domestic violence – 91��Ƭ

91��Ƭ Harmony House Director Uses Life Experience to Relate to Clients

Michelle Lang — Wed, 15 May 2024 19:57:39 +0000

Carrie Radice has a wealth of experience working with homeless individuals and in affordable housing. On April 1, she became the Director of Harmony House, 91��Ƭ’s transitional housing facility for homeless families.

Radice started her career in domestic violence, working in a safe house. She later served as the Director of , a homeless shelter. She also ran a veteran program in Newark and worked in property management for a decade.

Helping others has always driven Radice. She is a licensed social worker and has lived experience that helps her relate to clients.

“I was raised by a single mom of four and when the rent went up, we moved. Depending on the definition of homelessness at the time, we were either considered couch surfers or homeless a lot of times as children,” she said. “It’s always been a passion and something I understood.”

91��Ƭ CEO Simone Gagneron sees Radice as a great asset to Harmony House.

“I’m thrilled to welcome our newest team member to the 91��Ƭ family. Carrie’s passion for making a difference and dedication to our mission is truly inspiring,” she said. “I’m confident she’ll make a significant impact in the lives of those we serve.”

Radice enjoys seeing clients improve both their situation and their outlook.

“To see their success and to start to believe in themselves. To see the dullness go to a spark,” she said of her favorite part of her work.

Radice sees having the entire network of 91��Ƭ services available for the clients as very beneficial.

“It’s a concept that should be within every agency that I worked for,” she said. “To have everything in-house is brilliant.”

She also likes the setup of Harmony House since it offers apartments to families with private bathrooms and kitchens, which helps reduce some stress during a time of unrest.

Radice attended county college before earning a bachelor’s degree from . She then earned a master’s degree in social work from . She lived in upstate New York for a short time as a child but has mainly resided in New Jersey, in a variety of counties.

Radice currently lives in Sussex County and has two daughters and a grandson. In her free time, she enjoys playing trivia on a team, playing the tambourine, listening to live music, spending time on the beach in the summer and spending time with her grandson.

Radice sees the work at Harmony House as essential for helping families get back on their feet.

“You can’t focus on anything else if you don’t have a roof over your head,” she said.

Domestic Violence Survivors Receive Donated Purses Filled with Items

Michelle Lang — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 21:40:41 +0000

Survivors of domestic violence at Harmony House, 91��Ƭ’s transitional housing facility for homeless families, were celebrated during an event at the facility on Jan. 19. Love Supreme Counseling Services, LLC founder Julia Kelly hosted the event. Kelly brought the women various purses packed with personal care items as well as pajamas and toys for the children. The event took place at Harmony House where all COVID-19 regulations were enforced. The female residents of Harmony House reported to the afterschool room and were graciously surprised with the purses. On behalf of Harmony House residents and staff, we would like to sincerely thank Kelly, her organization and other sponsors for their support. Photo courtesy of Yonette Fredericks.

2017 Fabulous Me Conference Draws 220 Young Women

Michelle Lang — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 21:49:25 +0000

91��Ƭ 220 girls ages 11 to 17 attended this year’s Fabulous Me: Celebration of Womanhood conference hosted by the Family Service Bureau of Newark, an affiliate of 91��Ƭ. This year’s theme was #FightLikeAGirl with a fitting keynote speaker: five-time world and international boxing champion Mia St. John.
St. John talked about her struggles growing up as a Mexican-American, battling alcohol and drug addiction, dealing with obsessive compulsive disorder and the loss of her son to suicide. She told the girls in the audience, “No matter what obstacles you have in life, you can overcome them.”
Her daughter Paris St. John also spoke at the conference, telling the girls that they don’t have to be perfect and they should follow their hearts and be themselves.
The speakers resonated with attendees.
“My favorite part was the boxer and the boxer’s daughter talking about expressing yourself,” said Tameka Jackson-Bright, a 15-year-old attendee from Newark Arts High School who also served as a Junior Female Ambassador, helping plan and execute the conference.
Fellow 15-year-old Junior Female Ambassador Rashidah Babb of Hillside High School has attended the Fabulous Me conference since she was 12. This year the message she took away was, “To be yourself and love who you are.”
Family Service Bureau Executive Director Manuela Garcia said there are several purposes for Fabulous Me. “The goal for our 2017 Womanhood Conference is to promote, empower, teach and have girls understand the importance of growing up comfortable in today’s society. Also at the same time learn the values of leadership, independence, creativity, prevention and learn additional skills to be a successful woman in today’s world and be able to #FightLikeAGirl,” she said.
In addition to the speeches, girls participated in breakout sessions that covered topics such as cyberbullying, STDs, teen pregnancy and domestic violence.
To end the conference, members of used improvisation to showcase dating violence in various forms. The performance was interactive, with attendees asking questions to the actors while they were in character.
“The idea behind this is to promote bonding of young females across socioeconomic class and race. There are lot more similarities than differences,” said 91��Ƭ Chief of Health and Human Services Arti Kakkar. “Fabulous Me brings 200-plus girls together under one roof to share ideas and learn leadership skills.”

2017 Fabulous Me Womanhood Conference: #FightLikeAGirl

Michelle Lang — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 17:41:55 +0000

SOUTH ORANGE (June 13, 2017) — Five-time world and international boxing champion Mia St. John will deliver the keynote address at the 2017 Fabulous Me: Celebration of Womanhood Conference Friday, June 16 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at . Her daughter, Paris St. John – a singer, songwriter and mental health advocate – will also address the attendees.
The mother/daughter duo will focus on the issue of mental health and empowerment. #FightLikeAGirl is the theme of this year’s Fabulous Me conference, which is hosted by the Family Service Bureau of Newark, an affiliate of the nonprofit 91��Ƭ.
“I want to get the word out about mental health. What’s sad in this country, people don’t really talk about mental illness,” Mia St. John said. “Anyone that’s experiencing mental illness, it’s OK to speak up. You don’t have to feel ashamed.”
She has personal experience with mental health issues. She’s a recovering alcoholic and has obsessive compulsive disorder. Her son Julian, who was battling schizophrenia and addiction, committed suicide in 2014.
Mia St. John, a first generation Mexican-American and inductee into the National Boxing Hall of Fame, started the foundation “” to provide educational material, equipment and health and wellness programs to youth. She hopes by sharing her experiences, she can show young people they can overcome their challenges and achieve.
Her daughter Paris hopes speaking at the conference will encourage dialogue about mental health.
“When I was that age I wish I would’ve heard the conversation more about mental health and overall how to live a better life,” she said. “Because I think that’s important to have the tools. It really does start at a young age.”
The diverse group of participants will be composed of young women from across northern New Jersey who are referred by their school social workers and community leaders. Some participants are identified as at-risk while others have excelled in school, according to Manuela Garcia, executive director of the Family Service Bureau of Newark.
“This event will teach the importance of courage, strength, pride and so much more that girls need to be able to accept and succeed in today’s society. And the importance of being gracious, courageous and accept all the challenges and learn which ones to fight and which ones to avoid,” Garcia said.
Organized by the Family Service Bureau, the event is funded by a grant from the New Jersey Governor’s Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee, administered by the New Jersey Juvenile Justice Commission under the state Attorney General’s Office. The conference is co-sponsored by the Department of Marriage and Family Therapy at Seton Hall University.
Young women will participate in workshops during two breakout sessions and attend a resource fair and theater performance related to domestic violence. Breakfast and lunch are provided for attendees. Pre-registration is required.
Date: Friday, June 16, 2017
Time:��Fabulous Me Conference: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Welcome: 9 to 9:10 a.m.
Keynote Address (Mia St. John): 9:15 to 9:55 a.m.
Guest Speaker (Paris St. John): 9:55 to 10:15 a.m.
First Breakout Session: 10:45 to 11:30 a.m.
Second Breakout Session: 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Lunch/Resource Fair: 12:15 to 1 p.m.
Skit/Discussion 91��Ƭ Dating Violence: 1 to 2 p.m.
Closing/Questions/Surveys: 2 to 2:30 p.m.
NOTE: Breakout sessions address issues such as cyberbullying, STDs, teen pregnancy and domestic violence in adolescents.
Location:
Seton Hall University
University Center
400 South Orange Ave.
South Orange, NJ 07079
Conference starts and ends at McNulty Hall. Breakout sessions at Fahy Hall.
Interviews: Junior Female Ambassadors in attendance will be cleared to speak with media. Mia and Paris St. John and Family Service Bureau Executive Director Manuela Garcia will also be available.
Note: No girls other than the Junior Female Ambassadors may be photographed directly. All other photos of program participants must be from their backs.
Credentials: For information about press credentials, contact Michelle Lang at 973-497-4413.