Project Self-Sufficiency

Dear Friends,

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Spring brings with it the opportunity for renewal, and nowhere is that more evident than at Project Self-Sufficiency.  Our beautiful campus comes alive with blossoms galore and we are delighted to welcome our dedicated Master Gardeners as they return to till our community gardens and begin planting for the growing season.

 

Recently, the Chili Open fundraiser brought in much-needed funds dedicated to providing housing support services and addressing homelessness in our community.  Open that Bottle Night was a tremendous success, and we are grateful to our friends at the Hudson Farm Club for their steadfast support of this event year after year. In May, we are excited to be marking the 26th anniversary of our signature fundraising event, A Taste of Talent.  We are looking forward to welcoming back our stalwart chefs who have enriched our lives – along with those of thousands of patrons over the years – and greeting new friends as we gather at Perona Farms.

 

Our programming continues to evolve to meet the needs of our community.  Warren County has embraced our mobile services vehicle, Journey, as we help those in need in the Hackettstown area. Of course, the season would not be complete without the Sister-to-Sister Prom Shop which grows in popularity every year.

 

The virtual workshops initiated during the early stages of the health crisis have become a robust mainstay of our Family Success Center programming.  The roster of support groups has expanded to include a special, in-person gathering for fathers, and our line-up of weekly Family Fun Nights is drawing crowds.  Parenting workshops and seminars designed to heighten awareness of adverse childhood experiences are held virtually and in-person at Project Self-Sufficiency and at locations throughout the community.

 

The New Jersey Youth Corps and Bridges programs invite struggling teens and young adults to find new paths to a high school diploma, career training, and college.  We are profoundly grateful to the cadre of dedicated volunteer teachers who help to transform the lives of these participants as they navigate the transition between adolescence and adulthood.

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We cannot forget our mainstay programming for single parents and displaced homemakers.  Our home visitation services are marking a banner year of assisting pregnant and parenting young women while the popular Higher Opportunities for Women program addresses the needs of women who need restorative workplace training and support.  Project Self-Sufficiency’s Central Intake team, Connecting NJ, is helping thousands to access health and social service resources and has been identified by the State of New Jersey as a model for similar programs across the area.