing Our Stories. Each week we met and shared traditions, favorite holidays, favorite recipes and what makes each of our families special. We had so much fun learning about each others cultures. We made crafts that represented each families favorite holiday which included Diwali, Christmas, Haitian Independence Day and Chinese New Year. We asked each of the children what made their family special and here are their thoughts: The Bernard Family loves to play hide and seek with each other. They like to make jokes and laugh together. They love to visit family that live far away. The Wang Family loves to eat pizza! They have a band with a piano, violin, and ukulele. They sing together. The Prasad Family loves to go on driving trips and see different places and things. The Malani Family loves festivals. They are very festive and love to celebrate. They love to eat outside together. They love to watch movies together. They love to go on outings and go on vacation together. This is what makes these families special. In our next newsletter we will be introducing a new segment featuring our families. What makes your family special? By sharing our culture and family traditions we learn about each other and grow stronger as a community. Look for an email soon explaining how you can be one of our feature families and help our Self Help CFCE community learn and grow!

Martin Luther King Jr's observed Birthday is January 17, 2022. Here are some ways to honor Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement

Watch this short video from PBS Learning Media about Martin Luther King and watch this read aloud called "I am Martin Luther King Jr." with your child.

Here are some volunteer ideas you can do with your child either at home or in your community to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr's Day of Service.

Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. With a Day of Service | ... Make it a Day On, Not a Day Off "Everybody can be great because everybody can serve." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Many of us think of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday as a day off, but we should be thinking about it as a day on. Read more ssboston.macaronikid.com

This Is the Best Way to Celebrate MLK Day With Kids MLK Day should be a day unlike any other holiday, just as Martin Luther King Jr. was unlike other men in his lifetime. As much as we're all tired and could really use a day off to do nothing (or shop those online sales), this is not supposed to... Read more www.sheknows.com

CRAFT CORNER

Paper Roll Penguin Craft – Winter Crafts for Kids

Are you looking to do a fun craft with your child? Here is one from Easy Peasy and Fun What you will need: paper roll black paper (or black paint) orange paper scissors glue wiggle eyes stickers First cut a strip of black paper in the same width as your paper roll. it has to be long enough to wrap the paper roll. You can also paint the paper roll black. Cut “half oval” shape out of white paper. Cut two wings out of black paper. Also cut out a beak shape and two feet out of orange paper. Glue the black paper around the paper roll. Glue on the white paper. Stick on two wiggle eyes stickers. Glue on the beak. Glue the legs – we glued them on the inside of the paper roll. Last, but not least, glue on the wings. Let the glue dry completely before using this toilet paper roll penguin craft for play.

CFCE FEATURED PROGRAMS

These featured activities are a small sampling of all the programs that are available during the month. Please visit http://selfhelpcpc.org/calendar/ for ALL activity listings and registration information.

Please Note COVID Updates: Some CFCE programs may be scheduled to happen inside.....however, inside programming is dependent on the most Current COVID Safety Guidelines from the CDC and Local/State Board's of Health. Indoor programming may need to be held outside or virtually on Zoom. You will be notified if a change in venue is needed. Indoor programs will require masks for anyone over the age of 2. Please check with the facilitator if there are any questions.

CLICK HERE FOR A PDF FILE OF OUR JANUARY PROGRAMS!

Think Draw and Write At home literacy activity

DO YOU WANT TO BOOST YOUR CHILD'S LITERACY SKILLS? Think, Draw and Write is a monthly at-home activity that families and school aged children can do on their own. This is a creative writing activity that allows children to express their ideas through story telling and pictures. Each month is a different writing prompt. Your child can write a sentence, paragraph or story with an illustration. You can participate as many times as you want. When your child is done mail their work to Carol Carver at 45 Pearl St Brockton MA 02301. You can also email it to ccarver@selfhelpinc.org. Please include your name and address so your child can receive some stickers in the mail. If you are interested in registering for this fun activity contact Carol Carver at 508-559-1666 ext. 1811 or email her at ccarver@selfhelpinc.org.

Child Artists Needed! CFCE would like to create a seasonal art calendar for you! Would your 4-8 year old child like to draw a SEASONAL picture for one of our calendar pages? TOGETHER we can get this project started! All of your lil' artist's submissions will be accepted and they will go on either the new calendar, our CFCE Facebook page, our CFCE website or in our CFCE newsletter! If you are interested email ccarver@selfhelpinc.org to get all the details. You may also use a picture your child already created in one of our CFCE programs. P.S. Mom, Dad, Grandma or Grandpa...we will also need to have you write on the bottom of your child's picture a short, general statement as to how CFCE programs have benefited your family! Thank you.

Please visit http://selfhelpcpc.org/calendar/ for ALL activity listings and registration information.

Winter Family Nature Science Hikes Thursdays 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM Locations vary, check the dates below. Please register for each hike separately

Meet Ms. Gina and Ms. Jen for a Nature Science Hike. This program is geared towards 4 to 9-year-olds and their families. We will hike for 30+ minutes, read a story, and have some outdoor play time. Come explore the outdoors and make a new friend. Younger siblings are welcome if they can do a 30-minute hike or are in carriers.

This program is weather permitting. January 13th Moose Hill Sharon January 20th Stony Brook Norfolk January 27th Foxboro Nature Trail at Patriots Place February 3rd Foxboro Story Brook Trail February 10th Bradley-Lessa Stoughton February 17th Soule Homestead February 24th WW1 Memorial Park March 10th Stony Brook Norfolk March 17th Foxboro Nature Trail at Patriots Place

Please visit http://selfhelpcpc.org/calendar/ for ALL activity listings and registration information.

YEAR ROUND STORYWALKS Outdoor storywalks are held at our old CFCE building at 780 West Main street in Avon and will be offered monthly through the winter as weather permits. REGISTER for a time slot between 9:00am and 11:00am by emailing ccarver@selfhelpinc.org We will follow the CDC guidelines so please have masks available if needed. Arrive with your child to first receive a packet with handouts and a craft to do at home & then receive directions of how to follow the storywalk. The book themes for each month are listed below so please register for as many as you want. 1/7/2022 ”Snowballs” 2/10/2022 ”Duck & Hippo’s Valentine Secret” 3/16/2022 ”Ten Lucky Lephrechauns" 4/4/2022 ”Move your Mood” 5/17/2022 ”Going on a Nature Hike” 6/17/2022 "You Are My Sunshine” **If the weather happens to be poor that day, a related story and activity will be emailed to those that had registered**

Helpful Resources

Quick Links for Families SNAP Poison control hotline Substance abuse hotline Domestic Violence hotline Food Bank Listings Hockomock YMCA Food Sites WIC Office Contacts MA211 (information and resources) COVID-19 Housing Resources Latest News/Info. from Governor Baker Camp Wonderopolis FREE Positive Parenting Webinar MA Audubon Soule Homestead Education Center CFCE Cradles to Crayons Application (gently used children's clothing, diapers, equipment, etc) Home Energy Assistance Program Get the Help You Need Paying Your Heating Bills 13,233 households were warmer last winter because of help received from Self Help, Inc. and the Home Energy Assistance Program. We want residents throughout our service areas to know that Home... Read more selfhelpinc.org

Rental Assistance Thank you for your interest Self Help Inc's RENTAL Assistance Program Through the CARES Act Self Help Inc. Read more selfhelpinc.org Home - NeighborWorks Housing Solutions Homeowner & Renter Emergency Grant Assistance (RAFT, RAFT ERMA, ERAP, RAFT COVID) Apply Now C.D.C Eviction Moratorium Fact Sheet Start with a Solid Foundation. Home Ownership From new home buyers education classes to down-payment assistance to... Read more nhsmass.org