1Vernon.org - Vernon Community Network

Vernon Community Network

Vernon Community Plan - click here for more details including video presentation

VCN ANNUAL MEETING

Next VCN Meeting
Friday, June 1, 2012
11:30 am - 12:45 pm

Beni's www.benisct.com
1280 Hartford Turnpike, (Rte. 30) Vernon, CT
(860) 875-4443

for registration, click here

Regular bi-monthly meetings are held at Bev's Corner, 9 Elm Street, Rockville, North Annex to Union Church.

Vernon Public Schools apply for the All-America City Award.

The National Civic League (NCL) invites you to apply for America’s oldest and most prestigious community recognition award, now in its 63rd year. Each year, the All-America City Award is given to 10 communities that exemplify outstanding civic accomplishments. In 2012, NCL will focus the Award on communities that have developed the most comprehensive, realistic, and sustainable plans to increase grade-level reading proficiency by the end of third grade. Award-winning communities will develop strategies in three areas that have real potential to drive improvements in grade-level reading:

• school readiness – too many young children show up for school not ready to learn

• school attendance – too many children in grades K-3 miss too many days of school

• summer learning – too many children in the early grades lose ground over the summer months

read more....

The VCN welcomes our newest members!

Family Affirmation Center for Treatment, LLC

Being part of a family is not always as easy as we would like, or hoped, it to be. When the journey becomes difficult those of us at the Family Affirmation Center for Treatment would like to help ease the burden. Although we provide individual counseling services, our focus is on the relationship, whether that is between adults in the family, a child and an adult, or between the children. All of our work comes back to the relationship.

We offer individual and/or family clinical services. Because we know that therapy in and of itself is not always enough to help you manage your lives in difficult times, we try to help by exploring your strengths, individually and within your family. We also will research what your town, school system, or the state of Connecticut, has to offer that could prove helpful.

Our mission is to help families move past the hurt, ease the burden, and find the connections that will fulfill and sustain them. We strive to help parents/partners remember they are more than their role in any given relationship. We are committed to foster and adopted children, helping them to understand the concept of family and how to trust enough to connect. Our work with all children is to help them understand the power of informed choice, and then utilize that skill. We work towards finding a behavioral system that works for families, within the emotional space they find themselves in, when they arrive at our door.

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Our goal is to help individuals with their own personal struggles as well as help their families in any way possible. FACT, LLC often helps children at the beginning of the school year with book bags and school supplies, holiday meals, toys/gifts at Christmas time, coats and winter gear for colder seasons, etc. Beyond clinical work, they have worked hard to help find resources within the community that will help strengthen families, as well as help children find healthier ways to cope.

VCN Representatives:
Kathi Legare, LCSW, CEO
Jessica Kelton, LCSW, COO

Emails: Karen@factct.net; Kathi@factct.net Phone: 860-896-5331, Web site: www.factct.net.
281 Hartford Turnpike, Suite 401
Vernon, CT 06066

What’s in it for young people?

- exploring the environment and nature
- growing your own food with all types of gardens
- learning about technology and robotics
- developing photography or drama skills
- making healthy choices
- staying physically active

- caring for all living creatures

You can be part of a community club, be an individual member, attend 4-H Camp and participate in before, during or after school 4-H clubs. In the process, you make new friends, solve problems and make a difference in your neighborhood and your world.

Critical 4-H program elements include:

Belonging A positive relationship with a caring adult A safe environment An inclusive environment	Mastery Engagement in learning Learning new skills (opportunity in mastery)
Independence Opportunity for active participation in the future Opportunity for self-determination	Generosity Opportunity to value and practice service to others

Providing students with opportunities to be part of learning environments that incorporate these critical elements of positive youth development into the daily routine will help students achieve positive outcomes.

Adults like it, too! 4-H Volunteers Play a Significant Role

If you enjoy working with children, have a willingness to share your time and talents with young people in the community, like to have fun, learn new skills and make a difference, then being a 4-H volunteer is for you.

Everyone Benefits.

According to research by Tufts University, 4-H youth are 25% more likely to contribute to their families, themselves and their communities, and 41% less likely to engage in risky/problem behavior. For this information in PDF format, click here.

For more information, please contact:

Maryann J. Fusco-Rollins
Tolland County 4-H
24 Hyde Avenue
Vernon, CT 06066

860-875-3331
maryann.fusco@uconn.edu

Advocacy, Resources, and Community
for people with special needs.

Our Mission is to enhance the lives of people with disabilities by providing individualized support that promotes self-reliance at home, at work, and in the community.

Tri-County ARC, Inc. is a non-profit agency providing services to intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals. Established in 1987, Tri-County ARC, Inc. is headquartered in Columbia, Connecticut.

Here at Tri-County ARC, Inc. we believe in providing Advocacy, Resources, and Community experiences for people with special needs. This is accomplished through a "person-centered team" approach to assist consumers in developing their social and daily living skills.

Residential Services
We currently operate seven residential facilities in the Eastern Connecticut towns of - Ellington, Stafford Springs, Coventry, Tolland, Danielson, Columbia, and Dayville. The main focus of our residential programs is to work of the following goals with our residents:

To become active members of the community
To be independent and self-reliant
To promote adult responsibility, conduct, and relationships
To live a productive life
To live healthy life-styles
To replace impulse, compulsive, or destructive behavior with dignity, self-worth, communication skills, productivity, and harmonious relations

Day Services
The main focus of our Day Programs is to promote independence for people with disabilities in vocational and community settings. The needs and interests of the individual determine the type of setting and the amount of supports necessary to ensure a positive experience. We offer the following programs:

Independent Placement - Individuals are supported at their own jobs
Janitorial Work Crews - Individuals work on a crew with a full-time supervisor in area business. Independence and work skills are emphasized.
Lawn Work Crew - Individuals work on a landscaping crew with a full-time supervisor. Independence and work skills are emphasized.
Community Experience Programs - Provide intensive support for people to experience life in the community. Emphasis is on developing social and daily living skills.

Outreach & Recreation

Our Outreach & Recreation Department offers many opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities in non-traditional settings. We offer programs in the following areas:

Recreation

Community Dances, Transportation, Day trips such as sailing, trips to the zoo, sporting events, etc.

Outreach

IFS & IS Waiver Services - we are an authorized provider of the following services:

Supported Living, Personal Support, Respite Care, Supported Employment, Group Day, Individualized Day, Transportation

Individual Agreements with families for support services

Supported Living - Providing support as needed for individuals residing in their own homes

ROCKVILLE ROTARY CLUB

We meet Mondays at 12:00 PM

The R House Restaurant
520 Hartford Tpke. Vernon Rockville, CT

Mission of Rotary International:

• To provide service to others,

• To promote integrity, and

• To advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional and community leaders.

All Rotary clubs share a key mission:

• To serve their community and those in need throughout the world.

What is Rotary?

Rotary International is the world’s oldest service organization, dedicated to many health, hunger and humanitarian improvements, internationally and locally.

Rotary is the only service club with a seat at the United Nations. As an organization, Rotary’s top priority is the global eradication of polio. Rotary has more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs in over 200 countries worldwide.

ABOUT THE ROTARY CLUB OF ROCKVILLE, CT

The Rotary Club of Rockville, established in 1947, is part of Rotary International, the world’s oldest service organization with 1.2 million members in over 200 countries. Rotarians are volunteers who work to address many hunger, health, and humanity issues and the primary focus is to help those less fortunate. Most club members live or work in the Vernon, Tolland or Ellington area and the our club is involved in many community service projects:

· Providing scholarships for college-bound high school seniors from Vernon, Tolland and Ellington,

· Funding and serving a Thanksgiving dinner for area senior citizens,

· Local Food drives/projects,

· Literacy/education projects, and

· Contributing to several overseas projects (Guatemalan water wells and polio eradication).

Other important aspects of Rotary are networking and friendship, as well as promoting ethics and leadership skills.

The Rockville Rotary Club (including Vernon, Tolland & Ellington) meets on Mondays at noon at The R House Restaurant in Vernon - visitors/potential new members are always welcome.

The Bridge Family Center

BRIDGE EAST
COUNSELING CENTER

26 Union Street, Suite 2
Rockville, CT 06066

We’re here to help …

We provide therapy and medication evaluations for children, adolescents, and their families to address a variety of concerns including parenting, divorce, grief and loss, school problems, ADHD, trauma, anxiety, depression, abuse, family issues, teen pregnancy, and anger management.

To make a referral, please call 860.521.8035 and ask to complete an intake for Bridge East. We currently accept HUSKY and Aetna insurance.

If you have any questions about Bridge East, please contact Pat Doherty, Director of Youth and Family Services, at 860.313.1119 x101 or via email at pat@bridgefamilycenter.org.

VCN's Hunger Action Team announces...

Released Sept. 19, 2011 by VCN President Alan Slobodien

The Tri-Town Pantry provides food to a rapidly growing number of families in Vernon, Ellington, and Tolland who need assistance in these difficult economic times.
We will also be providing over 800 families with a Thanksgiving dinner with your help... from more information, click here

KEEPING OUR KIDS IN FOCUS

The VCN Vernon Community Plan for Children and Youth
click here for the plan in PDF Format