CHILD HEALTH NEWS :-)

At its monthly membership meeting on February 11, 2011, The Child Health Association of Sewickley was pleased to award a grant for $11,350 to Youth Connect to support the Community Youth Worker project. This funding came from the proceeds of the 2010 Annual Child Health Ball. Janet Kovac, president of Child Health, presented the check to Dr. Joseph Clapper, Superintendent of Quaker Valley School District, Susan Kaminski and Joan Murdoch, Youth Connect Board members, and Floyd Faulkner, the community youth worker. The Sewickley Valley Community Fund will match this donation.

In accepting this award, Joan Murdoch, cited the history of Child Health and praised the organization for its vision in providing support to local children. At its inception, one of the earliest service projects of the organization was to provide free milk for area public school children to combat malnutrition. Mrs. Murdoch said, “Now nearly 90 years later, the Child Health Organization has taken the initiative to fund another valuable program that enhances the basic needs of youth in our community.” She commended Child Health for its major funding role in piloting the Youth Worker position, along with The Presbyterian Church and the Grable Foundation in 2009-10.

With the mission of providing the information, resources, and support needed to give our young people the best chance to enjoy their teen years while avoiding risky behaviors, Floyd Faulkner, was hired as the community youth worker in August 2009. During the presentation, Faulkner thanked Child Health for their support and said, “Since the beginning of Youth Connect, collaborative efforts in the community have helped young people overcome the problems they encounter.” Quaker Valley School District administrators managed the hiring process of the community youth worker and are overseeing the program, allowing Faulkner access to the schools for interaction with the students, parents, and teachers. Dr. Clapper noted that benefits from the program have been seen since Day 1.