acs green press
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Army Community Service monthly newsletterTRANSCRIPT
ACS Green Press
Army Community Service (ACS) Fort Drum, July 2012
Keeping Summer Fun and
Safe– Fort Drum Policy on
leaving your children home
2,3
Area Summer Camps 4
Regarding Resilience: Com-munication and Connections
5
Five Tips for a Stress
Free Relocation
Discovering the Flavor
of the North Country
6
Schedule of Farmer’s
Markets
7
Resilience Through Art and the International Spouses Club
8
Look Who’s on the Payroll Career Portfolios
9
ACS Events and Contacts 10,11
Inside this issue:
~A tree free newsletter Direct questions / feedback To: Sarah Lynch : 772-5374 [email protected]
The month of July is especially
significant to the staff of Army
Community Service (ACS) be-
cause it was in in July of 1965
that Army Community Service
was born.
What started as a volunteer
effort by Mrs. Moore, wife of
General Hal Moore, to take
care of other Army Families
has grown into ACS as we
know it today.
Since the establishment of ACS
in 1965, ACS has become
much more than a lending
closet and thrift store. Today
ACS is an informational, train-
ing and self development hub
that serves Soldiers, Families,
Happy Birthday ACS!! Retirees and Department of the
Army Civilians.
Keeping in the spirit of the Army
taking care of it’s own, ACS offers
a number of resources to support
Soldiers and Families. These re-
sources include but are not limited
to Family resources, relocation ser-
vices, immigration and citizenship
support, employment assistance,
financial management and self de-
velopment opportunities.
The ACS staff is comprised of pro-
fessionals dedicated to the military
Families they serve.
This year ACS will celebrate their
47th birthday on Friday July 27
from 10am to 2 pm! Come on by
for cake and a day of resil-
ience activities or just to
wish us a happy birthday!
While your at it, check out
what new and interesting
things ACS has to offer!
Remember: Think ACS
First!
RESEARCH STUDY ANNOUNCEMENT
conducted by va boston healthcare
Army Funded
There is a research study to evaluate new training modules about post de-ployment thoughts that you may be eligible to participate in. Participants will be paid $125.00 with a chance to win $100.00 if you complete the visit and mail back the follow up questionnaires.
For More information call 1-866-912-8391 or visit
http://www.facebook.com/ftdrumsoldierresearch
Page 2 ACS Green Press Ju ly 2012
With the summer
weather comes extra fun outdoors and
an increased risk for children who may
not be supervised adequately, resulting
in a higher number of child neglect
cases. Even though children are resil-
ient, they are often more vulnerable
than we sometimes realize. They are
not always capable of making good
choices while playing near the road
and riding tricycles, big wheels, bikes
or skateboards. They might not know
what to do if something should hap-
pen or if they get hurt. In the home,
on the playground or around the
neighborhood they require our attention.
Below is a copy of the child supervision
policy for Fort Drum which outlines at
what ages and in what situations children
can be left unsupervised.
Please keep in mind that for any number
of reasons a child’s maturity level might
lag behind the ages represented on this
matrix and they might need more super-
vision than what’s shown in the chart. As
always, we need to be aware of what our
children are up to and be responsive to
their needs. For children who are old
enough and are going to be home alone
this summer, Ms. Shalimar of CYS Out-
reach Services sponsors the “I’m Alone
Program” which teaches children how
to be responsible and stay safe when
home alone. You can reach her @ 315-
772-3677 or email her @ Shali-
[email protected] for class
dates and times.
Mobility is important for many children
during the summer.
Continued on page 3
Family Advocacy Program-Keeping Summer Fun and Safe by Laura Myer and Michelle Hoffman
Age/Grade of
Child
Left Without
Sitter in Quar-
ters
Left Alone
Overnight
Play Outside Unat-
tended
Left in Car
Unattended
Child Sit Sib-
lings
Child Sit Other
Newborn
through 3 years
of age
NO NO NO NO NO NO
4 years-1st
grade (6 years)
NO NO Yes-with immediate
access (visual sight
or hearing distance
to adult supervision
NO NO NO
2nd—4th grade
(7 –9 years)
NO NO Yes with access to
emergency supervi-
sion and sponsor
knows location of the
child
NO NO NO
5th-6th grade
10-11 years
YES-with ready
access to adult
supervision
limit 3 hours
NO YES with access to
adult supervision
YES With keys
removed and
handbrake ap-
plied
NO NO
7th-9th grade
12-14 years old
YES with ac-
cess to adult
supervision
limit 6 hours
NO YES with access to
adult supervision
YES YES
YES see below
May not sit
overnight
10th –12th
grade 15-18
years
YES YES with spon-
sor in local area
and access to
adult supervi-
sion
YES with access to
adult supervision
YES YES
YES see below
May sit over-
night
Page 3 ACS Green Press Ju ly 2012
According to Drum Regulation 190-2 ,
when bicycling on Post, helmets, bicycle
bells, reflective tape for both bike and
rider, and white lights after sunset are
required.
Some Families who are looking for di-
version and structure for their children
might want to consider the summer
camp experience. Summer camp offers
more than recreation. Both residential
and non residential camps provide expe-
riential and contextual learning atmos-
pheres where children learn that they
can do things on their own without their
parents. The camp setting dually nur-
tures independence while fostering so-
cial intelligence through healthy relation-
ships with peers and counselors. (For a
list of area Summer camp options, see
page 4 ).
As parents, Soldiers, Family members
and humans, we often get caught up in
the day to day, consumed by our re-
sponsibilities. Sometimes we forget to
consider the resources available to us.
Please remember there are programs
right here on Fort Drum that are easy to
access and are designed to support you.
Stress related to finances, individual and
family troubles, work, health, deploy-
ment and other issues are common.
They remind us daily that along with
being highly trained military personnel
and strong Family members, we are also
human and can from time to time use
extra support. Please feel free to use
these programs for your specific needs:
Army Emergency Relief (AER)
772-6560/6555/2855 - No Interest
Loans to Soldiers & Families for verifi-
able emergency needs* AER College
Scholarship Program.
Army Family Action Plan (AFAP)
772-6710/9229 - You can Make a dif-
ference. Identify issues and improve
quality of life.
Army Family Team Build-
ing(AFTB)772-6710/9229 - Workshops
& Classes to help Soldiers and Families
Adapt to Army life and strengthen self-
reliance.
Army Volunteer Corps Program
(AVC) - 772-2899 - Volunteer opportu-
nities * Volunteer Registration.
Financial Readiness Programs (FRP)
772-5196/0050 - Individual financial
planning & counseling * Budgeting &
account management classes * Debt liq-
uidation assistance * Consumer advo-
cacy/complaint resolution* Family Sub-
sistence Supplemental Allowance.
Employment Readiness Program
(ERP)772-9611/2737 - Career devel-
opment services for Army Families *
One-on-One employment counseling *
Employment classes and workshops *
Job listings * Resume & Cover Letter
Writing * Federal Employment System *
Interviewing Skills.
Exceptional Family Member Pro-
gram (EFMP)772-5476 - Support
Leaving Your Child at Home… (continued from page 2) Group Meetings * Respite Care * Spe-
cial Needs Accommodation Process.
Family Advocacy Program
(FAP)772-6929/4244/2279 - Parent
Education Workshops * New Parent
Support Program * Baby Bundles
*Stress & Anger Management Work-
shops * Domestic Violence and Child
Abuse Prevention Education * Fort
Drum Sexual Assault Prevention &
Response Program.
Information & Referral 772-
556/6557 - Information & Referral
Desk * Family Lounge & Kitchen Area
Mobilization & Deployment
(MOB/DEP) 772-2848/2919/0470 -
Deployment Cycle Training and Re-
sources.
Outreach Services 772-5374 - Com-
munity Life Activities * Special Events
* Information tables* ACS Newsletter
Relocation Readiness Program
(RRP) 772-6566/6553/6902/5475 -
Relocation Assistance * Lending Closet
* DRUM Family & Community Con-
nection * Drum Family Welcome Tour
* Hearts Apart * International Spouse
Support Group * Citizenship & Immi-
gration Assistance.
Survivor Outreach Services
(SOS)772-6357 - long-term support
services to surviving Family members
of Fallen Soldiers.
Soldier and Family Assistance Cen-
ter (SFAC)772-7781/7720 - Assists
Warriors and Families with: Transition
preparation * Human Resources
*Financial Counseling *Social Services
*Education Counseling *
Think ACS First!!
Page 4 ACS Green Press Ju ly 2012
Camp Date/Time Enrollment dates Fees POC Exceptional Family Member Camp (EFMP) 6-10 Aug 8:00-2:00 Currently Open No fees 315-772-5488
Camp Wabasso Weekly Sessions 28 Jun - Aug 10 please see website for weekly activi-ties
Currently Open $350 per wk per child Clover bud wk fee $105 for two days
315-788-8450 4hcampwbasso.com
Fort Drum CYS Summer Programs Pre K Part Day Sum-mer program
Weekly Sessions: 2 Jul - 31 Aug 9:00-2:00
First come first serve Fee range: $162-$444 mo. 315-772-1085
Kindergarten Sum-mer Program
Weekly Sessions 25 Jun- 31 Aug 9:00-2:00
First come first serve Fee range: $40 - $110 wk or for hourly 6Am-6PM $4 hr
315-772-1085
School Age Summer Program
Weekly Sessions 25 Jun - 31 Aug full day/before and after Summer School/ and hourly care
First come first serve Fee range: $40 - $110 wk or hourly 6AM-6PM $4 hr daily rate $16 for four hrs or $30 for four hrs or more
315-772-4415
Middle School Camps
Weekly Sessions 25 Jun -31 Aug 7:00-4:00
First come first serve Fee range: $20-55 wk 315-772-8675
Sports Camps Date/Time vary First come first serve Fees vary 315-772-8675
SKIES Date/ Time vary First come first serve Fees vary 315-772-8675
YMCA
Sports Camps Jul 30-Aug 3
9:00-12:00 First come first serve Member fee-$50
Military fee - $60 315-755-9622
Art Camp 25 Jun - Aug 10 time varies
First come first serve Member fee-$100 Military fee - $110
315-755-9622
Wizards Baseball Camp
25-27 Jun First come first serve Member fee- $65 Military fee- $75
315-755-9622
Camp AldersGate Dates and times vary. Please see website for more details
First come first serve Fees range $220 - $360 315-348-8833 [email protected]
Beaver Camp Day Camp 13-17 Aug 9:00-4:00 Residents Camp date and time vary. Please see website for more details.
First come first serve Day Camp $230 Residents Camp $220-$360
315-376-2640 bea-ver camp. org
Area Summer Camps
ACS Green Press Ju ly 2012 Page 5
Regarding Resilience: Tips, tools and techniques for practicing resilience
everyday!
By Jenn Eichner, MRT 772-2848
Take a moment and ponder this state-ment, “The way you think, directly affects they way you speak”. Do you agree? Is your communication style spurred by your thinking traps and iceberg beliefs? The answer is most likely - yes. Here’s another question for you then to considerer, when faced with having a conversation with someone in times of adversity, can you stay resilient? Imagine a tense conversation between the “me, me, me” thinker and the “them, them, them” thinker. How effective can this communication be when one is only finding fault with themselves and the other is blaming everyone and everything else. Neither is placing responsibility on the respon-sible parties. How frustrating! And what if you hold the iceberg belief that, “you’ve got to be loud and strong if you want to win”, and you are en-gaged in conversation with someone who believes that, “less is more”? Communication, although so seem-ingly basic, is a challenging part of any relationship or connection. What kind of communicator are you? There are two polar opposite types of communicators. One is the aggressive communicator who is triggered by
things like, always having the last word, talking over people and speaking from a very emotional state. Then there is the passive communicator who is in the con-versation to appease the other party. They tend to be quiet, avoid eye contact and are submissive. Although there may be spe-cific times that both communication styles are called for, they both have their prob-lems, biggest of which, they can create the inability to truly connect with others. Con-nection, if you will remember, is a critical component of resilience. The resilient communicator is an assertive communicator. They focus on the three Cs – Confident, Clear and Controlled. The assertive communicator follows the IDEAL approach: I – Identify and understand the prob-lem/topic. Check for Thinking Traps, Detect Icebergs, Prob-lem Solve, Put It In Perspective D – Describe the problem/topic objec-tively. Focus on the who, what, when, where - specific, recent, minimize exaggeration E – Express your concerns and how you feel without allowing emotion to blur your thoughts. Use “I” rather than “you”, minimize exaggeration
COMMUNICATION AND CONNECTION A - Ask the other person for his/her perspective and then ask for a rea-sonable change. Use what and how questions, not why ques-tions. Repeat back what you heard to check that you’re hearing him/her accurately L – List the positive outcomes that will occur when communication stays on task. Work toward a win-win. Do you see how many of the resilience skills we have previously discussed build on each other to get you to this point? Give assertive communication a try month. Use this communication technique, especially when you are con-fronting someone about a conflict or challenge. Assertive communication does not guarantee a win-win outcome, but it sure will help ensure that your overall connection with whomever you are speaking with is not lost. Have a great month – good luck and good thoughts!
Upcoming Master Resilience Training Dates:
August 13 Module 5 9:30am-12:30 pm at ACS
FALL MARATHON 17-20 SEPTEMBER
Workforce Development Bldg 2-19 Nash blvd
Time includes 1 hour lunch break
Refrigerators available for use.
Page 6 ACS Green Press Ju ly 2012
According to Military Community
Awareness, the following five steps can
greatly reduce the stress experienced
when relocating:
1.) Manage stress with preparation.
Change, even good change, is stressful.
Be ready for unexpected and emotion-
ally charged things to happen. Know
that people react differently to stress.
Give everyone the slack they need
throughout the move.
2.) Accept your move as a personal
challenge.
Face the move with energy, determina-
tion, and creativity. Ask for help when
needed and research available re-
sources. Learn as much as possible
about your new home before you ar-
rive. There are many on-line sources
of information to help you.
3.) Attack tasks – with to-do lists.
There are over eighty tasks to do on a
move, so you must be organized.
Since very few of us have photographic
memories, we need lists. Lists help
keep track of your progress and your
head above water.
4.) Keep a positive attitude.
It is easy to let the stress and multiple tasks get to you. Try not to get down. Keep a picture of your new home, new friends, and new opportunities in your mind. Look forward to the new ex-periences you and your Family will have. 5.) Make time to relax.
Moving is a team effort, and hard
work. Take time for yourself and your
Family – time to unwind, time to chill.
Take some leave to get accustomed to
your new home/location. Visit the
sites; bring the Family to the beach, or
on a mountain hike. Recharge your
battery and you’ll perform better in
your new job.
For relocation planning assistance,
contact Relocation Readiness at 772-
6566.
Five Tips for a Stress-Free Relocation
Discover the Flavor of the North Country
Local Farmer’s Markets are great
ways to meet people, get to know the
neighborhood and to discover all the
local foods. Here in the North Coun-
try we have foods made right here lo-
cally such as Croghan Bologna, cheese
curd, honey, maple syrup, jams, jellies,
salt potatoes, fresh dairy and meat
products. You can find many of these
tasty foods as well as homemade craft
items at local farmer’s markets. There is
a farmer’s market somewhere for every
day of the week and you will find that
local folks are a friendly lot willing to
explain their products. Fort Drum is
surrounded by picturesque wide open
farm land. You will meet some of
these farmers at the farmer’s markets.
During growing season, some local
gardeners will grow and sell surplus
vegetables which they sell at road side
stands. Next time you are out for a
drive, stop when you see the veggie
the farmer’s markets for naturally
grown produce to keep your Family
healthy, happy and growing stronger.
These farmer’s markets are a long
standing tradition in our agriculturally
rich north country. There are vendors,
artisans and crafters as well as enter-
tainment. If you live in Lewis County,
the Lewis County Farmer’s market is
held in Lowville, NY. Forest Park Pa-
vilion at Lewis County Fairgrounds
Saturdays-May 19th-Oct. 27, 2012 8:30
a.m. – 2 p.m. Lowville also holds a an-
nual cream cheese festival that boasts
the worlds largest cheesecake and fun
for the whole family.
If you are a Jefferson County Resident,
there are many locations to choose
from. Please see the attached schedule
on page 6. ACS encourages you to get
out for a day of fun and fabulous
foods!
sign and check out the produce or farm
fresh eggs. Can’t get any fresher than
that. Just remember to have correct
change with you (no debit cards at
these little stands). Sweet corn is a
popular treat everyone looks forward to
enjoying in August so be on the look-
out for the signs. Don’t forget to pick
up bags of salt potatoes too, either at
the farm stand or local grocery store!
During the summer season you will see
many of the local fire departments ad-
vertising chicken bar-b-ques. The smell
will draw you there immediately. These
fund raisers help keep our local volun-
teer fire departments operating. The
chicken is usually sold either by itself or
as a meal with salt potatoes or maca-
roni salad, baked beans and rolls. Pick
up some dinners to go or sit down with
the locals to learn about the area.
If you are thinking of canning your
own foods this year, remember to visit
Remember think ACS
First!
Page 7 ACS Green Press Ju ly 2012
Schedule of Jefferson County Farmer’s Markets
Page 8 ACS Green Press Ju ly 2012
Recently the International Spouses
Support Group got together for an
afternoon of developing the skill of
energy management through resil-
ience with art. Utilizing art as an ave-
nue to achieve resilience enables one
to manage energy and rejuvenate: Regu-
lating emotion and energy levels to enable
critical thinking and optimal performance
is known as the MRT skill Energy
Management.
Resilience through Art explores art as
an avenue to increase positive emo-
tions, reduce stress, express feelings,
build connections and make meaning.
Military spouses tend to lead busy
schedules. Often times they are left
alone to deal with the day to day de-
mands of household management and
parenting. It is not uncommon for
the spouse to begin to experience
burnout thus causing energy levels to
decrease. Resilience through art is
achieved as the spouse learns to take
time for his or herself, through relaxa-
tion and creativity energy levels are
increased and stress decreased. Learn-
ing to monitor and manage energy
levels and increase stamina promotes
the focus and flexibility needed to deal
with all types of situations without
experiencing burnout.
While all spouses can feel as though
they lose their own identity as caregiv-
ers who endure separation for long
periods of time, international spouses
often loose touch with their cultural
identity as they are living so far from
their homelands. Through the heri-
tage puppet activity, the international
spouses connected with their cultural
heritage to make a representation of
who they are and what makes them
resilient.
Resilience Through Art-Heritage Puppet Activity
The project benefited participants
on a few different levels. First the
act of creating the artistic repre-
sentation of culture was relaxing
and promoted an atmosphere of
creativity and relaxation.
Secondly, participants made con-
nections with each other as the
activity fostered conversation and
a spirit of cooperation.
Lastly, after everyone finished
their puppets, they were able to
share their art and talk about
themselves and their heritage.
The day was rewarding to all who
participated. Look for more resil-
ience through art activities sched-
uled by ACS.
Irene Brock from the Philippines
displays her puppet and shares her
culture.
Marta Napolitano from Italy, shares her
art and heritage with the group.
Cam Ngo of Canada shares her
puppet with the group.
Page 9 ACS Green Press Ju ly 2012
Congratulations to the following Employment Readiness clients who have recently landed a job! Janelle Longton Stephens Media Group Meg Meador Health Center of New York Kimberly Rhodes CYSS If you are one of our clients who has recently become employed, we want to hear about it! Give us a call so we can highlight your accomplishment and inspire others!
Look Who’s on the Payroll: Employment Readiness Success Stories!
What is a Career Portfolio and Why do I Want One?
So, you are out job hunting, and you
want to market your skills, but how? Create a Career Portfolio. A Career Portfolio is a binder or book that shows off your work and abilities, experience, education, accomplish-ments, and skills. It is a collection of records showcasing your accom-plishments and attributes. It is a tool to convince an employer to hire you; what better way to market YOU! For many years’ graphic artists, jour-nalist, and teachers have been using portfolios to land jobs, now other career paths are also using them to enhance their job search and assist in landing a great job! Why do you want one? A Career Portfolio will make you stand out above the other interviewers; you will be better prepared for inter-views and have evidence when an-swering the hard interview ques-tions. When attending an interview with a portfolio you will be able to
show a potential employer what you have done such as work samples, certificates, awards, volunteer work and any other skills you want to highlight that will set you apart from the rest! Keeping your portfolio updated and looking professional is also very im-portant. Your portfolio should be in a three ring binder with page pro-tectors and dividers. You should also have clean copies and examples for your portfolio. Think of your portfolio as an extension of your interview attire. When presenting your portfolio at an interview you need to be tactful; you cannot expect all interviews to take the time to review all of your work, you will want to point out specific areas you would like to highlight. When asked about past work or volunteer work, this is a great opening to show the inter-viewer your work examples or an award from your volunteer work.
You may attend an interview when you are unable to show your portfo-lio at all; this is ok, because you still came prepared and this helped boost your confidence. The hardest part of creating a port-folio is getting started! The Employ-ment Readiness Program (ERP) can help, attend our Career and Life Portfolio Workshop scheduled for 25 July from 9:30-11:30 at ACS – call 772-1090 for more informa-tion and to sign up!
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” ~Henry David Thoreau
Page 10 ACS Green Press Ju ly 2012
Are You Thinking About Declaring Your “Independence” this July?
Webster‟s definition of independence is: not subject to control by others- self-
governing. It is a common misconception that being independent means you
live without the help of others. Why not let Army Community Service help
support you in your independence through our classes, support groups and
Master Resilience Training sessions? Our programming promotes resilience,
develops leadership and builds strong networks to promote your success as a
Spouse, Soldier, Civilian and Retiree. We are never to old to learn a new trick!
Come by ACS and explore our available classes and resources.
ACS Birthday
Party 10am-2 pm
at ACS
Army Community Service
P4330 Conway Road
Fort Drum, New York
13602
Army Emergency Relief 772-6560, 772-8873 or 772-2855
Army Family Team Building http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000122037720
772-6710, 772-9229
Army Volunteer Program Coordinator http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-Army-volunteer-Corps/13651504365912
772-2899
Exceptional Family Member Program http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-FMWR-Exceptional-Family-Member-Program /104951319542718
772-5488, 772-0819
Employment Readiness Program http://www.facebook.com/fortdrumemployment
772-9611, 772-2737, 772-1090
Family Advocacy Program (New Parent Support Program) SAPRP
772-4244, 772-6929, 772-2279
772-0596, 772-4070, 772-0748
772-5605, 772-5914
Financial Readiness Program http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-financial-Readiness-ACS/1956662120473
772-0050, 772-5196, 772-8526
Information and Referral 772-6556, 772-6557
Military & Family Life Consultants 212-6919
Mobilization and Deployment http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-Mobiliztion-and-Deployment/178420512193448?ref=ts&v=wall
772-2848, 772-0470, 772-2919
Outreach http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-ACS-Outreach/180373271991692
772-5374
Relocation Readiness http:// www.facebook.com/pages/Fort -Drum -Relocation -Readiness Program/171335822906429
772-5475, 772-6553, 772-6902
772-6566
Soldier Family Assistance Center http://www.facebook.com/Fort.Drum.FMWR/SFAC
772-7781
Survivor Outreach Services http://www.facebook.com/fortdrumsurvivoroutreachservices
772-6357