Crossroads Fall Newsletter October 2012 Dear Friends, Crossroads is Saving Lives! Many nights a week we are in “Crack Square” reaching out to hundr
Crossroads Fall Newsletter
October 2012
Dear Friends,
Crossroads is Saving Lives! Many nights a week we are in “Crack Square” reaching out to hundreds of teens at risk. This past summer Crossroads ran a pilot “Community Mobile Unit” that reached teens in their own communities and offered services on site. Last week, we started our crisis hotline and immediately began to field calls.
At the same time, our drop in center has been full of activity and action. We are constantly coming up with new ideas, making magnificent use of our computer and music rooms. This past Sunday night we had a full moadon at our 4th open mic night. Next week we will be starting a new games competition, and our “oldies but goodies” art, movie & cooking nights are all underway.
We continue to work on the therapeutic process and relationships that come out of a commitment by Crossroads teens to make positive growth part of their daily lives. Enjoy the Newsletter and stay in touch.
Robbie
Robbie Sassoon, MSW
Director, Crossroads
Crossroads on the Road!
The Crossroads Mobile Unit
This summer, Crossroads ventured out of Jerusalem and visited anglo communities all over Israel to offer services to local teens on the street including Beit Shemesh, Modiin, Chashmonaim Efrat, and Raanana. One social worker, one art therapist, one coordinator and one van made up the Crossroads Mobile Unit. Over a 3-month period, Crossroads Mobile Unit made connections, established bonds, provided crisis intervention with over 330 teens. The mobile unit staff offered information and guidance on a range of issues including education, substance abuse, army service, and the legal system. Crossroads consistently searches for new ways to locate and assist English-speaking teens in trouble in Israel. This pilot program was a successful first step in reaching out to at-risk teens in their own local communities.
Activities@Crossroads... Summer and Beyond:
Creative writing, drama, rapping
The teens at Crossroads are creative, innovative and unique. The difficulty often is their ability to express themselves. This summer, Crossroads held afternoon classes (chugim) focused on helping the teens express themselves using methods outside of the box and activities uniquely catered to this diverse population. The activities included rapping, drama, and creative writing. During the rapping chug, teens learned from a professional rapper named Yehudah Davidson. From the very first day the teens found rhymes to represent their names, personalities, goals and dreams.
In the drama chug that began over the summer, the kids took their individual expressions to a new level with improv and acting. They were led into exciting and fun activities to act out their feelings, thoughts and inner worlds. Imagine a group of teens making their own rendition of Cinderella or the Little Red Riding Hood, only with their own personalities as the characters. It was something else! The teens enhanced their self esteems as they learned how to act in front of the rest of the group. And best of all… the classes are continuing to be offered this fall.
During the creative writing chug, our teens have an opportunity to get their creativity written down. Teens not only get to express their creativity in writing, but they also learn Microsoft Office tools and improve their computer abilities utilizing our computer lab.
Creative Writing Journal
A very exciting development is that the creative writing class is preparing to produce a printed journal made by the kids! The teens will have an opportunity to tell the world how they feel and other teens can benefit from reading about shared experiences. On top of that, the teens get to feel an immense sense of accomplishment publishing their hard work and knowing that what they have to say matters. Stay tuned to future newsletters for excerpts!
Crossroads sends our teens to the IDF
A little more than two years ago, Crossroads received a generous donation for the purpose of purchasing a few dozen army bags for "lone soliders" young adults from Crossroads, who often have no family support. Along with this bag, Crossroads also offers our teens support throughout their service in the army. This support includes helping with advocacy, host families for holidays, finding furniture and personal items, and obviously our center where they continue to visit to discuss difficulties and celebrate achievements.
We are proud to announce that we have given out the last bag purchased through the grant. We are proud because we know that each bag went to a teen who used it to proudly serve our people in the IDF.
Each donation made to Crossroads can touch the life of a teen in need and make a difference. If you would like to contribute to purchasing new army bags for Crossroads teens entering the IDF, please visit our website: Army bags for Crossroads Help us support our kids!
Fall for the Barnes
10.11.12
A beautiful day and a community donation to Crossroads
Last year, Crossroads' supporter Myra Sacks organized a tour group to the Barnes Foundation Estate, the largest privately held collection of impressionist and post impressionist art in the world, which was about to be closed to the public.
This year, the magnificent Barnes collection has arrived in its new home along Phildelphia’s artistic capital, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
A luxury coach transported a group of 60 art-lovers and Crossroads supporters from Harrisburg, PA on this splendid fall adventure. With donations totaling over $5,000, this beautiful day and enjoyable event was organized for the benefit of our at-risk teen center in Jerusalem.
The day featured a lecture, "The Philadelphia Barnes – its Journey and Architecture" given by Dr. David Brownlee, The Francis Shapiro Weizenhoffer Professor of the History of Art at the University of Pennsylvania.
Another event highlight was screening of a video show-casing art produced by Crossroads teens who participate in a street art project. After the lecture, video, and speech about the work done by Crossroads to help save lives of teens in trouble in Jerusalem, a luncheon was catered by Bon Appetite and served at The Steinhardt Center of the University of Pennsylvania, 215 South 39th Street, Philadelphia, PA.
The group then toured the Barnes exhibit in its new location.
Event participants' comments about the event:
"What a great day! What a great cause! Thank you Myra for the amazing organization of this trip! 10-11-12"
