O CTO BE R 2 0 1 3
OCTOBER 2013
Family matters New look, new name; Always good information I am pleased to introduce the new electronic newsletter from Bethesda Project, aptly named Family Matters. Formerly known as The Family Fridge, this newsletter combines the efforts of our marketing and communications, development and community life departments and aims to keep you informed of all that goes on here at Bethesda Project. As your new editor, I sincerely hope you find this publication
informative and welcome feedback from our readers. Please email your comments and letters to the editor to info@bethesdaproject.org. Please note your letters may be edited for length and content. We hope you enjoy Family Matters. —Yarissa Reyes, director of marketing and communications
With gratitude
We’d like to take a moment to thank Rip Muhlenhaupt for his part in creating and sustaining The Family Fridge. Rip did the Fridge’s original design and formatting work back in 2004 and then remained with us to help with editing, formatting and publishing chores of our monthly Bethesda chronicle. Rip’s been a faithful and diligent partner in sharing the good news of Bethesda with our staff, residents, shelter guests, volunteers, benefactors and fans; we are grateful for the love he has brought to this monthly family project.
Bethesda Rocks!
Guess who’s coming to town soon? Every year, thanks to the generous cooperation of religious, social, civic and business groups and individuals like you, Bethesda Project is able to present two requested Christmas gifts (at a value of $25 each) or gift cards to each of our 200 residents (who are busily working on their two wishes even as you read this note!). In addition, we are able to give gifts of men’s clothing, underwear and shoes to each of our 300 shelter guests.
On an early Sunday morning, September 15, 13 volunteers from Our Brothers’ Place joined ‘Clothes Pin’ at the Rock and Roll Half-Marathon to gather clothes shed by the 22,500 runners. This year, our own Bethesda athletes helped assemble 140 bags of clothing and 15 bags of sneakers, compiling an astounding 7,000 articles of clothing.
Easily a best-personal record for the men of Hamilton Street! All of the clothes were immediately delivered to 300 Chosen on Spring Garden Street by ‘Clothes Pin’ executive director Michael Resnic. It’s re-cycling at its most humane.
We are now gathering the requests of each of our residences and will soon be matching them to your group’s abilities and interests. Contact Tony or Emily at communitylife@ bethesdaproject.org to find out how you or your group can play Santa Clause at Bethesda this year.
BACK TO BETHESDA BASICS: THE CORE VALUES On September 25, Peirce College hosted Bethesda’s Core Values retreat for over 20 of our newest staff members and interns. Father Domenic (Bethesda’s Beginnings), Tony M. (Bethesda’s Mission) and Tina P. and Jason M. (Bethesda’s Core Values) offered their insights on the principles which undergird and guide our mission and work to ‘be family with those who have none.’
Phillies Dollar Dog Night: 9/25/13 Another Win-Win Longtime Bethesda supporter Philadelphia Phillies donated tickets for residents and staff to catch a late-season game. And what a game it was! Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee had three hits, knocked in a career-high four runs and struck out a season-high 14 to lead his team to a 12-2 win over the Miami Marlins. All that and Dollar Dog Night! Everyone’s a winner!
Leaders Abound On Thursday, September 19, part of the Bethesda staff took part in a leadership development program. The program coordinators for each Bethesda residence spent the morning developing their leadership skills with a curriculum based from The Leader's Checklist by Michael Useem, professor at the Wharton School of Leadership and Change Management at the University of Pennsylvania.
The group discussed the 15 leadership principles; how they apply to their work at Bethesda Project; and leadership successes and challenges with a variety of Bethesda related themes. The afternoon was spent team bonding with lunch and bowling at Lucky Strike. It was also an opportunity to say good bye to Irvin M., coordinator at Sanctuary, as well as welcome his replacement, Dean T., who fit in as if he'd been with us for years!
Program Coordinator Retreat is a big hit!.
SJU Service Learning As a part of their ServiceLearning Course, St. Joseph’s University assigns students to community service organizations like Bethesda Project. This year, we are hosting 13 students at Our Brothers’ Place (OBP) and My Brother’s House (MBH). Students serve meals, lead community activities, and most importantly, build relationships with residents and guests. Please welcome Becky, Andrew, Delaney, Rebecca, Emily H, Nicole, Margo, Matthew, Bridget, Claribel, Emily E, Paige, and Adrianna to Bethesda!
Welcome new staff members! Please welcome our three Social Work Interns to Bethesda Project:
Regina F. is an MSW student from Temple University. Regina will be at Spruce St every Thursday and Friday for the fall and Spring Semesters.
Mary A. is a senior BSW student from Temple University. Mary will be at My Brother’s House on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for the fall and spring semesters.
Michael F. is a senior BSW student from Temple University. Michael will be at Our Brothers’ Place every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the fall and spring semesters.
And please welcome our newest staff member, Dean T., Program Coordinator at Sanctuary. We are so happy to have you all join the Bethesda family!
Bethesda guests to take on Philly Photo Day On October 18, Bethesda residents and shelter guests will take part of Philly Photo Day. The Philadelphia Photo Arts Center (PPAC) hosts the fourth annual event, where everyone in the city is invited to take a photograph using a phone or camera. PPAC then prints and hangs every single image —thousands— for a unique exhibition presenting a day in the life of Philadelphia. PPAC reached out to Bethesda Project to become a community partner. PPAC will send a photography instructor to Our Brothers’ Place and North Broad residence and will provide cameras and instruction for our residents to participate. In addition, the photos taken by our residents will be compiled into digitally printed photo murals in cooperation with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program, and will be installed in December and remain on display for six months. Everyone is invited to participate in Philly Photo Day. To participate, take a picture on October 18th, select your favorite one then visit www.philaphotoarts.org to submit the photograph online for exhibition. The final exhibition will present thousands of diverse interpretations of Philadelphia and will take place from November 14 – December 28, 2013.
H OUSE INTO H OME
If you wish to support your workplace's United Way campaign, please designate Bethesda Project to receive your payroll deduction. Bethesda Project's Donor Choice number is 3936 (or 0356 for United Way of Delaware). Federal employees can donate through the Combined Federal Campaign, number 96467.
Bethesda thanks Turn House into Home for twenty-five beautiful pieces of artwork to grace our residential walls! Turn House into Home provides student-made artwork for families and individuals transitioning into permanent housing. Perfect for Bethesda: helping to build a warm family spirit in our homes. Many thanks to Katie Mars of Mount Saint Joseph Academy for organizing this project!
Bethesda Project unveils new video Earlier this year, Bethesda Project received a grant from the Laura and John Arnold Foundation to produce a video for The Giving Library. Last month, Fr. Domenic Rossi, founder and executive director of Bethesda Project, traveled to Texas to film this video which reflects on the organization's humble beginnings and the need for organizations like Bethesda Project to exist. We thank the Laura and John Arnold Foundation for this opportunity. Please take a moment to watch this video and please share with others! Note: you may need to copy and paste the link below directly onto your browser. http://bcove.me/esitx9fd
1630 South Street Philadelphia, PA 19146 Tel: (215) 985-1600 Fax: (215) 732-8214 www.bethesdaproject.org
For more information about the video, please visit our website, www.bethesdaproject.org, and click on the link from our home page.
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