¡Vale la Pena!
Transcription
¡Vale la Pena!
August/September 2012 “YOU CAN ACHIEVE IF YOU BELIEVE” Vol. 1 Issue 1 ¡Vale la Pena! With the slogan ¡Vale la Pena! (It’s Worth It), CETPA. Inc. joined the voices of the many individuals and organizations who celebrated along with SAHMSA (The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) the National Recovery Month this September. With positive spirit, hope and a great deal of affection, we celebrated with the Clubhouse members and their families what it means to believe that it is possible to achieve recovery and of course that... ¡Vale la Pena! In the event we had on Friday, September 28, youth, parents and staff were involved in variety of inspiring and exciting activities. We showcased several videos, including one of our own members’production. We also heard uplifting testimonies such as Dr. Mancini’s, Alberto’s and Ana’s, who transmitted the spirit of excellence, and the desire and determination to better themselves. The moral of the stories: “There is no hole so deep in life that we cannot climb out off.” Mariellie Lugo (Counselor) also shared with us how extraordinary it is to witness the small changes in the lives of the members who are working to achieve and maintain recovery successfully. We also celebrated those professionals dedicating their lives to support those in recovery. We continue our “fiesta” with a great cook out, wearing the first shirts ever designed and printed by the Clubhouse youth with the slogan "Vale la Pena," and gave away some bags to the parents who joined us and participated in the activity. H i eritage Month For our third annual Hispanic Heritage Month Commemoration, the DR3AMR’S Clubhouse celebrated with a bang! With the kind support of one of our own CETPA Prevention Specialist, Michelle “Shelly” Baroni, the Clubhouse members and parents rejoiced to the sound of Peruvian Folkloric Music, as the dance group “Expresiones de mi Tierra” entertained us with great choreography and energy. Amazing home-cooked food could also not have been missed during this great festivity. The members’ parents joined in exhibiting the riches of our culture and traditions by bringing a delectable plate representative of their country. To complement this great event, everyone was asked to participate in a Jeopardy game revolving around cultural topics. In this dynamic activity, the teams were competing to show who had the most knowledge on different categories of their heritage, and to win great prizes. Great job winning team Encantadores! Insert Headline Here Month D ay Year On August 14th, the DR3AMR’S Clubhouse began a 16 week educational program called “MATURE Project”, (MATURE: Marriage Appreciation Training Uplifting Relationship Education) under the orientation of the educator David Mitchell. “MATURE” integrates educational strategies that support positive youth development: focuses on life-skills information such as dating violence prevention, domestic violence prevention and budgeting; addresses the quality of relationships among students who spend hours each day being bombarded with images of relationships reduced to casual sex only; brings to life a message of boundaries, communication and mutual respect; employs adolescents who share the message of the importance of good relationships with their peers; and engages the community in youth appreciation activities. During the month of August and September, CETPA Clubhouse teamed up with Partnership Against Domestic Violence (PADV) in order to the past two months, bringDuring consciousness to the youngCETPA members Clubhouse teamed up with Partnership about healthy and unhealthy relationships. Against Domestic (PADV) in a Throughout the month,Violence Samantha Macedo, order to bringTeen consciousness the brilliant Bilingual PreventiontoAdvocate members healthy job andteaching fromyoung this program didabout a wonderful unhealthy relationships. Throughoutteen the our youth a variety of topics concerning dating violence and where to stand in regards process, Samantha Macedo, a brilliant to it.Bilingual Some of Teen the topics discussed interactively Prevention Advocate included: Media, culture and environment from this program did a wonderful job influences, gender roles, personal values, teaching our youth a variety of topics warning signs, and course five aspects concerning teenofdating violence and that transcends backgrounds or personal where to stand in regards to it. Some of differences, to discussed have healthy relationships. the topics interactively These are communication, respect, included: Media, culture and boundaries, equality and self esteem. environment influences, gender roles, As opposed to the kind of depreciating and personalimages, values, and warning signs, and of sexualizing harmful relationships five portrayed aspects that transcends and course behaviors in the media, thanks backgrounds or personal differences, to to this class our members have been exposed have healthy relationships. These are to how this is realistically affecting their communication, respect, boundaries, interactions with others, and have gained equality and self esteem. knowledge and tips to consider in their As opposed to the kind ofin depreciating romantic involvement, or just everyday relationships. and sexualizing images, and harmful relationships and behaviors portrayed in the media, thanks to this class our members have been exposed to how this is realistically affecting their interactions with others, and have gained knowledge and tips to consider in their romantic involvement, or just in everyday relationships. DR3AMR’S GRATITUDE This month, DR3AMR’S members were recipients of several hours of free legal advice on an individual level and in a group setting. (Photo) We would also like to express our gratitude to one of CETPA's board members, Mr. Jim Levine, Esq., a partner at McKenna Long & Aldridge, LLC, and Jason Estevez, Esq., an Associate from the firm, for recently offering Pro Bono services to some of our clients. Mr. Levine has been a valued member of CETPA' Board of Directors for the past two years and has greatly collaborated to help our members continue to develop into well rounded individuals. Thank you for all your support! The DR3AMR’S Clubhouse, had the opportunity of experimenting something it had never experienced before, with our guest speaker Claudia Hernandez. The activity consisted of breathing and relaxation exercises, with the aim of reaching inner peace. Mrs. Hernandez created an atmosphere of tranquility and harmony in which the teens would concentrate in enjoying a moment of meditation in silence, while exhaling the stressors of the day and visualizing pleasant scenery. The goal was to seek happiness and be in tune with their inner selves, by valuing life and their working organs, and reflecting in reaching their full potential as human beings. Our Clubhouse hosted a health fair coordinated by Marcela Espinosa and Northside Hospital to which 91 people from our community attended. Some of the services that were provided were cholesterol and blood sugar testing, osteoporosis exam, pulmonary examination, cancer risk, sleep quality, among others. All participants, Northside Hospital, CETPA and patients agreed that the event was a real success. Educational & Employment Projects Celebrating Month Birthdays! www.cetpa.org U N D E R Da’ SEA! H ik in g A d v en t u r es! GARDENING Gwinnett Braves www.cetpa.org