Working Together for Working Families

Pascale Sykes Foundation champions the Whole Family Approach, a family-led strategy that provides adults and children with the tools to set, plan for and achieve their goals. Working Together for Working Families podcast was developed with the intention of it being a limited time series of timely discussions. For this, our final episode, we welcome Bruce Perry, MD, PhD, author of the New York Times bestseller “What Happened to You” co-authored by Oprah Winfrey. Dr. Perry has over 30 years of experience as teacher, clinician and researcher in children's mental health and neurosciences. We also welcome Reverend Darrel Armstrong, Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church (Trenton, NJ), Founder, FAAITH Global Network; Former Director, NJ Division of Prevention and Community Partnerships. Dr. Perry will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Power of Research to Inform Policy summit on November 16, 2022. Click here to register to attend virtually.

Alfonso Nicholas is six months into his new role as Regional Administrator for Region 2 with the Administration for Children and Families. Region 2 serves New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For this episode we discuss a region of vast differences where families and children are experiencing vastly different challenges. Listen as Administrator Nicholas tells us how he and his team are working hard for the families of his region. He will also discuss the upcoming Power of Research to Inform Policy summit on November 16, 2022. Click here to learn about this important event. #@ACFHHS #wholefamilies #helpforfamilies

Please join us for a conversation around the importance of collaboration as part of the Whole Family Approach. Our research demonstrates findings that show the collaborative approach played a major role in positive outcomes for families served. We will highlight the partnerships the agencies have formed to benefit the families they work with. For this episode of Working Together for Working Families, we welcome Elena Ragusa, President, Drive Evaluation Studios; and Emory Edwards, Senior Director of Partnerships and Institutional Relations, Office of Advancement and External Affairs St. Peter's University in Jersey City, NJ. Mr. Edwards is senior director of partnerships and institutional relations at Saint Peter's University. In that role, he maximizes support for broad-based university initiatives and leads community engagement efforts. We also welcome Paula Sarro, Associate Executive Director at Mercy Center, a community center in the South Bronx section of New York City. She played a key role in forming and now co-leading Familia Adelante/Family Forward, one of the Pascale Sykes Foundation’s Whole Family Approach grantee collaborations. Ms. Sarro is an attorney who has worked for 29 years as a senior manager for nonprofit organizations in the New York City area. Be sure to listen as our guests share their experiences as part of a Whole Family Approach collaboration. #collaboration   #Wholefamily   #helpforlowincomefamilies

Homelessness continues to be a serious problem plaguing our nation. The recent pandemic has exacerbated the issue, making it more challenging than ever for individuals and families to find adequate housing. For this episode we welcome Katie Lord, Associate Director of HABcore, Inc., based in Red Bank, NJ. HABcore provides permanent housing and individualized support to families, veterans and those with special needs, allowing them to move through crisis to stability, giving them the opportunity to improve their lives. Katie Lord, a graduate of Monmouth University with a Master's Degree in Social Work, has been working with the homeless and special needs population for the past 14 years. Her introduction to homelessness started out with an internship but quickly grew into a career. She has been with HABcore since 2009, providing permanent, supportive and affordable housing to individuals and families in Monmouth and Ocean Counties in NJ. To learn more about the Whole Family Approach, visit the website. To view the work of The Pascale Sykes Foundation click here. #HOMELESS #HOMELESSNESS #AFFORDABLEHOUSING #WHOLEFAMILYAPPROACH

As we celebrate fathers this month, join us for our podcast episode, Fatherhood: Supporting Fathers to be Good Dads. We welcome John Fuqua of Stronger families in Bridgeton, NJ and Jeff Johnson of Father Time in Keansburg, NJ. These men have been at the forefront of two amazing programs that support and empower fathers. Both programs maintain the notion that when men succeed families succeed and when families succeed communities flourish. John Fuqua is a community leader who has personally committed his time and resources to ensure that Bridgeton, NJ youth have safe, structured opportunities to grow and learn. John provides support to children and families in Bridgeton and serves as the coordinator of the Stronger Families community program. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from William Paterson University. Jeff Johnson is a Licensed Clinical Social worker with over 35 years of experience in child and family therapy settings. Jeff and several community dads had a vision for a support group/community organization with a focus on fatherhood. With the assistance of Parents Anonymous NJ- ‘Father Time’ was established in 2005, and through the generous support of the Pascale Sykes foundation- has become a vital fixture in the Bayshore community. When not at work, Jeff can be found in, around, or on top of the local Jersey Shore waterways-on a small, restored 1972 Boston Whaler. To view the work of The Pascale Sykes Foundation, click here. To learn about the Whole Family Approach, click here. #FATHERS #FATHERHOOD #DADS #GOODDADS #BEINGAGOODDAD #PARENTHOOD #BROTHERHOOD