On April 27th, our team had the privilege of attending the PA Wilds 2017 Awards Dinner and Annual Banquet at the Dubois Country Club. There were exhibitors from across the 12 counties of the PA Wilds, all promoting the natural resources and heritage of the region. The theme was “Celebrating Community Character Stewardship”, and included a networking cocktail reception, delicious meal, awards ceremony and keynote speaker, Ed McMahon. Our team attended the event to promote
Good Evening, We are slowly approaching our last few weeks at both the Elk and Jefferson county jails. It seems like just yesterday we were at meetings just trying to present the program to wardens and getting them to take us seriously. Then we move on to even funnier moments sitting in the living room with my two teammates because at the time I was still a little new and they had different ideas about what they
We are officially facilitating Life Skills Classes in Elk, Jefferson and McKean County jails. I can say with confidence that no two jails are alike. Each have their own procedures, regulations, and culture. We have quickly learned this job requires flexibility. As for the days we aren’t in jail, exit binders are in the works for our participants. Packages include a full copy of the curriculum, general reentry resources, and personalized information about jobs and
Recently we have been doing some great things inside of the county jails. I really believe that the inmates are engaged and enjoy being there. However, in the back of my mind I must come to that realization that everyone from the outside looking in to a facility must. Not everyone that goes through our program are guaranteed success outside of the jails walls. This is either because of their previous convictions which in turn
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend an event at my alma mater, James Madison University. March is National Social Work Month, and each year JMU’s social work department hosts a celebration for current students and alumni. It’s always wonderful to reconnect with professors and to be in a room surrounded by passionate social workers and aspiring students. This year’s celebration theme was “Water is Life”, correlating with the national theme “Promoting Community and Environmental
