Ten Thousand Villages sponsors shopping day for Jessies House
From: 5/18/2008
To: 5/19/2008

15% of all sales will be donated to Jessies House
Ten Thousand Villages in Northampton is sponsoring a JESSIES HOUSE SHOPPING DAY! Sunday, May 18th from 1pm until 5pm 15% of all sales will be donated to Jessies House! Purchase great items and donate at the same time!

Regional leaders develop 10-year plan to end homelessness in Pioneer Valley
Posted: 5/8/2008
All roads lead home THE PIONEER VALLEY PLAN TO END HOMELESSNESS This plan has been supported by the Cities of Holyoke, Northampton and Springfield, MA, and funding from One Family, Inc. February 2008

Northampton Community Music Center - Spring Gala 08 To Benefit Jessies House
Posted: 4/18/2008
Featuring performances by NCMCs - SUZUKI CELLO and VIOLIN STUDENTS - FLUTATIONS - STUDENT CHAMBER ENSEMBLES - NORTHAMPTON COMMUNITY CHILDRENS CHOIR - KUUMBA WOMENS CHOIR - HIGH DEFINITION. When: SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2008, 1:00 PM - HELEN HILLS HILLS CHAPEL, SMITH COLLEGE. Admission by donation. Suggested: $10 general $5 students or seniors. Proceeds to beneit NCMCs Scholarship Program and Jessies House.

New regional program targets youth at risk of joining gangs
Posted: 4/4/2008
Reminder Publications article
SPRINGFIELD A new regional program is targeting boys to help them make better choices when they are confronted by negative influences including gangs, crime, drugs and violence. Since its opening on March 13, the Center for Human Development (CHD) Community Adolescent Treatment Program (CATP) has grown from three boys on the first day to 14 in one week. A formal open house presentation is planned April 30 at the 797 Worthington St. site....

Community Adolescent Treatment Program opens in Springfield
Posted: 4/1/2008
A new regional treatment program will help boys successfully transition their return to their families and communities after correctional detention, opened on March 13, 2008 in Springfield. The Community Adolescent Treatment Program (CATP) is a three to six month, secure residential treatment program funded by the Department of Youth Services (DYS) to provide a wide array of clinical, treatment, educational, residential and pre-vocational services to 15 boys at a time, age 11 to 18, who are committed to DYS. Many of the youth entering the program are faced with a myriad of issues which include mental illness, aggression, substance abuse, family dysfunction, gang involvement, under level academic performance, low self-esteem, lack of basic life skills, poverty and other issues related to themselves being a victim of abuse or neglect. The boys entering the program will be nearing the end of the DYS continuum of services and will be returning to their families/communities after leaving the program. The Community Adolescent Treatment Program will be playing a vital role in preparing the youth and their families, for their successful transition back to their homes by providing them with numerous intensive services such as; individual and family therapy, life skills groups, anger management groups, substance abuse treatment, positive recreational activities, educational and pre-vocational testing, counseling and direction, pre-employment training and job shadowing opportunities. An open house is planned for April 30, 2008. For more information please contact: Mel Maldonado – Program Director 797 Worthington Street Springfield Massachusetts 01105 Phone: (413) 732-3470 Fax: (413) 746-1478

Help our Kids Move with Dignity
Posted: 3/28/2008
Donate Your Suitcases and Duffle Bags
At the Center for Human Development, many of the kids in our Youth and Family Service programs frequently get moved from one place to another – it is not an ideal situation for a person of any age, especially a child. But in the urgency of the moment, to get them to safe and/or stable environment, there is no time (or money) to run out and get a suitcase. That is why we need a constant supply on hand, otherwise we use garbage bags – an image that degrades the self-esteem of these kids.  If you, your family, and friends have clean and functional suitcases and duffle bags that you can live without, please bring them to the Center for Human Development at 332 Birnie Avenue, Springfield, MA, or call Ruth at 413-737-2679 ext. 118 (rdudley-carr@chd.org) and she will arrange to get them picked up. Thank you! The Center for Youth and Family Services (CYFS), Terri Thomas Girls Program and our Children’s Programs collectively provide a wide variety of services to the youth in our communities, a sample of these services included: therapeutic after-school services to young people from 6 to 19 years, highly structured and safe environments that support adolescents in their personal development, short term treatment and re-entry services to youth who have been detained by the Department of Youth Services and the supervision of the hundreds of children who are shuffled in and out of one or more foster homes and/or shelters every year.

Mayor Sarno to Raise Childrens Memorial Flag Declaring April as Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month
Posted: 3/25/2008
March 11, 2008, Springfield, Massachusetts: On April 11, at 10 a.m. at City Hall in Springfield, Mayor Dominic Sarno will deliver a proclamation declaring April as Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Month. He will preside over the flag raising and will be joined by Directors and staff from area social and human service agencies and school children. The centerpiece is simple--a red flag depicting blue, paper-doll-like figures of children holding hands. In the center, the white chalk outline of a missing child symbolizes the thousands of children lost to violence. The Children's Memorial Flag honors each lost child and raises public awareness about the continuing problem of violence against children.

CHD Announces Syndication Of News and Events
Posted: 3/19/2008
CHD now offers a Corporate Channel of news and events information through RSS (Really Simple Syndication)! New channels to be added soon from our Service sections and advocacy area as our site continues to grow.

Jim Williams to receive the prestigious Robert J. Van Wart Award!
Posted: 3/12/2008
On March 12, 2008 it was announced that Jim Williams, Director of Children's Programs at CHD, will receive the 2008 Robert J. Van Wart Award from the Human Service Forum at their annual meeting. The award is given each year to an individual who has worked as a leader in a nonprofit or public human service organization for at least five years and has consistently demonstrated leadership skills while helping his/her agency actualize its mission and improve the lives of those it serves. A celebratory reception, dinner and award presentation will be held at the Log Cabin Banquet Facility, Holyoke, Massachusetts on May 14th.

CHD Training Institute: New Spring Training Series
Posted: 2/19/2008
The CHD Training Institute has announced new Training Classes: Advanced Clinicial Series, Advanced Supervisorty Series, Beginning Clinical Series. Visit the CHD Training Institute website for more information.

CHD Newsletter - January 2008
Posted: 1/19/2008
Read the Jan 2008 issue of The Center Connection