Kids in Crisis

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Kids in Crisis - Insight Issue 34
Insight Issue 34 - Summer 2006

Let The Games Begin
All work and no play make Jack...well, you know the rest. Experts agree that no play also gives Jack low-self esteem,limits his creative thinking and his understanding of teamwork. Additionally, a dearth of recreational activities has been shown to hinder the mental health and healing of children experiencing physical and emotional trauma. As if that wasn’t enough to encourage adults to have kids get off the couch, new research from the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) finds that adolescents who are physically active are less likely to participate in risky behaviors including drinking, drugs, smoking and sex.

Thanks to donor support, creative staff and a core of dedicated volunteers, Kids in Crisis has a diverse Therapeutic Recreation Program in place that offers youngsters physical activities and experiences that provide the chance to feel more whole and valued.

Among the recreational activities residents regularly enjoy are open gym and afterschool activities at the Boys and Girls Club in Greenwich, in-house yoga classes, regular dance lessons provided by Connecticut Ballet, weekly art, drama and pet therapy and regular cooking classes. When budget allows, experiential physical activities, such as rock-climbing and ropes courses, are offered to residents throughout the year.

When other children head off to camp at school’s end, this therapeutic recreation effort expands, taking on a “day camp” format and giving residents staying temporarily at the two Kids in Crisis shelters the wide range of athletic and cultural opportunities their peers experience. As summer blooms, Kids in Crisis residents will plant and care for their own vegetable garden at Greenwich’s Pemberwick Park. Like other kids, they also get the chance to visit area beaches, museums and cultural sites, and take in outdoor concerts and festivals. Having a wide range of activity choices is important for kids. “It’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of thing,” says one one of the recent study’s authors. “Helping to provide kids with the opportunity to get involved in any number of physical activities, instead of staying at home and watching TV, may provide a kind of resilience against engaging in other risky behaviors.”

With each activity and opportunity, Kids in Crisis staff let each child zero in on their own interests while seeing the opportunities the world has to offer. “We aim to provide a diverse experience for our residents,” says Denise Qualey, Managing Director, Crisis and Clinical Services. “We want to open their eyes to new possibilities – and to use physical and cultural activities to help them begin to plan for their futures.”

Inside Our Doors
Four year old David is one of the newest residents of the Kids in Crisis Nursery. Despite his hardships, he’s also one of the happiest residents. David came to us following his discharge from a hospital, where he was treated for severe burns to much of his young body – the result of playing with a cigarette lighter. State officials determined that David’s parents were not able to provide a safe and nurturing environment; Kids in Crisis provided the unique combination of emotional and medical support David desperately needs.

Our Nurse ractitioner, Peg Lennon, provided a complete physical and so much more for David. Peg supervises the hospital’s treatment and medication plan, and actively consults with medical professionals on how to best address David’s medical needs. Peg is also able to work closely with the cadre of visiting nurses, occupational and physical therapists needed to help care for David.

While David’s pain is clearly visible, so is the joy he has as a result of his stay at Kids in Crisis. He is resilient, undaunted by his injuries — his smile is the biggest and brightest you will see playing on the swings outside the Nursery. The unique combination of therapeutic care, medical care and homelike support provided by Kids in Crisis means David is healing from his wounds ... and becoming an active, happy little boy.

Tackling Teen Stress
The pressure to excel at school... the emphasis on getting into college...managing relationships with friends and the opposite sex... the pressure to drink or use drugs. These are just a few of the things that make life today stressful. Kids and adults report they find it impossible to manage the stress. At the same time, it’s difficult to step back from creating or contributing to the pressure. The second Conference to Keep Kids Safe, to be held this October at UCONN’s Stamford campus, will address the topic of Teen Stress. During the daylong event, more than 100 students from area public and private high schools will work together (and under the supervision of facilitators from social service agencies throughout the area) to better understand the sources of and solutions for teen stress. Working as teams, they’ll create programs to educate key audiences with need-to-know information about teens and stress. Corporate sponsors who have already signed up to participate in the event include GE Consumer Finance, Heidmar, IBM, IMS Health, Lehman Brothers, Synapse Group and Webster Bank.

The Best of Everything
Moffly Publications (Greenwich, Westport and New Canaan•Darien magazines) will soon announce the winners of its “Best Of the Gold Coast” poll, readers’ picks for the best places, people and things in Fairfield County. Despite the secrecy involved in who is chosen, a key result has already been revealed: one of the biggest winners in this county-wide contest is Kids in Crisis! That’s because a portion of the proceeds from the upcoming August 9th event will benefit the programs and services of Kids in Crisis. This is the second year Kids in Crisis has been the lucky recipient of this generous program. More than 90 area restaurants, service providers, personalities and more will be part of the lively evening. Last year’s event was sold out, so get your tickets soon by ordering online at www.bestofgoldcoastct.com or calling 203-222-0600. Come have fun – for a good cause!

Phi Beta Fun
The grades are posted and this year’s big Kids in Crisis fundraiser, “Hoedown Homecoming: Kids in Crisis Goes Back to College” made the dean’s list. Hoedown Homecoming scored a huge victory – it was one of the most popular and financially successful evenings in Hoedown’s 13-year history. Happy to have graduated from the long Hoedown planning process are event co-chairs Mary Jeffery and Kate Osman and auction co-chairs Kim Augustine and Mimi Santry. Thanks to all the Hoedown Committee – some 50 strong – and our four event chairs for winning the Super Bowl of fundraisers!

Run GE, Run...(and Swim and Bike)
Twenty-five employees from across many Fairfield County GE divisions will put their hearts and soles into an Olympic level event, when they participate in the New York City Triathlon this summer to raise funds for Kids in Crisis.

The July 16 New York City Triathlon includes a 1.5k (.9 mile) swim in Hudson River and a 40k (25 mile) bike ride along Manhattan’s West Side, capped off by a 10k (6.2 mile) run through Central Park. This is the third year GE employees have formed the “KIC It...Into High Gear” team to participate in this inventive, “punishing” fundraising event to raise money for Kids in Crisis.

The GE team, including many novice triathlon participants, began training this spring with private and group training sessions; fundraising from co-workers, family, neighbors and business partners began simultaneously. “The idespread support and interest we have had has fueled our enthusiasm to repeat this physical and financial success and expand our efforts this year to include many more throughout the GE family,” says Chris Beers, Vice President and Counsel at GE Commercial Finance’s Aviation Services unit. Beers, a Kids in Crisis board member, has served as the lead organizer of the fundraiser and a participant in the triathlon for the past three years.

The triathlon team has begun their training in earnest – as a group and as individuals. Recently, the “KIC It...Into High Gear” team held an evening barbeque event at Kids in Crisis, meeting the children staying temporarily at the shelter, and describing to the kids what a triathlon is and how one trains for it. The group will meet again at the finish line of the July 16 race, when the Kids in Crisis residents and staff are expected to cheer the triathletes across the finish line.

Dinner of Champions
They are often the unsung heroes of Kids in Crisis, but volunteers (who currently number more than 100 active volunteers) are much of the reason the Agency’s in-house and in-school programs are so successful. We wanted those heroes to know how important they are so, in late April, Kids in Crisis staff volunteered their time to host a candlelit Recognition Dinner at the Teen House. Volunteers who work with the kids, spend time teaching SafeTalk in local schools, sitting on our board of directors and others who give their time were feted at a sit-down dinner served by staff. As the evening wound down, the work of our committed volunteers was formally recognized with the presentation of a “brick” on the Kids in Crisis walkway leading to the two residences.

The dedication of Kids in Crisis volunteers has also been acknowledged by several area communities who have recently honored residents for theircommitment to volunteerism. Kids in Crisis volunteers Dave Elders, Sarah Ritchey and Anne Ivanhoe have been recognized by the Towns of Darien, Weston and Greenwich, respectively, in local ceremonies. Kids in Crisis salutes all our volunteers and the wide range of work they do for us - and for our kids.

Special Guest Stars
Last summer, Counselors at the Teen House introduced an exciting new program that was enthusiastically received by the residents (and staff!): Dining with Dignitaries. Each week a special guest joined residents for a weeknight dinner, talking about their job and life experiences. The goal was easily met – to provide residents with an opportunity to learn about different careers, as well as the skills needed to pursue different professional interests. What was learned in the process was fun and informative. Dignitaries included a chef, a banker, a contractor, and the CEO of an area nonprofit organization. We’re actively looking for participants for this summer’s “Dining with Dignitaries” program... would you be able to participate? If you are interested in joining our kids one night this summer, please contact Craig Haen at 622-6556.