Giving Back Inside: New Kennedy School Principal | President’S Council | 83.33 Society
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GIVING BACK INSIDE: NEW KENNEDY SCHOOL PRINCipAL | PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL | 83.33 SOCIETY WINTER 2021 A MESSAGE FROM FATHER JOHN Do you remember turning 21? CARING FOR THE SOUL BY CARING FOR THE MIND A milestone in the transition to adulthood, 21 is a time of Catholic Charities’ Behavioral Health Services supports excitement, a time when our and empowers vulnerable adults struggling with thoughts are filled with the mental illness, guiding them on their road to self- possibilities of what can be. sufficiency. Conditions like substance abuse and bipolar disorder might not be obvious to some, but I remember it well. A political they present significant and unique barriers to success. science major at Loras College, If left untreated or unsupported, persistent mental I was weighing my future in the health challenges can prevent people from securing tumultuous late 1960s as our employment or housing, perpetuating cycles of poverty. country was calling for justice and dealing with political upheaval and a crisis over an unpopular war. One of these people is Amr Fadl, who arrived in the United States in 2009 after leaving his native Sudan to Sadly, many of the same challenges exist today. What is continue his education and pursue a career in computer different is that today we are also living through a worldwide science. Though he was on his own here, he had a pandemic that has brought fear and uncertainty. constant companion: depression. CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 But, as we begin the year ’21, I am focused not on what frightens us but on the excitement of what can be. In doing number of medical volunteers, our Volunteer Medical Clinic so, I look no further than to you for inspiration. in D.C. is about to expand its hours. Through the years, I’ve gotten to know well the generosity of Our job training programs – green construction, electrician the Catholic Charities community. But even I was surprised and bank teller – begin new courses this month, and ESOL at the outpouring of support late last year for our Virtual classes start for the winter session. Our COMPASS program Food Drive. is hosting a 12-week nutrition and wellness program for its members in partnership with Giant Nutrition. As we approached the end of 2020 and completed the 25th community food distribution, it was unclear whether With new and additional funding, our Welcome Home Catholic Charities could continue investing so heavily in Reentry Program is enhancing services for the formerly food assistance. But you came to our aid — and the aid incarcerated. In an exciting pilot program, it will place 20 of thousands of our hungry neighbors — by giving to the returning citizens in housing, which is an important step in Virtual Food Drive. their transition back into the community. Because of the generosity of more than 680 people and Through these and many other programs, we are working organizations, we can commit to increased food assistance to bring God’s love to others by meeting the basic needs of through June. This means that our three food pantries will those in poverty. continue to give out a greater number of food packages and large-scale community food distributions will be held once a Yes, our community — our world — faces challenges, and month in locations stung by the pandemic. there will be obstacles ahead. But just as I was excited at 21, I am hopeful and optimistic that in the year ’21 Catholic As ’21 begins, we also are redoubling our efforts to provide Charities will definitely be part of the solution. vital services, particularly basic needs. With a growing PROGRAMS model to help similar students transition into lives of NEW PRINCIPAL LOOKS purpose and passion. Her vision includes supporting FORWARD TO REUNITING staff with the necessary tools, increasing community partnerships, growing enrollment and establishing KENNEDY SCHOOL COmmUNITY innovative programming like incorporating the arts. Catholic Charities is Although James has taken on this new role in an uncertain proud to announce that environment, she and her staff have worked tirelessly to Cheryll James, Ph.D., a minimize the impact of the pandemic on student learning. dedicated educator, has been promoted to the “We have done a great job of staying connected to students role of principal of the and families through our remote learning,” James said. “We Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy use Zoom primarily to provide instruction, but we also use Institute. other platforms to enhance students’ learning, therapeutic services and regular check-ins. We also conduct numerous James brings to the home visits to deliver work packets, progress reports, position more than certificates of accomplishments, and even food baskets 20 years of diverse and holiday gifts, and to check on students who have been experience as a teacher, absent from classes.” administrator and official with the Maryland State Because the pandemic happened so suddenly, neither Department of Education. She decided to pursue a career staff nor students were able to properly prepare to learn in education after working at IBM for many years, where from home for an indefinite amount of time. To resolve the she found her passion by volunteering for the Junior technology gap many of the students faced, James and her Achievement program, teaching high school students about staff mobilized quickly to ensure students had access to business. computers donated by a generous community partner and WiFi hotspots so they could participate in remote learning. After obtaining her master’s degree, she became a math and science teacher and was named Although they are apart, James works with teacher of the year by the Corcoran Gallery. staff to make schooldays as normal as She later held administrative positions, possible. To ensure students are engaged, from business manager to principal, at teachers still closely monitor attendance charter schools before transitioning into and follow truancy protocols. Still, students program and compliance roles with the report that they miss being in school and Maryland and D.C. governments. In these the socialization they experience from positions, she supervised close to 2,000 classroom learning. This is something findings of noncompliance that were James misses as well. more than five years old, and she helped establish the first State of Maryland Charter “Some of my favorite moments are when School Principal’s Institute. students support and help each other,” she said, “particularly when it involves a “It was these positions that required me student who would have previously never to spend a great deal of time visiting and done anything like that. I miss events spending time in schools,” she said. “I like the prom, which really showcases a realized how much I missed being around the students different side of the students. They all seem to take on a and the energy found in actual school buildings. I found different personality that allows their light to shine in a myself missing what I call the ‘lightbulb’ moments when you whole different way. Events like this bring up a variety of actually get to see the positive impact firsthand of when the emotions, as you will find yourself laughing and crying all at students are grasping a concept, be it academic or social.” the same time.” This desire and dedication to seeing students succeed led James looks forward to the day when students and staff her to the Kennedy School, a day school for children and can reunite in the Kennedy School’s classrooms, so that she young adults ages six to 22 with disabilities, where she was can share her love and commitment to learning, which she assistant principal for three years. considers her specialty as an educator. As principal, James is eager to build on the school’s mission “I truly believe that learning is a lifelong journey and not to develop students with disabilities and make it a national simply a destination.” 2 PROGRAMS shots to 150 immigrant clients at Catholic Charities’ Susan SERVING ImmIGRANT NEIGHBORS: Denison Mona Center. SPANISH CATHOLIC CENTER Beyond caring for clients’ physical well-being, center staff ADDRESSES PANDEMIC’S IMPACT in D.C. and Gaithersburg also support their mental and emotional health by continuing to offer programs that The pandemic has been devastating to the area’s immigrant empower them to build better futures. While programs community. Struggling with unemployment and hunger, like our job training and ESOL classes have moved online, many have been left without access to unemployment students are more committed than ever to improving their benefits, stimulus funds or health care. lives. This winter we will welcome 20 students in our bank teller training program, approximately 24 students in the In response, the Spanish Catholic Center has been a Green Construction Pre-Apprenticeship program and more vital source of support, with staff providing resources to than 80 students in our ESOL program. protect their clients’ minds, bodies and spirits as the crisis continues. Despite a volatile job market, the center still provides one-on-one employment Many of the families who come to the assistance, helping multiple clients center in Northwest D.C. have been secure jobs each month. forced to make an unimaginable choice because of the pandemic: put food on Building on the center’s mission and the table or put their household at risk of a legacy of caring for immigrants, we contracting the virus. launched our Newcomer Network in late 2020 to welcome and support Julieta Machado, director of immigrant newcomers to this country. This new services, and her staff work diligently service will enhance and expand Immigration Legal Services to alleviate these added stresses by connecting people to and provide easy access to a range of other services using basic necessities.