We have all been there. 

A family member, friend or close work colleague experiences the death of a loved one.  Now what? What do we say or do?  We may attend the funeral or Shiva and assume we have done our part in being a support, but the mourning process takes longer than most people think.  We may feel overwhelmed with our own feelings and be confused with what to do.  How can we be there for someone who is bereaved?  Although the grief and mourning process is unique to each individual, there are some ways you can be of help.  

Suggestions for helping the bereaved

• Reach out well after the Shiva is over; Mourning is a long, complicated process. 
• It’s ok to mention the name of the loved one; the person is often thinking of them anyway.
• Offer concrete kinds of help, e.g. laundry, meals, carpool, groceries, and babysitting.
• Listen to the mourner’s experience; don’t talk about yours.
• Anticipate that the first anniversaries, birthdays and holidays without their loved one can be difficult; Ask how they might like to spend that day.
• Avoid pat or cliché answers such as “It’s for the best. He’s no longer suffering.” However well-intentioned these are, they are often experienced as painful by the bereaved.
• Learn about grief and mourning.  Some suggestions of books are on our website.
• Your Presence is the best present you can give.

By utilizing these suggestions, you can be better prepared to be there for the bereaved in your life. You can also suggest that they contact JCFS to speak with the Outreach and Bereavement specialist, Elizabeth Siegel Cohen at (847) 745-5404 or elizabethcohen@jcfs.org  for information on bereavement counseling, groups and classes in their area.

Recent high profile acts of violence such as the Boston Marathon Bombing or the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary can confuse and frighten children who may feel in danger or worry that their friends or loved-ones are at risk.  While there are many articles and tips for helping children to process traumatic events, adults may also struggle with processing their feelings,  perhaps thinking so much about a national tragedy that it can be paralyzing, or blocking it out entirely and then feeling guilty as a result.

“All of these are natural reactions,” says Charlotte Mallon, Director of Training and J-CERT emergency response at Jewish Child & Family Services.  “What’s important,” says Mallon, “is to know yourself and what you need when facing ‘bad things.’” Some people may need more sleep, connecting to others, or just someone to talk to,” says Mallon.  “Adults need to be sensitive to their own needs and reactions first, in order to be able to help children.”

“It’s like on the airplane where adults are advised to put on their own oxygen mask first,” says Mallon.  “And remember to follow your own advice.  Helping your child to express his or her fears and feelings, or limiting exposure to news coverage, may benefit you as well.”

Anger, guilt, fatigue, fear, hopelessness are all among the common reactions to trauma, according to the Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists and the Family Assistance Foundation.  This may result in interruptions in sleeping patterns or changes in eating habits, among other reactions, all of which children may notice.  “Even young children sense that something is wrong,” says Kathy Ham, Coordinator of Early Childhood at the Virginia Frank Child Development Center, “and may act it out in their play and their behavior.”

Children react differently at different ages (see this helpful guide from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration on Tips for Talking With and Helping Children and Youth Cope After a Disaster or Traumatic Event.)  “Will they be okay?  Will something happen to Mom and Dad?” may be questions on their minds,” says Ham.  “Children may be needier, clingy and want to spend more time with caregivers.  It’s important to get back to schedule as soon as possible.”

  “If you’ve recently experienced a personal loss, national tragedies my stir up additional emotions as well,” says Mallon.  “If you have the flu, you know to give yourself some extra TLC.  The same applies when you are facing emotional stress.”  And, just as you have your ‘go to’ remedies, be it cough syrup or chicken soup, know what you need to face your feelings, to be prepared, and don’t be afraid to reach out for help for yourself as well.

About J-CERT

J-CERT is available with 35 trained clinicians ready to respond to the needs of schools, synagogues, and other community agencies or organizations in times like this.  We are trained in the NOVA (National Organizations for Victims’ Assistance) group crisis intervention model as well as the IRTE (Immediate Restructuring of Traumatic Events) and are able to respond to an organization’s request for support services when difficult things occur.  For each intervention, we tailor the intervention to meet the specific needs of the organization and come prepared with follow-up resources should anyone need a more intense follow-up.  It is essential that the adults in a system get the care they need to provide support and nurturing to the children in that system.  The goal of a J-CERT intervention is to assist the organization to resume functioning as soon as possible. 

If you would like to explore whether J-CERT is needed by your community organization, please either call or email Charlotte Mallon, 312-617-2132, charlottemallon@jcfs.org  

About May Mental Health Month

For more than 60 years, Mental Health America and its affiliates across the country have led the observance of May is Mental Health Month by reaching millions of people through the media, local events and screenings. This year's theme is Pathways to Wellness. Visit Mental Health America for fact sheets, calendar of events and more.

Photo Credit:  Chris Violette on Flickr

Q:  I’m graduating from college in June and can’t wait to celebrate this exciting milestone with both of my parents.  The challenge is that they are divorced, both are remarried, and I’m nervous about getting everyone together for the first time.  How do I go about arranging for seating order, accommodations, or even deciding who to invite?

A:  Graduation is a time of celebration, but it is also a time of reminiscing about your childhood days as you are now moving from childhood into adulthood. Your blended family of today may not be part of those early childhood memories and you may feel a few tugs at your heart about what was lost through the divorce.

“Flashback” feelings of sadness or loss should be acknowledged and respected. However, the “new” version of the family deserves respect as well, so be inclusive when creating your guest list.  Rather than you “choosing” who to include, which might feel uncomfortable, cast a broad net and let the person decide if they will attend or not……and be okay if they decide not to come.  Mutual respect and acceptance can be the theme of the day and you are in the perfect position as the main attraction to request and expect it  from new and old family members.

Hopefully the event stays focused on the graduate as opposed to conflict and the family.  However, it’s understood that divorce and new family dynamics might pose challenges.  That said, graduation is not a time to try to mend fences, and it is not the child’s road to fix conflicts between parents.  Ultimately, the day is about your great accomplishment.

But what to do if you need help?  One source may be a family member, a grandparent or other who can help on your behalf.  Another idea is to be prepared with a handful of “go to” comments in your pocket, ready to be pulled out and spoken if you are feeling pulled in two directions. Comments should reflect your joy for the day, and not be an effort to diffuse conflict.  Examples: “Hey guys, I’m so happy to have you all here. I’m glad you’re here for me, so can we just sit wherever there are open seats? ” Or “This is such a happy day for me. I want us to celebrate together, not worry about less important details.”  

It may also help to work with an experienced professional.  That could be anything from one family session to help plan and prepare for dynamics for the day to individual counseling to guide and coach you.  We will work with you to meet your needs.

You’ve already taken the first step. Planning ahead! But, you cannot be in control of every moment and you should assume that there may still be tense moments, despite your best efforts. Prepare yourself to know that you’ve done your best and you will let the tense moments glide right over you. You have been welcoming with your invitation, and now it’s time to celebrate you.

Contributing Clinicians
Ruth Fruehauf, LCSW, Director of JCFS Community Counseling Centers
Edward Reed, LCSW, Director of JCFS Community Counseling Centers
Lynn Shyman, LCSW, Director of Adult and Family Counseling, JCFS Community Counseling Center, Skokie

For information on Adult, Child and Family Therapy at JCFS, call toll-free 855-ASK-JCFS (855-275-5237) or email ask@jcfs.org.

Photo credit: pennstatenews on Flickr

By Victoria Fishman

I slowly inhale as I feel my body tense: my shoulders tighten, my fists clench, my toes curl. I want to scream, but I can’t. We’re sitting at the restaurant table, waiting to order our meal. My older brother’s getting agitated; he is hungry and helplessly impatient. Repeatedly I hear the same questions, “What do they have? What should I order?” The combination of the small, fancy font and the dim lighting makes this already difficult act of reading nearly impossible for him. My younger brother, hungry and slightly impatient as well, snaps; he can’t take it anymore. Meanwhile, my mom tries to list off foods my brother may like from the menu and my dad attempts to read it for himself while flagging down the waiter. I halfheartedly scold my little brother for his actions, but feel the same way inside. I constantly feel the pressure to be the perfect one, not causing any more disruption to the family. It’s hard to take it sometimes. This scenario has occurred countless times. The dichotomy in my mind between feelings of frustration and guilt is sometimes unbearable. I am the middle child in my family, but it doesn’t always feel as though I am for these reasons. My older brother has a disability and I often assume the role of the oldest: I’m often the first to reach certain milestones, the first to go through experiences, and the one with the most responsibility. Growing up with a sibling with a disability has never been easy, but it has transformed me and the way I view the world.

When I was little I often worried about what my friends thought or what I’d say if they asked me questions about my brother. My family wasn’t like those of all my friends; we were different. Rather than time spent sitting on the sidelines of sports games, I spent time as a passenger in a car driving to and from various therapies. However unique my childhood may have been, my parents always made sure I was fully knowledgable of our situation and comfortable with it. Looking back now, I am grateful that my parents helped to inform my friends of my brother’s disability, making them understand the subject rather than avoiding it and making it something that I should be embarrassed about or ashamed of. Still, there were always times during get-to-know-you games at summer camp, for instance, when I felt uncomfortable and abstained from sharing much information about my family at all.

Even as a youth, I gravitated towards activities that involved people with disabilities. In these contexts, I felt that others truly understood many of the complexities of my own life because theirs were similar. I felt a sense of belonging within the community and couldn't have been more proud of my brother’s accomplishments whether it be scoring in a basketball game, acting in a play, achieving a higher belt in Karate, or having a successful academic day at school. Though these accomplishments mostly occurred in special leagues or classes, my brother felt the same pride as any “typical” kid and I was just as proud of him, or even more so, than any other sibling.

As the years have passed it has been difficult being the first in the family to reach milestones such as getting a driver’s license or knowing that I will soon be the first to attend college. My brother wants to grow up and be independent and has similar feelings to that of any other teenage boy, but everything is much more difficult for him to achieve and accomplish; he is limited from what he desires by his abilities. He has few friends to go out with on weekends, yet doesn't want to spend all of his free time with my parents. He asks me, his younger sibling, for plans and I often feel guilty when I cannot because I’m spending time with my friends. It is frustrating to hear him repeat the same questions, phrases, and Youtube videos over and over again, yet I feel badly when I lose my temper, for I know he cannot help it. Mixed emotions and thoughts such as these often occupy my mind. Though a part of my everyday life, I often keep my feelings about these occurrences to myself; these occurrences seem so common and typical to me, yet it’s hard to imagine that anyone else not in the same situation could understand. I rarely talk to my friends about these thoughts because even though they understand the situation of my family, they will never be able to comprehend all of the complexities of this lifestyle. By being involved in activities involving individuals with disabilities, however, I often surround myself with others who are just as passionate about disabilities as I am and more understanding of my familial situation.

Though living with a sibling with a disability is often difficult, it has helped to shape and enrich my character. I am a more compassionate, understanding, responsible, independent, and mature individual as a result. I have never known another way of life, and as a result, my life has been directed much differently than others in my community. Even though I may not always take on the role of a middle child, my older brother loves me more and is more proud of me than anyone I know, almost like a guardian figure. We have a different relationship than many other siblings, but it’s special in its own way. It is often hard to communicate typically, but we understand each other on a different level and find other ways to show we care about one another and to enjoy each other’s company. For instance, I’ll say or do something I know will make him laugh or smile and he’ll do the same for me. It brings me so much joy to see him smile or laugh; his sporadic jokes or mimicking of characters, moreover, have my entire family cracking up for hours. Our inside jokes— just like any other siblings— exist, just in a unique way. Through these bonds, my older brother and I have a special, mutually-dependent, and irreplaceable relationship which I cherish.

This story was collected pas part of the Anthology Project. It’s personal stories that put a face on the day-to-day changes that “Redefine What’s Possible." These stories are so important, but we can only share them, if you are willing to share with us.  So please consider this a formal invitation to share your story of redefining what's possible, either because of services that helped you at a certain point in time, or perhaps how you redefined possibility in someone else's life, by giving. Or maybe it's both. Please contact DeannaShoss@jcfs.org or call 312-673-2777 if you're interested in sharing your story. We'd love to hear it.

There are events in history that leave indelible marks. Last month was Holocaust Remembrance Month, a time in which Jews all over the world devote a great deal of thought to that event in history which shook the foundation of a culture, bringing people together around the vastness of a tragedy. Sometimes, though, powerful acts of coming together occur in smaller, surprising ways. Sometimes, all it takes to connect past and present is a chance meeting in an elevator.

“It was just one floor up, but to her it was everything in the world,” said a former  Residential Milieu Coordinator at JCFS. “An elderly woman was standing outside the elevator at the Joy Faith Knapp Children’s Center, and asked if I’d ride up with her. She looked terrified, so I asked what was wrong.” She was a Holocaust survivor, she told him, and being in the elevator brought back memories of her experience in the camps.

He was so moved by the conversation, he went to meet with JCFS’s group of Holocaust survivors who gather periodically for coffee, conversation and to connect with one another.  As he explained his work at JCFS’s group homes for minors who’ve been removed from abusive or neglectful households, the survivors responded with “an outpouring of affection and concern about the kids and their wellbeing. I was there to talk about their experience, but they wouldn’t stop asking about these kids who they saw as abused, neglected, and thrown away in a different type of way.”

“They could have been our children,” one of the survivors told Audrey Cantor LCSW, Director of JCFS’s Holocaust Community Services.

If the Holocaust survivors were so moved by the stories of the young people in residential, how would the kids in residential react to stories of the survivors?

When Audrey spoke to them about the Holocaust survivors, the Residential kids were enthralled. They shared a powerful connection to the seemingly worlds-different octa- and nonagenarians, linked by the trauma of their pasts. Audrey and the residential team wanted to give them a point of connection in the present; it was time to bring them together.

“The Passover story teaches that the lowliest human being has a valid claim to justice and freedom at all times and in all places,” explained Rabbi David Rosenberg, Coordinator of Jewish Educational Services, who runs JCFS’s annual Model Seder that serves over 100 clients, staff, and community members across the agency. “The Seder is about inclusivity, with an emphasis on singing, freedom, and liberation.”

The Seder, a celebration of freedom overriding demographics, geography, and generation, was the perfect point of connection.

“The kids were serving the Holocaust survivors, helping them get around and get out to their cars.  It was one of the most emotionally charged and mind-changing things I’ve seen,” Troy said. “It was two groups of people having shared tragedy being brought together by the agency for celebration.”

Members of Chicago’s Holocaust survivor community have returned to the Seder each year since. The overlap this year of Passover and National Holocaust Remembrance Month fostered the opportunity to celebrate freedom in all its contexts, and the ways in which the desire for freedom touches everyone. The work of remembrance, after all, is also the work of community, communion, and of coming together to share pain and-- just as important--share the joy of new celebrations.

For more information on Residential Programs, Holocaust Community Services or any other JCFS services, visit jcfs.org, or call us toll-free at 855-ASK-JCFS (855-275-5237).

JCFS Community Services offers programming for rabbis, professional staff at synagogues, schools, camps and lay leaders to raise awareness and heighten understanding about what we can do – as a Jewish community – to keep children safe.  Why is this important?  Current national statistics reveal that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will be sexually abused before they reach the age of eighteen years old. Take a moment to digest those sobering facts.  Consider that someone in your family, a friend, a co-worker, or a fellow congregant might silently be a survivor of child abuse. Look around and ask questions: What am I doing personally and professionally to help keep children safe?  Does my congregation do background checks on all employees? Are there standards and a code of conduct for staff working with children? Would I feel prepared to call DCFS and report abuse if a child was being abused?

Here are some tips to help parents and teachers teach children what they can do be safe:

•          Have frank, clear and calm conversations.  Stick to the facts.
•          Tell children to trust their intuition – that niggling feeling in the pit of their stomach - when “something about a person just doesn’t feel right”.
•          Encourage children to tell you if someone’s actions or language makes them uncomfortable – even if it is someone they know.
•          Share good touch/bad touch and good secrets/bad secrets lessons. 
•          Role play to practice what to say if someone offered them a ride home, approached them on the playground, or other situations.

For more information on National Child Abuse Prevention Month, check here. For more about Project Shield, JCFS's initiative to build safe, healthy Jewish relationships and families by heightening awareness and providing education about child sexual abuse, check here. For more on any JCFS support and community services, visit www.jcfs.org or call toll free 855-ASK-JCFS (855-275-5237).

The adage goes that in life, you never know what’s just around the bend. As an organization committed to healing, helping, and supporting over 26,000 children, adults, and families, JCFS understands that some of those surprises just over the horizon are hard to prepare for, and can leave unexpected craters in their aftermath. These events—illness, the death of a loved one, addiction, etc—can leave an individual feeling defeated or alone, and that’s precisely when they need support the most.

“Judaism teaches that we affirm life even while facing pain and death,” begins Rabbi Joseph Ozarowski, chaplain of JCFS’s Jewish Healing Network of Chicago (JHNC) in the first chapter of his book To Walk In God’s Ways: Jewish Pastoral Perspectives on Illness and Bereavement. Rabbi Ozarowski recently spoke at Judaism, Health, and Healing: A Chicago Community Resource Conference at Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. The daylong conference focused on health-related topics that impact individuals, families, professionals, and the Jewish community at large.

His talk, entitled “Clinical and Pastoral Responses in Judaism,” emphasized “how the Jewish tradition interacts with what the rest of the world calls ‘clinical and pastoral’ issues, like grief, illness, loss and end of life issues. These are times in life that people need a lot of support and are looking for a lot of answers. The Torah and the Talmud, they have a great deal to say about these matters.”

“Spertus approached me about speaking at the conference,” said Rabbi Ozarowski. “They know about how fully JHNC supports families in times of loss and illness, and they really respect the work we’ve done. They wanted us to be involved.”

The medical and health topics discussed at the conference complement Rabbi Ozarowski’s area of expertise perfectly. “We think of medicine as being doctors and nurses,” he said, “but research says that spiritual practices can have clinical value as well. In my talk, I mined helpful passages from traditional Jewish texts and shared them interactively. I certainly had enough material to go through; I literally wrote the book on the topic!”

“I was hoping that those who attended the talk would get a better idea of how Judaism speaks to these issues, and a better idea of where they can turn for support, both spiritually and practically. I think they left with some useful knowledge, and an interest in pursuing it further.”

To learn more about the Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership, visit here, or to learn more about counseling, support and the JHNC, visit here or call toll free 855-ASK-JCFS (855-275-5237).

Despite the torrential rainstorms of the past few days, spring and the promise of warm weather beckons.  While many look forward to the physical benefits that the ability to get outside and exercise will bring, there are also tremendous mental health and developmental benefits.

“Young children moving—those fun play groups for kids?  Sure it’s fun, but it teaches kids critical developmental skills such as balance, fine and gross motor skills, visual and body motor coordination and much more,” says JCFS Developmental Therapist Meredith White, M.S.

A game of tag, then, isn’t just a diversion or a way to burn excess energy, but a fantastic lesson for a child in how his or her body works, its relationship with the objects around it, and how to move through a space.  Playing outside with chalk can help refine a child’s motor skills and dexterous coordination.   A whole-body activity like swimming comes with an entire suite of developmental advantages.

“Young children moving and playing in the water is not only fun, it’s beneficial for their well-being. It is excellent for their physical health and growth, benefits their neurological development, and teaches water safety skills,” says Jennie Marble, M.A. CCC-SLP, Assistant Director of JCFS’s Integrated Pediatric Interventions (IPI) program. “The water is also great for kids with motor issues, tight muscles, or who need their muscles strengthened.”

And, exercise and play are not just for kids.  "The media is flooded with reports telling us that regular exercise is a good thing," says Ed Reed, Director of Community Counseling Centers at JCFS.  And that's not just hype.  "We know from mental health research that the first line of defense against depression is exercise," says Reed. 

“There's indisputable research to support that exercise has a strong benefit to improving mental health," says Lili Gray, Director of Adult, Family and Child Services at Jewish Child & Family Services (JCFS). "When you exercise there are changes in your body and your metabolism and in the neurochemistry in your brain that lowers your stress hormones and stimulates production of endorphins, chemicals in your brain that are natural mood elevators."  Gray adds that there are emotional benefits to exercise as well, as one begins to see positive results.  "As you see physical changes in yourself and achieve goals, your self-image and self-confidence can increase, and that has exponential benefits to mental health."

Our bodies need to move in order to function as they were designed and regular physical activity is key to maintaining both mental and physical health, and that's true for people of all abilities, too.  To learn more about counseling and support, special needs camps for children and teens and inclusive recreation for all ages at JCFS, visit www.jcfs.org or call toll free 855-ASK-JCFS (855-275-5237).

By Betsy Cucci, M.A., Psychological Services Therapy Extern

Imagine yourself before a really big interview. This is your dream job—the stakes are high. You’re extremely nervous. You have a million doubts running through your mind.

What if I told you that changing the way you carry your body would help your interviewers see you differently?  What if I also told you that practicing different body positions would actually increase your confidence?

This is what “power posing” does. Amy Cuddy, Ph.D., a professor at Harvard, studies body language—non-verbal communication that gives us information about what’s going on in a situation. Dr. Cuddy suggests that certain physical stances can alter the amounts of testosterone and cortisol in your brain. In essence, higher amounts of cortisol increase stress in the body, while higher amounts of testosterone contribute to increased confidence. “High power poses” increase testosterone and inhibit cortisol, while “low power poses” have the opposite effect.

You’re probably asking yourself, “What is a high power pose?” Imagine Wonder Woman—with her hands on her hips and her legs slightly apart. She’s in control and about to save the world! More generally, high power poses are positions that open up the torso. Think of a gorilla opening up its arms and pounding its chest to let others know it’s in charge.

In contrast, a “low power pose” collapses the body in on itself with the arms across the chest, the shoulders forward, and the head and chin down. It’s a sign of submission.  Consider your body posture when you’re not feeling very confident or secure. You might notice yourself slouching and using positions that indicate this. 

Through a series of experiments, Dr. Cuddy discovered that people who utilized high-power poses for two minutes before a fake job interview were more likely to win over judges watching a videotape of the encounter. Regardless of what any of the candidates said, the ones that power posed before the interview were more likely to leave a better impression than those who used a neutral or low power pose before the interview. Thus, the ones that power posed were “hired”, while the others earned lesser reviews and were not hired.

What does all of this mean for our everyday lives? It means that our bodies can change our minds! It adds to the old saying, “fake it ‘til you make it” and reminds us of the powerful connection between our minds and our bodies. 

Dr. Cuddy suggests that we start to practice this in our day-to-day lives, especially those of us who struggle with confidence. Try taking two minutes out of your day and practice a power pose. Open up your arms to the world. Stand up straight. Be proud. It’s even better to practice a power pose before something that you’re nervous about, like a final exam or a date. You might be surprised when you find the power you possess!

For more information about this, try watching a video lecture of Dr. Cuddy’s work on body language at http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are.html

While power posing is one way to begin to increase one’s confidence, JCFS offers a variety of services that can help an individual achieve their goals. For example, JCFS offers financial counseling, which helps individuals manage day-to-day living expenses and plan for their future.  For further counseling needs, JCFS also offers adult, child, and family psychotherapy.  For information about these and other services available at JCFS, visit us at jcfs.org or call, toll-free, 1-855-ASK-JCFS.

If thirty years ago you’d told Angelo Militello where he’d be today, he might never have believed you. Angelo is the Coordinator of JCFS’s Reduction of Suspension program—a program that enables students who have been suspended to return to school sooner in exchange for community service. And judging from the credentials he started with, no one else might have imagined it either.

“My degree was in chemical engineering,” he says. “But I got a job teaching in a very innovative high school, and had a huge mind shift from the straightforward cognitive thinking of math and science to a whole new way of looking at the spectrum of education and learning styles.”

“After teaching a few years, I became an administrator and often was the bad guy disciplinarian. The guy you don’t want to see when you are in trouble.” After retirement, Angelo continued to work on educational projects until 2005 when he heard about a new program between Niles Township District 219 and JCFS. The idea was that schools would refer students who’d been suspended to the program Coordinator, who would then set them up to do community service in any number of local sites— from spending time with the elderly to maintaining a nature center to assisting families at the English Language Learning Parent Center. For every five hours of community service completed the student’s suspension would be shortened by one day.

Now Angelo is known as “the good guy, the guy you really want to see when you’re in trouble.” Angelo pairs students who’ve been suspended with service sites like the Lieberman Geriatric Center, the Skokie Public Library, and the Maine-Niles Association of Special Recreation.

 “One issue we’ve had is people thinking this is supposed to be punitive. The point is to give kids experiences that have other, positive impacts on them.” Those positive impacts are clear in the student reviews of the program:

“I have never been exposed to an environment where people were depending on me. This experience taught me how to be a better person and I am glad I did it.”

“I realized people can change their mood just by one happy hello. I learned that I need to take responsibility for my actions.”

“Senior citizens need to be cared for and listened to. I promise myself that this is not the last time I will help in the community.”

In support of the program, School District 219 just re-pledged a grant to the JCFS program, allowing Angelo to continue his work in the lives of these teens. As a result of that work, about 90% of the students who go through the program are not suspended again and 100% have stayed in school through the end of the year. Those are great figures, especially considering that in the 2011-12 school year, Illinois saw 100,641 students face suspension, and roughly 46% of those students were suspended multiple times in the year. Reduction of Suspension is aiming for—and achieving—positive impacts.

For information on this or any other JCFS program, visit jcfs.org, or call us toll-free, 855-ASK-JCFS (855-275-5237).

Photo Credit: f_a_r_e_w_e_l_l on Flickr