ANNUAL REPORT

2007 - 2008

MISSION STATEMENT

To engage members of our community in op to prepare for life’s challenges through delivery of: ♦ prevention education & life skills training

♦ programs that encourage portunities positive choices, and peaceful living

healthy decision-making,

CENTER FOR HUMANISTIC CHANGE

2200 Avenue A Suite 106 2200 Avenue A Bethlehem, PA 18017 Suite 106 484-821-0375 Bethlehem, PA 18017 610-317-0315 fax www.thechc.org 484-821-0375 610-317-0316 fax www.thechc.org CENTER FOR HUMANISTIC CHANGE Head, heart, hands….. educating the whole person.

2007 OPEN HOUSE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Robert Thomson, III- President Frances Bentkowski - Vice President Robin Wintz - Treasurer Gerry Krupka - Secretary Dorothea Barsness Marlo Burnette Ann Casterlin Winona Dotson Ritchey Ricci Kristine Marakovits-Roddick Nereida Villanueva

STAFF Debra A. Geiger, Executive Director Marsha Beers Andrea Bickert Martha Capwell Fox Amy Carr Alex Corgan Karen Korpics Valerie McKay Steve Miller Angie Pontician

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2007-2008 CLIENTS SERVED The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be only the beginning. Ivy Baker Priest U.S. Treasurer, 1953-1961 Albrightsville Volunteer Fire Co. Kutztown University Palmer Elementary Alburtis Elementary L. V. Hospital - Muhlenberg Paxinosa Elementary Community, Customers, Colleagues, and Friends of the Center for Allentown YMCA/YWCA L. V. Physician's Group Pen Argyl High School Associated Builders & Contractors LCCC Penn State Humanistic Change, Boys & Girls Club - Teen Center Lehigh County Correctional Center Peter's Elementary The completion of a fiscal year (FY) is an end… and a beginning. It is a time to Boys & Girls Club - Turner Street Lehigh County Council of Pohatcong Elementary Boys & Girls Club of Easton Churches Private Industry Council look forward (clear the slate!) but also a time to look back and reflect on accomplish- Broughal Middle School Lehigh County Juvenile Detention PROGRAM for Women & Families ments… Home Buchanan Elementary Raub Middle School Prevention education continues to be our primary means of engaging the mem- Bushkill Elementary Lehigh County Technical Institute Recovery Partnership Calypso Elementary Lehigh Elementary Ritter Elementary bers of our community. In addition to the programs we conduct for the Lehigh and Career Academy Lehigh University Child Care Roberto Clemente Charter School Northampton County Drug and Alcohol Administrations, CHC continues to be the Le- Catasauqua High School Lehigh/Carbon School Counselors Roosevelt Elementary high Valley’s foremost provider of classroom tobacco prevention education. Our col- Catasauqua Middle School Assoc. Sacred Heart School laboration with the new primary contractor for the State tobacco initiative, Coalition for Central Catholic High School LEPOCO Salisbury Middle School a Smoke Free Valley, has presented new challenges and opportunities for the Center, Cheston Elementary Lincoln Elementary Salvation Army and we look forward to an exciting future in this new partnership. Christian Day Care March Elementary Saucon Valley Elementary Clearview Elementary Marvine Elementary Shawnee Middle School Other exciting beginnings in FY 2007-2008 were: CLIU 21 Moore Elementary Siegfried Elementary DeFranco Elementary Slatington Elementary • Certification by PA Department of Education as Student Assistance Program Mosser Village Dieruff High School South Mountain Middle School (SAP) trainers Donegan Elementary Mosser Village - Carlisle Site Spring Garden Day Care Mosser Village - Sheridan Site Springhouse Middle School • Initiation of a new community grant-funded program, Step Up to Success, East Penn School District Nativity Lutheran Church Day St. John's UCC combining construction trades training and life skills Easton Area Academy Care St. Luke's Hospital • Expansion of new programming at Lincoln Elementary School, our commu- Nazareth Middle School Easton Area Community Center St. Theresa's School nity school partner Easton High School Nitschmann Middle School The Caring Place ELECT Program - Allentown S. D. Northampton Community College Third Street Alliance • Introduction of All Stars, an evidence-based program that helps at-risk kids Families First Northampton County Adult Proba- Thomas Jefferson Elementary reject gangs, at two inner city Allentown agencies. Family Connection tion Tracy Elementary Forks Elementary Northampton County Juvenile Trexler Middle School In the following pages, you will find much more information regarding these Probation Fountain Hill Elementary Truman Elementary Northampton County Prison initiatives and the impact they have had on our community. If you would like to learn Franklin Elementary Vitalistic Therapeutic School Northampton School District more, contact us -- we will be happy to share our excitement with you! Freemansburg Elementary Volunteers of America Northeast Middle School George Wolf Elementary Whitehall Middle School Northern Lehigh High School We began FY 2007-2008 by celebrating the completion of our first year in our Harrison Morton Middle School Wilson High School Northern Lehigh Middle School new location. Our Open House was an exciting event and it provided an opportunity to Holy Infancy School Wind Gap Middle School Northwestern Lehigh High School also recognize and thank our clients, community partners, foundations/grantors, HYPE - Muhlenberg College Wings for Life NORWESCAP donors, staff, trainers, volunteers and friends. We want to close the year by reminding Jefferson Elementary Women for Sobriety Our Lady of Perpetual Help you how grateful we are to all of you for supporting the Center for Humanistic Change Kids Fest Zion UCC Summer Camp with your time, talents and treasures. We are…because you are!!!

Robert Thomson, III Debra A. Geiger Board President Executive Director Page 14 Page 3 Head, heart, hands….. educating the whole person. COMMUNITY SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP(CSP) AT DONOR LIST* LINCOLN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL We would like to take this opportunity to thank the following for their support of CHC Lincoln Elementary School successfully completed its second year as a COMPASS during FY 2007-2008 (Community School donors identified separately): Community School in June, 2008. "Completed" is not an accurate term— in a commu- nity school, there really is no end point --we will continue to evolve according to the Margaret Alonso Lou Liebhaber, CEO Fundamental Success needs of the students and the community. Lincoln was open throughout most of the Dorothea Barsness Maria Manakos summer serving students, families, and the neighborhood. The full slate of enrichment Frances Bentkowski Mish Ganssle, Martin Kueny Insurance and remedial morning classes and afternoon activities not only makes the best possible Carrie Connolly Maurer & Scott Sales, Inc. use of Lincoln's beautiful, up-to-date building, but provide a safe, supervised place for Wilma Figueroa Judy Ortleb kids whose parents are at work. Most importantly, the open building demonstrates the Theresa Frost Jeanette Pitcher philosophy of the Community School Partnership--to integrate academics, health and Debra Geiger Ritchey Ricci social services, youth and community development, and community engagement James Geiger Judy Schultz throughout the whole year. Colleen Kreclich, Business Support Robert & Jo-Ellen Thomson The Community School initiative is a strategic partnership between CHC, the Solutions LLC Teri Van Horn United Way of the Greater , and Bethlehem Area School District. As the Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network Christa Graback-Wallo lead partner in the Lincoln Community School Partnership, CHC carries out a variety of * We make every effort to ensure the accuracy of this list, however, mistakes are sometimes made. Please contact CHC if we are in error. activities. Executive Director, Deb Geiger and CHC employee Amy Carr, who is the Community School Coordinator, work with the rest of the CSP Leadership Team to carry out the Partnership's strategic initiatives. CSP ACTIVITIES AT LINCOLN BENEFITS TO STUDENTS AND INCLUDED: FAMILIES: ♦ Reading/math support and tutoring by ♦ 3rd, 4th, & 5th graders met PSSA stan- community volunteers and ESU elemen- dards tary ed students ♦ GPAs and attendance improved ♦ 12 in-school enrich- ♦ disciplinary episodes ment programs decreased ♦ 83 after-school pro- ♦ 87% of students at- grams tended after-school pro- ♦ 7 school-wide family grams, up 10% events ♦ 82 parents and commu- ♦ Free on-site health care nity members volunteered, for students in need a 32% increase Colleen Kreclich, Christa Graback-Wallo, & Fran Bentkowski enjoy a day in the sun at ♦ 78 one-on-one inter- ♦ 76% increase in the golf outing sponsored by Ron Martin of Martin Kueny Insurance. views with parents number of community ♦ English language classes resource partners for parents presented as ♦ 20 GED students, 12 Every dollar invested in prevention saves $5-$10 worth evening family program completed the course of drug and alcohol treatment costs. ♦ GED program partnership with the ♦ Children reported that their parents ~ National Institute on Drug Abuse Adult Literacy Program of the LV value education.

Page 13 Page 4 Head, heart, hands….. educating the whole person. OUR PARTNERS STATEMENT OF ACTIVITY FROM OPERATIONS We extend our thanks and recog- nition to the following organiza- An independent audit of CHC financial statements, found the results of CHC operations tions & individuals for their sup- and changes in net assets for the year ended June 30, 2008, to be in conformity with port—both financial and in- generally accepted auditing standards in the United States of America. kind—for our community school partnership. The primary change in net assets was due to a restructuring of investments that occurred COMMUNITY PARTNERS in October 2007 which has been impacted by the national economy (though on a much Adult Literacy Center of the Lehigh lesser scale than the NASDQ & Dow Jones indexes). Management and the Board of Direc- Valley tors consider the long-term strategy to be sound. Banana Factory Bethlehem Fire Department Operational activity increased moderately during FY 2007/2008 based on strengthening Bethlehem Health Bureau of collaborative relationships throughout the community. CHC continues to emphasize Bethlehem Police Dept. Bethlehem Public Library relationships with other community agencies based on support to their clients. This al- Commerce Bank * lows CHC to focus on getting the right services to clients at the right time and place; it Da Vinci Science Center The main hall at LES is now decorated with a mural painted by 15 also reduces the need for community support of expensive infrastructure (facilities) for th th East Stroudsburg University CHC to serve these same clients. We continue to enhance those relationships and expect 4 and 5 graders who were guided by 2 artists from the Banana Ebenezer Bible Fellowship Church* greater operational activity in the coming fiscal year.* Though expenses exceeded reve- Factory, assisted by two parent volunteers. The students put in four Giant Food Store* hours a week for ten weeks. The unveiling ceremony on April 17, KNBT Bank nue, this was based on investments in staff that management and the Board of Directors 2008 was a real community event, attended by students, teachers, Lens Crafters believed necessary to support future growth. Those expenses, less than budgeted, pro- school staff, families and guests from local businesses, UWGLV, Moravian College* vided for grant writing and direct programming staff. CHC, PPL, Banana Factory, BASD, and local government. Northampton Community College Northeast Ministries CHC IS PART OF THE LINCOLN FAMILY Youth Theatre St. Luke’s Hospital Total Revenue - $699,985 $39,527 Total Expenses - $699,985 CHC staff and board members support the Community United Way of the GLV Salaries & Related School in many ways: Valley Youth House $4,220 $3,539 Expe nse s - 66% $ 3 1, 16 2 Grants & IN-KIND DONORS $28,421 Other Program Expenses ♦ software licenses for computers used for adult classes Co ntracts - 89% Bruno Scipioni’s Restaurant - 23% donation Service & Material $45,798 Crayola Operating Expenses - 6% Fees - 4% $157,648 ♦ provided some children’s programming for ELL family Dairy Queen Contributions - 1% classes First Star Bank $464,579 Occupancy Expenses - ♦ made the initial contact with Second Harvest of the Grace Deliverance Church Reserve Funds * - 4% Lehigh Valley for a Backpack Buddies program, and Lowe’s $625,076 6% Northwood Racquet Ball Club Fundraising - 1% secured a grant from General Mills for LES to initiate it. Palace Restaurant ♦ secured grants to introduce our mentoring program, Perkins Restaurant Crossroads, for at-risk students at Lincoln. RSVP ♦ contributed food for Thanksgiving baskets for ten LES Subway families, and collected Christmas gifts for five Lincoln Texas Road House Wal-Mart The official registration and financial information of Center for Humanistic Change, Inc., a 501(c)3 organization, may be families. West End Racquet Ball Club obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registra- tion does not imply endorsement. INDIVIDUAL DONORS SPECIAL THANKS TO Dawn Roman, Lincoln Elementary CHC audit is conducted by Campbell, Rappold & Yurasits, LLP. The financial information is condensed from the audited School financial statement for the year ending June 30, 2008. Copies of the audit are available from the CHC office. Deb & Joe Corcoran, Keller Williams Real Estate, for their sustained support of the Community School. Debra Geiger, Center for Humanistic Change, Inc . * Also an In-Kind Donor

Page 12 Page 5 Head, heart, hands….. educating the whole person. SPOTLIGHT ON PRE—POST TESTS Unique & Innovative CHC constantly asks “How well are we doing?” To find out, the program facilitators administer CHC Programs pre/post tests to elementary students to measure the knowledge gained from the program they received. The chart below presents the results from programs in which 200 or more matched pre/post tests were completed. This shows that even the youngest students gain significant skills N E W ! All Stars: “Gangs destroy lives and neighbor- and understanding about abstract topics when they are demonstrated by CHC’s hands-on, partici- hoods,” said one young participant in CHC’s intro- patory methods. duction of All Stars at the Allentown Boys & Girls Club Teen Center. Clearly, he had gotten the mes- sage of All Stars, which encourages at-risk youth to dream about their futures, and reject gangs, crime, Average Average Percentage of and violence in favor of positive choices. Funded by Course Total Participants Pre-Test Post -Test Improvement NEW! a Route 222 Corridor Gang Prevention grant and Lehigh County Drug & Alcohol Administration, CHC Bullying 490 69.44 81.38 17% also introduced the highly-acclaimed, evidence- based program at Salvation Army, Allentown. Conflict 230 73.0 90.74 24% Resolution Club Ophelia: CHC has presented this evidence-based girl-on-girl bullying prevention program at Catasauqua Middle School for two years. Each time, the program provided “… a moment in which we actually watch a girl or two Life Skills 248 66.14 72.69 10% realize that they are behaving as a female bully,” the school’s guidance counselor says. “[They] Second Step 1229 68.34 84.58 24% become aware of how their relational aggression affects themselves and others. This is the begin- ning of change.” Supported in part by a grant from Junior League of the Lehigh Valley and Le- Tobacco 384 84.52 90.33 7% high County Dept. of Drug & Alcohol. Prevention Follow the Leader: Our annual five-day “camp” program attracts bright, ambitious teens from all over the Lehigh Valley who want to boost their Too Good 695 62.59 82.44 31.7% communication, organization, and leadership For Violence skills. “Awesome and fun,” says one participant. “I learned a lot and made a bunch of new friends.” TOTALS 3658 72.0 83.48 16% Supported in part by a grant from First Presbyte- rian Church of Allentown. NOTE: Only results from matched pre- and post-tests are reported. Kindergarten and first grade students are not tested.

NEW! Step Up To Success: CHC’s collaboration

with Associated Builders and Contractors of LIFE SKILLS TRAINING BOOSTS RESILIENCY Eastern Pa. and Grace Episcopal Church gives dis- advantaged young adults the opportunity to learn a Older students and adults are given pre- and post-service surveys that measure changes construction trade and the life skills that will help in attitude and perception of their own life skills and abilities. CHC also uses a pre/post survey them be reliable, productive workers. Supported in from the PA Bureau of Drug and Alcohol Programs (BDAP) that measures how participants in our part by grants from Mack Truck, Lehigh Cement, life skills programs perceive the risks of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (ATOD), and how fa- and Lehigh County Drug & Alcohol Administration. vorably or unfavorably they feel about those substances. Most of the surveys show remarkably positive changes in perceptions, which indicates that life skills training programs also boost resil- NEW! Student Assistance Program (SAP) Training: CHC, a Commonwealth Approved Trainer, iency and guide young people and adults away from turning to smoking, drinking and drug use in now offers this four-day training, which adheres to the current standards and competencies response to difficult circumstances. issued by the Pa. Dept. of Education. Participants who complete the full program receive SAP cer- tification and 30 Act 48 hours.

Page 11 Page 6 Head, heart, hands….. educating the whole person. PROGRAM PARTICIPATION PROGRAMS Funding Agencies Funded through our partner, Coali- tion for a Smoke-free Valley, we pre- Lehigh Northamp- sent a variety of effective, age- Participant Type Coalition Other TOTAL County Drug ton County for a Smoke appropriate tobacco education pro- & Alcohol* Drug & Free Valley grams to over 1800 children and Alcohol* teens annually. Alternative to Suspension (ATS): CHC is Teacher/Educator 401 401 the only local provider of ATS, which Agency/ was developed by the American Lung Professionals 106 106 Association as an education option to Parents 285 183 333 601 students who have violated their school’s tobacco policy. Some district judges also rule that juvenile tobacco offenders at- Adult Education 802 129 172 1103 tend ATS or face legal consequences. Students 3922 382 947 589 5840 The program addresses student tobacco (secondary) use, addiction, healthy alternatives to Students 2739 3106 867 1466 7788 tobacco and making the change to being (elementary) a non-user.

Fish Don’t Smoke: A creative, hands-on program created by CHC for kindergarten through TOTAL 7748 3800 1814 3067 15839 3rd grade that uses puppets to explore tobacco facts, myths, values, and safety.

Tune Out Tobacco: CHC’s tobacco prevention program that leads 4th and 5th grades Guiding children and youth to make healthy decisions about tobacco use, drugs, alcohol, through creative ways to enjoy life and avoid tobacco. and violence, especially those in at-risk environments, is our primary focus. Every year, more than Tobacco Education Series: A multi-session program for 6-12th grades which looks at all a hundred schools and youth agencies in the Lehigh Valley turn to CHC for engaging, exciting and sides of the tobacco issue: laws, health issues, decision-making, refusal, and social skills, effective prevention education programs. During the 2007-08 program year, CHC staff members media images and advertising, and environmental impact. and facilitators presented over 5500 hours of programming for more than 15,000 participants at 114 different sites in Lehigh and Northampton Counties. The rate of requests for our programs Too Good For Violence Taking advantage of the anti-violence/anti-gang efforts grows steadily every year, leading us to build new partnerships and seek more local and national of the Route 222 Corridor Anti Gang initiative, CHC and the Easton Area School sources of funding. District collaborated to present the evidence-based program Too Good For Vio- Beyond prevention education, we also provide the youth of the Lehigh Valley with train- lence (TGFV) in every fourth grade class during the past school year. (The class- ing in life skills that will help them to be responsible, productive adults. Students comprise 86% of room programs were funded by Northampton County Dept. of Drug & Alcohol.) the participants in CHC programs. During the 2007-08 program year, we also introduced more TGFV helps children develop the personal assets and life skills they need to react programs designed for adults, including Student Assistance Program (SAP) training and Step Up To calmly and appropriately to challenges. To reinforce the lessons and habits the students learned, CHC trained all the fourth grade teachers in Too Good For Violence as well, with Success. (See p. 6.) funds from the Will R. Beitel Children’s Foundation. This comprehensive effort paid off; a sec- *Our programs are funded in part under contract with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Bureau of ond student post-test taken three months after the program ended actually showed an increase Drug and Alcohol Programs and the Lehigh and Northampton County Departments of Human Services, Offices of Mental in retained knowledge of 33.7%! Teachers report that their students show more respect to Health/Mental Retardation/Drug and Alcohol. The Counties specifically disclaim responsibility fo any analysis, interpreta- tion, or conclusions found in this report. them and their classmates, compromise and cooperate better, are better at settling disputes peacefully, and know how to be assertive. The students say they have been able to use these lessons in their lives outside school.

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CROSSROADS AND PROJECT SUCCESS PROJECT SUCCESS STORIES 2007-2008

Too many young people in the Lehigh Valley do not have a trusted adult who they can Does Project SUCCESS make a These skills improved Lisa’s assertiveness made her a target turn to for advice, guidance, and support. The Crossroads and Project SUCCESS programs filled difference? Each of these sto- attitude toward and relation- for bullying, and she could not that need for 1315 students in ten schools across the Lehigh Valley during the past school year. ries shows the powerful influ- ship with her mother. This, interact with adults. The PS Crossroads and Project SUCCESS offer guidance and support to students who are in danger of coupled with a judge’s decision advisor involved Beth in a school failure and/or high risk behaviors. Both programs place highly qualified and trained ence a trusted, caring adult mentor can have on a troubledthat Lisa and her sister should small group which participated advisors in schools to develop mentoring relationships which encourage students to achieve per- move to New York with their in many activities designed to sonal goals, prevent or reduce substance abuse, and learn useful life skills such as communica- student. father at the end of the school encourage appropriate social tion, conflict resolution, tolerance of others, anger management, and decision making. Advisors Lisa,* a 10th grader at year, led Lisa to re-engage in skills. In this setting, Beth be- also facilitate regular meetings of small groups of students, who can offer each other peer sup- Northwestern Lehigh High school—her grades improved gan to fit in with her peers for port while practicing their newly learned life skills. School, was referred to Project and she joined the track team. the first time. The activities also SUCCESS by The Crossroads program served 51 youngsters at Donegan Elementary school; Project SUCCESS led the other her guidance members of the was provided at Liberty (both campuses), Freedom, Pen Argyl, and Northwestern High Schools, counselor and Trexler and Easton Middle Schools, and Lehigh Career and Technical Institute and Bethlehem group to im- father after prove their Area Vocational Technical School. The amount of service varies depending on the needs of the her grades individual school and the availability of funds. interaction deteriorated with her, and Most of the students (88%) who participated in Project SUCCESS rated their experience from A’s to they stopped as “very helpful” or “extremely helpful.” They tell us in surveys that they improved their rela- C’s. The fa- bullying her. tionship skills with their parents and peers, that they now manage their anger and emotions bet- ther, who did Beth’s social ter, that they can communicate more clearly, and resolve problems. An overwhelming majority not live with skills and as- of school staff members, including teachers, guidance counselors, administrators and school Lisa and her sertiveness nurses rate the program as either “very” or “completely” effective in their schools. mother, was increased worried that steadily during Besides providing support for at-risk students, school districts want to assess the impact the mother’s the school participation in the programs has on issues monitored by the state: attendance, academics and alcohol abuse year, to the discipline. CHC and the school districts worked in concert to overcome confidentiality issues was negatively point that she related to data collection. The results of our efforts show that: affecting Lisa. initiated inter- Lisa told the action with the ♦ More than 65% of students maintained or improved their attendance PS advisor that PS advisor and she felt depressed and isolated, Her relationship with her her peers. By year’s end, Beth’s ♦ Approximately 67% of students remained constant or improved their GPA and that she had stopped see- mother also improved. At the teacher reported she partici- ing her friends and participat- end of the school year, Lisa was pated much more in class and ♦ 59% of students had the same, fewer, or less severe disciplinary infractions. ing at school because she felt making plans to help build a was more assertive, and that no one understood her situa- school in Costa Rica during the she dressed and acted more like CHC continues to work with school districts to improve this process and the quality of tion. During one-on-one ses- summer. her classmates. Beth is proud our data. The schools and the CHC staff wholeheartedly believe that the Crossroads and Project sions, Lisa and the advisor dis- of her self-improvement and SUCCESS programs have provided significant benefits to those students we served...schools keep cussed issues that children of Beth,* a physically and her new social success, and is asking for more. alcoholics typically face (her emotionally immature 6th committed to continue it. father is a recovering alco- grader at Trexler Middle * Names changed to protect students’ *A full report of the Crossroads and Project SUCCESS year-end evaluation is available upon request. holic) and the advisor helped School, was an excellent stu- her develop some coping skills. dent. But her childish clothing, privacy. limited social skills and lack of

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