September, 2020

CLIENT UPDATE Dear Supporters, Volunteers and Mentors, We hope that you and your loved ones are and remain in good health.  We know that many of you may be concerned about the health and well-being of the young people living in the Roots & Wings RISE Program as well as FLY Program students.   Please know that all our Roots & Wings clients are doing well and our staff continues to support them through this crisis with increased personal communication, daily discussions, assessments, and referrals as needed.  So many of you have been kind and generous during our time of need. Due to your generosity we’ve been able to provide our clients with Shoprite gift cards to help them obtain needed food and supplies. We’ve also had a large amount of food, supplies, masks, and toiletries dropped off at the office. They have all been distributed to our clients and we are so very grateful to all who have donated to us!     As always, we thank you for your continued concern and support.

In this issue: Client Spotlight: Jesse Volunteer Spotlight: Mary Silva Happenings at R&W: Shop and support Roots & Wings with AmazonSmile Roots & Wings seeks to expand board membership

Keep an eye out for information about the upcoming Roots & Wings virtual gala in November! Visit our website for details.

Client Spotlight - Jesse

Jesse has grown and matured in the year he has been a part of Roots and Wings. I watched him go from playing video games, struggling to find a job, and goals for his present and future self, to currently working at Amazon as a delivery worker while attending school to obtain his CDL license next year. Although he doesn’t like to express himself much, Jesse has shown so much strength through his intelligence, thoughtfulness, and resiliency. He has come a long way in his growth and maturation and I am so very proud to recognize him for all of his success! -- Lamont James, RISE Coordinator

Volunteer Spotlight - Mary Silva

Getting it done with laser focus and compassion Mary Silva knows how to get things done. Perhaps it’s her love of yoga, meditation, and kickboxing that keeps her laser focused while she runs a business, takes care of home and stays actively involved in the community. A volunteer with Roots & Wings (R&W) since 2018, she currently serves as a mentor and has been a vital part of the R&W family, volunteering wherever there is a need. “I had always considered becoming a foster parent,” Mary shared. “So, when I learned about Roots and Wings at a client’s event in Springfield, and their goal to serve Union County clients—I knew immediately that I had to be involved.” Mary’s journey with Roots & Wings began with a single donation to our annual Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations and quickly expanded to working on a bowling party for the clients and a Crossroads Theatre fundraiser. As time would tell, no call to service was too small or great for Mary. “In 2019, I volunteered on the author’s luncheon committee and the R&W annual gala, “she said. “I plan to work on the committee to plan this year’s Thanksgiving and holiday efforts.” As a mentor, Mary knows the positive influence she can have on our young clients. “Mentoring is about building trusting relationships,” she explained. “Our clients know they are our priority when we demonstrate that we can listen, keep commitments and set a good example.” When Mary isn’t volunteering with R&W or the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, she enjoys cooking, spending time with family and friends, reading and relaxing on the beach. R&W is grateful to have Mary and her ability to get things done with laser focus and compassion.

Happenings at R&W

Shop and support Roots & Wings with AmazonSmile   Online shopping has become the most convenient way to get the things people need and want.  In addition, it has become a great way to support causes that people care about—such as Roots and Wings (R&W).   Did you know that for every purchase you make—through their AmazonSmile program—Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of the purchase price from eligible AmazonSmile purchases to R&W at no additional cost to you?   Let your shopping dollars make a difference. Join AmazonSmile by clicking here and following the quick and easy steps. When shopping, make sure you are on the AmazonSmile page so that your purchase will count. For added convenience, you can also use AmazonSmile in the Amazon shopping app on your phone. See how to activate here.  Something this good should be shared!  Let your friends, family and neighbors know they can do the same by adding Roots & Wings as their favorite charity.   In this current climate, where much of our time is spent indoors, donating through Amazon Smile a great way to remain active in our communities and provide the much-needed support we offer to aged out foster youth in NJ.

Roots & Wings seeks to expand board membership Roots and Wings is seeking to expand its board membership. We would like to recruit five new board members with any of the following backgrounds and experience in: fund development, family law, trauma therapy, marketing & advertising, education, insurance, technology and financial advisory. We are also seeking volunteers to serve on the fund development committees and event subcommittees. In the age of Covid, we need to pivot and innovate, and seek engaging and creative people who want to help an underserved population.  Apply here

Thank you for your continued support of Roots and Wings. It is greatly appreciated!