| News from Intercultural Family Services, Inc. |
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Children's Holiday Celebration
Award Recipients:
Staff Holiday Celebration
Helping Children To Have a Better Life
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IFSI completed an exceptional year in 1999, and we look forward to an even more joyous and prosperous Year 2000, also known as the lucky Year of the Dragon. This newsletter features some of my favorite events of last year, including the Children’s Holiday Celebration and IFSI’s staff holiday party. As in previous years, the children’s celebration was a huge success. We had plenty of fun and lively entertainment, including face painting and a music recital.
IFSI’s staff holiday celebration was a jovial event. “Something Blue” was the party’s theme. Some guests were attired in every shade of blue, from azure to midnight. Caribbean/soul food and Chinese food buffets catered to everyone’s food fantasy. Staff with five or more years of service were recognized and honored with plaques for their dedication.
I hope everyone enjoys this issue of Hands On, which depicts the most rewarding activities of IFSI’s past year, as much as we enjoyed participating in those events.
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Children's Holiday Celebration
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by Audrey Dean
The scene was uplifting – a sea of multicultural youth and guests enjoying holiday festivities at IFSI’s 15th Annual Children’s Holiday Celebration.
Children sang, with gusto, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, then Jingle Bells, in contrast to their parents’ quieter rendition of Silent Night.
IFSI believes in giving back to the community, and the holiday party is always well received. This year, approximately 150 children attended the event with their parents or
SCOH case workers.
Executive Director/CEO Evelyn Marcha-Hidalgo warmly welcomed the children and visitors in her opening remarks. “In this agency, it’s so nice to see people with different faces coming together,” said Mrs. Hidalgo, referring to the various nationalities and religious groups at the event.
Most Christmas parties are traditional, but IFSI’s holiday celebration differs by recognizing non-Christians. What makes this event so rewarding, year after year, is seeing the children’s faces light up when they receive presents from the multicultural Santa. After the gifts were distributed and opened, both Santa and our mascot, the IFSEE Bird, posed for Polaroid
keepsake photos with the children.
African drumming and violin pieces were several of the musical selections provided by the Intercultural Music Ensemble. When the African drumming began, all the kids formed a line and danced to the beat of the drums. Po-Hao Yu, originally from Taiwan, played the violin with two of his students. The Eastwick Commandoes Drill Team gave a rousing performance, bringing the entertainment to a close.
Sponsors of the popular event include Davis-Trachtenberg, Inc., Circuit City Foundation, Network Systems and Software/PC Trouble Shooters; Bell Atlantic of Pennsylvania, Catering
by Jack Kramer’s, Sovereign Bank, Institute for Scientific Information; Johnson Controls, Inc.,
Mt. Olive Baptist Church, Mr. James Wiley, and anonymous donors.
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Award Recipients:
Staff Holiday Celebration
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IFSI continued its celebration with the staff holiday party on Saturday, December 18, 1999, at the First District Plaza, located at 3801 Market Street. Various ethnic foods and American cuisine were enjoyed by many of the staff and guests who attended the annual event.
Awards were given to various IFSI staff based on their length of employment with the agency. Employees honored by IFSI for five years
of service were:
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Le-Linh Diep
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Lalaine Lambo
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Hazel Matthias
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Chris Sullivan
Individuals and staff members who were recognized for being employed or affiliated with IFSI for more than five years included:
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Marguerite Chamberlain
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Andrew DeShields
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Miriam H. Evans
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Samol Heng
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Cheryl Hill
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Laura Reed
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Jack Trieu
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Vic Veluz
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Evelize Lebron has worked as a SCOH Case Manager a little over a year. Despite her short tenure, her outstanding work has been noted and resulted in her being selected as IFSI’s Employee of The Month. Evelize’s efforts also have been recognized outside of the agency. The City’s Department of Human Services (DHS) has written two letters praising Evelize’s excellent work with her clients, and she received a congratulatory letter from a client’s mother.
DHS refers families to IFSI. The SCOH (Services to Children in their Own Homes) program is a child welfare program that protects them from abuse and neglect by strengthening families through intensive, in-home services as an alternative to institutional placement.
Evelize tries to ensure that a child’s basic needs are being met. Once a week, she spends three days visiting her caseload of 11 families (one case was recently closed). The time spent at each household depends on how great the need is for each case, she said. Two days of the week are spent at IFSI on staff training, an important, ongoing part of the job that enables case managers to stay abreast of the latest information. Evelize met the goals set by DHS by implementing the Family Service Plan and stabilizing her clients’ home life.
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August 17, 1998
Dear Ora
Deloatch:
I am writing to you in regards to Evelize Lebron who was my SCOH worker.
Evelize was very helpful to my son, Ryan, and I. Whenever I needed her assistance she was there by being supportive and a good listener.
I appreciated the letter she wrote which was required for Ryan to go to the Y.M.C.A. Summer Camp program. She also helped me choose a preschool.
The agency should be grateful to have a worker like Evelize to help clients return to their normal life routine.
Sincerely,
Sharon Boehm
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Ora Deloatch, SCOH Supervisor and Acting Clinical Director, has been Evelize’s supervisor since she began working at IFSI in December 1998. “We have gotten great reviews on Evelize from her clients and DHS,” she said.
“Evelize is an excellent worker,” she continued. “She’s meticulous with her paper work, as well as with her clients. She’s dependable. She’s very caring. She also has a pleasant attitude, and gets along well with everyone – supervisors, as well as co-workers. It’s a pleasure to have her on my team.”
Growing up as a Hispanic in North Philadelphia and working previously as a Customer Services Representative at First Fidelity Bank helped to shape Evelize’s work ethic and principles.
“I come from North Philadelphia and know what it is,” she said. “Therefore, I tend not to judge people, but treat them with respect. If you treat people right, they will respond.”
She acknowledged the support she has received at IFSI. “I don’t think my success has just been me. It’s been everybody. I thank Ora Deloatch and Evelyn Hidalgo for giving me the opportunity to serve the families and stabilize them.” As for being selected as Employee of the Month, Evelize said,
“I hope it helps somebody new coming into the organization.”
IFSI is a microcosm of diversity, and welcomed by Evelize. “I love it! I’ve learned things,” she said. “You learn about different backgrounds, and it broadens you. Here, everybody works as a team. My supervisor is great! She’s the best.”
Evelize has a B.S. in Business Administration from Chestnut Hill College. Married, with a daughter, 7, and son, 5, Mrs. Lebron said she didn’t work for four years to “attend to my child’s needs.” She and her family plan activities together, such as going to the movies, the library, and the beach in the summer. “My daughter got second honors at school,” she said, like any proud parent. “She’s gotten good grades.” |
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