Community Connections Open House
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Community Connections has moved to a new location at 4112 N. Water Tower Place in Mt. Vernon.
An Open House will be held at the new location on Thursday, November 10 from 11am to 2pm, with the Ribbon Cutting at 12pm.
“We are very excited about our new office!” adds Sarah Usery, Vice President of Community Services. “Our new location enhances our professional services by offering more space for therapy sessions and staff offices. It will also provide an opportunity for us to help more people and expand the types of professional services we can offer.”
Community Connections Counseling and Professional Services provides counseling services to individuals, families, and groups of all ages. Referrals are taken daily and can come from the individual or various agencies such as the courts, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and social service agencies.
“The majority of the clients served by United Methodist Children's Home now live in our surrounding communities,” states Gary Lemmon, UMCH President / CEO. “Over the past 2-3 years we have experienced dramatic growth in community services such as Community Connections. We are truly no longer just a children's home.”
The Autism Resource Room has also moved with Community Connections to the 4112 N. Water Tower Place location. Parents, caregivers, teachers, and therapists are able to check out autism-related materials and access autism-specific information for free at the Autism Resource Room.
Community Connections and Autism Resource Room are services of United Methodist Children's Home.
YouthBuild and CiviCorps Open House
Monday, November 21, 2011
United Methodist Children's Home has opened a new office at 831 E. Second Street in Centralia (vocational building of the former CHS campus) that house the Marion County locations of YouthBuild and CiviCorps.
An Open House will be held at the new location on Monday, November 21 from 11am to 2pm, with the Ribbon Cutting with the Centralia Chamber of Commerce at 11am. The public is invited to attend the open house and ribbon cutting.
“Both YouthBuild and CiviCorps serve youth who live in the community,” adds Gary Lemmon, UMCH President / CEO. “Over the past few years we have experienced dramatic growth in community services such as these programs. UMCH is truly no longer just a children's home.”
YouthBuild program serves young adults in Jefferson & Marion Counties. The program focuses on providing academic training, job skill development, leadership development & community service. The Youthbuild program has had a presence in Marion County for the past 4 years.
CiviCorps is a new program of UMCH that will provide young adults who have been involved in the juvenile justice system the opportunity to give back to their communities through community service to make up for past transgressions. Such projects hold promise for reducing the recidivism rate of juvenile offenders by improving their vocational and educational skills and long-term prospects in the labor market. The program is intended to increase their attachment to their community and their sense of community responsibility. CiviCorps serves young people in Marion, Jefferson and Franklin counties.
YouthBuild and CiviCorps are US Department of Labor grant-funded services provided by United Methodist Children's Home, focused on helping at-risk young adults and improving the community through education and service projects. Kaskaskia College is a major partner in both programs offering GED classes to participants.