RSVP of Chester County hosted its 41^st Annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon on Thursday, March 22.

The event was held at Radley Run Country Club in West Chester, and included entertainment from the always enthusiastic, Grateful Alive Band.  Over 135 volunteers and honorable guests attended the luncheon and enjoyed the dynamic emcee performance provided by Burt Rothenberger, RSVP Advisory Council and Family Service Board of Directors member.

This year marked a new set of awards that were distributed to volunteers including:

Dynamic Newcomers: recognizing volunteers who have been active less than a year but have volunteered significant hours.

Venerable Volunteers: recognizing volunteers who are 85+ and still active!

Learning to read a child’s behavioral cues is one of the best ways to identify potential child sexual abuse.  The Exchange Club Family Center provides parents and caregivers with resources that can help to prevent this and other types of child abuse from occurring in their homes.

How Can You Tell if a Child is Being Abused?

Watch for these behavioral and or emotional reactions:

• Nightmares and sleeping difficulties
• Withdrawn behavior
• Angry outbursts
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Not wanting to be left alone with a particular individual
• Sexual knowledge that is inappropriate for the child’s age

Although many children who have experienced sexual abuse show behavioral and emotional changes, many others do not.  The best way to prevent child sexual abuse is to communicate with your child about body safety, healthy body boundaries and encouraging open dialogues.

Tips to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse:

• Teach children accurate names of private body parts.
• Teach children about body safety
• Educate children about the difference between good secrets and bad secrets
• Trust your instincts!

 WHERE TO FIND HELP

If you have any questions or feel as though you may be in a situation requiring guidance, we encourage you to confidentially call Voni Moore-Mastovich, Director of our Exchange Club Family Center, at 610-696-4900 ext. 129 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

You may also contact ChildLine, a  24 hour hotline for reporting child abuse in Pennsylvania at 1-800-932-0313.

How to help

Learn more about the Exchange Club Family Center program.

Take an active role in the fight against child abuse and neglect. Learn about our Volunteer Parent Aide program and become a Volunteer Parent Aide today.

Contact our ECFC Director, Voni Moore-Mastovich, by phone at 610-696-4900 ext. 129 or via email at ecfc@familyservice.us.

Family Service of Chester County is seeking a qualified medical case manager to join the staff of Project ONE, our comprehensive HIV/AIDS program. This is a part time position with a competitive hourly rate. The position is available immediately.

The case manager will provide direct service to persons living with HIV/ AIDS, work to connect clients to resources, and facilitate adherence to medical treatment. The ability to accurately document services is a key requirement.

Requirements for the position include:

• A bachelor’s degree in a human service related field
• At least one year of relevant case management experience
• Excellent communication and relationship skills
• Advocacy skills and knowledge of existing resources
• Car and valid driver’s license

Responsibilities include:

• Assessment of new clients
• Development of an individualized service plan
• Identification of appropriate resources that would benefit client needs
• Accompanying clients to medical appointments
• Educating clients in areas of HIV/AIDS prevention and strategies for healthy living

Essential personal qualifications include persistence, self-awareness, and the ability to relate to clients and colleagues in a professional manner.

The position is based in Family Service’s Coatesville offices.

Interested candidates should email their resume to casemanager@familyservice.us.

Family Service of Chester County is an equal opportunity employer.

Guest speakers: Rev. Lynda Rassman, Connectional HIV/AIDS Coordinator of AME Churches Health Commission NJ, and Chantal Whitehead of Camp Dreamcatcher

Enjoy Herstories, door prizes, games, teas and desserts.

$5 per person or $40 per table (of 8). Prize for the best dressed table. Scholarships are available.

To Register:
Hub of Hope Interfaith HIV/AIDS Ministry
610-444-2400
hub-of-hope@umcod.org

All year long, these volunteers provide transportation to HIV/AIDS clients, assist with prevention initiatives, provide food, and give financial assistance to Project ONE.

Helping Hands: Darlene Robinson, James S. Smith, Fiona Allison, Tim Case, Jesse Cocks, Elmer Duckinfield, Angela Emrich, Anne Cormish, Rev. Jacqueline Hines, Virginia Huestis, Rev. Eva Johnson, Pamela Johnson, Cheryl Miles, Rona Obert, Peggy Puy, Shauna Ridge, Molly Dee Rounsley, Eleanor Ruiz-Santiago, Rich Sipple, Rev. Sondra Taylor.

Faith Communities: Bethel United Methodist Church, First United Methodist Church, Galilee UAME Church, Grove United Methodist Church, Hopewell United Methodist Church, Second Baptist Worship Center, St. Paul’s Baptist Church, Tabernacle Baptist Church, UM Church of the Open Door, West Chester United Methodist Church, Westminster Presbyterian Church

Helping Hands

Click on any photo to enlarge.

To human service providers, medical professionals and those serving the HIV/AIDS population in Chester County:

You are invited to a Family Service/Project ONE Open House on Tuesday, December 13 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at the Coatesville Center for Community Health. Come and learn about our comprehensive case management services for individuals and families impacted by HIV/AIDS in Chester County.

• Meet our case managers, prevention education specialist, and program director.
• Discuss ways we can work together to help people living with HIV/AIDS in our community to access better medical care and resources for healthy living.
• Discuss HIV/AIDS issues and trends in Chester County.
• Get information about HIV prevention and our VOICES prevention program.

Directions

World AIDS Day Services:

Tabernacle Baptist Church 
December 1, 6:00 pm
819 Coates Street
Coatesville, PA  19380
Refreshments

First United Methodist Church of Phoenixville
December 4, 4:00 pm
865 Main Street
Phoenixville, PA  19460

Well, okay, we don’t need your socks. You can keep the ones you’re wearing—but we do need new, warm socks to give to homeless and disadvantaged people in Chester County this winter.

Socks are one item people rarely donate. Socks wear out, get holes, and end up in the trash can. When homeless and disadvantaged people need socks, our clothing donations centers have few or none to give.

You can make a small, but important, difference in someone’s life this winter by participating in our annual Sock-It-To-Us community sock drive.

Purchase clean, new socks for men, women or children and bring them to a Sock-It-To-Us collection site from October 1-31.

Sock Collection Sites

Family Service of Chester County
310 N. Matlack Street
West Chester, Pa  19380 (map)

Public Libraries in…
Avon Grove
Bayard Taylor
Chester Springs
Coatesville
Downingtown
Easttown
Henrietta Franklin
Honey Brook
Malvern
Oxford
Parkesburg
Phoenixville
Spring City
Tredyffrin
West Chester

And at…
Eagleview YMCA
Phoenixville YMCA
Westminster Presbyterian Church
Grove Church
St. Paul’s Baptist Church
First Presbyterian Church of West Chester
Spirit of Yoga

Where Will The Socks Go?

At the end of October, your socks will be distributes to 20+ homeless shelters and community agencies serving disadvantaged men, women and children in Chester County.

Chester County’s 10 Year Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness stresses the need for public awareness. By participating in Sock-It-To-Us, you can bring attention to this tragic reality and make life easier and warmer for our homeless and near-homeless neighbors.

Questions? Don’t Hesitate… Contact Us!

Sock-It-To-Us is a signature project of our RSVP Volunteer Program. It is led and organized by retired and senior volunteers age 55+.

Leslie Stauffer, RSVP Program Director
610-696-4900 ext. 114
rsvp@familyservice.us

• Affordable home Internet service, $9.95 per month
• A new computer, $149.99 plus taxes
• Free internet training

Jill combines humor, compassion and hard facts to dispel myths about HIV/AIDS.

A video, a stack of condoms, two anatomical models (one for men, one for women)…

The conversation coming next might seem awkward, “but it never is,” says Jill Johnson, Family Service’s HIV prevention education specialist.

Jill leads VOICES, the only adult HIV prevention program in Chester County. To date, she’s discussed safe sex and condom use with everyone from college students to senior citizens.

The goal of VOICES is to stop HIV in Chester County. County statistics show that STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) are rising, and when STDs increase, HIV increases.

“The HIV virus is alive and well in Chester County,” says Jill.

VOICES, or Video Opportunities for Innovative Condom Education and Safer Sex, is a single-session, video-based program for the prevention of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. The videos demonstrate real-life discussions between sexually active partners about condom use and safe sex practices.

“Most people think they know how HIV is transmitted, but there is a lot of misinformation out there,” says Jill.

Jill is frank and open. Along with the videos, she talks about body fluids, needles and unsafe sex. Participants can ask any question—and they usually do.

“I tell people, what happens in VOICES, stays in VOICES,” says Jill. “Once people understand the ground rules, they really start to open up. This is information people really want to know.”

Jill also hones in on special issues. With young women, she talks about self-esteem, domestic and dating violence, peer pressure and abstinence. Sometimes, they role play difficult scenarios.

VOICES empowers people to take responsibility for their sexual health. As part of the presentation, Jill gives a condom demonstration for adults. She talks about types of condoms, sizes and even colors. She explains how to use them and passes out samples.

“Feedback to VOICES has been overwhelmingly positive,” says Jill. “People say they’ve learned new information and feel better equipped to enter into safe sex discussions with their partners, families and even their children.”

VOICES can be adapted to numerous audiences. It is concise, entertaining and informative. Without proper knowledge, anyone can be at-risk for HIV. For more information, visit Project ONE »