Kenmare H.S. + Goldman Sachs = Success!

Students and Members of Goldman Sachs' Group Meeting at Kenmare

Students in Kenmare’s Business classes have been meeting with the Women’s Service Program from Goldman Sachs. One of the objectives of this collaboration is for the women from Goldman Sachs to serve as mentors to the Kenmare students. Additionally, they have been able to discuss workplace issues and the challenges of the dual roles of motherhood and career. This semester’s curriculum focused on: Getting Through Turbulent Times, Resume Writing, Communication Skills, Dress for Success/Proper Business Attire, and Interviewing Skills. Additional topics included: employability skills, ethics, conflict resolution, and career opportunities.

On January 14, 2010, our students were invited to visit Goldman Sachs at their 30 Hudson Street Building. The main focus of the visit was to provide the students with a “mock” interview for an administrative position. Prior to our visit, they went to Dress for Success located in Jersey City to be “suited”. Each woman was provided with an appropriate outfit for a job interview. These outfits included pant suits, blouses and some accessories. Our students also prepared for their interviews using the skills provided in the Goldman Sachs’ sessions as well as in their business classes. Each student prepared her resume and researched the job she would be interviewing for. The interviews were held on the 40th Floor and were conducted by several members of the Women’s Service Program. After each student completed her interview, we met for a follow-up session and breakfast. Before our departure the group was given a tour of the building. The day was a great success.


Visit to Goldman Sachs’ Building at 30 Hudson Street

The overall experience of working with the women from Goldman has been a very positive one for our students. The students had the opportunity to gain career development skills by participating in these sessions. More importantly they gained life skills through meeting with the women in small informal groups and speaking with them about the struggles all working women face. They were able to learn from them how they balance work and motherhood. This was an invaluable experience for all involved. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue working with Goldman Sachs in the next semester to offer this program to a new group of students.

By Susan Ahearn, Business and Technology Teacher

10th Annual Golf Outing

A Golfin’ We Did Go

“When I first became involved with the York Street Golf Tournament, I did not play but understood how it benefited not only York Street but solidified relationships that may have mellowed over the years. Now, even though I show up to play, I realize those original thoughts ring even truer. What a great opportunity to get together, assist York Street and remember our dear friend, Joe Denyeau. Each year we must collectively work to make this event even better as it contributes to the betterment of the direct beneficiaries.”

~ Richard Haydon of The Haydon Family
2009 Tournament Sponsor

FORE…!
“Watch out for that flying golf ball”, was the phrase of the day at York Street Project’s 10th Annual Golf Outing that was held on September 21st at Glen Ridge Country Club in Glen Ridge, New Jersey.

Imagine 94 excited golfers in teams of two, three and four all teeing off at the same time on different holes on a breath-taking golf course that has a two-way commercial street going through it, and commands your ultimate attention and skill. The bright sun shine and warm breeze were added elements conducive to the formula for a successful and a fun-filled day.

The round took approximately five hours and as the golfers were returning to the Club House, they all were brimming from ear to ear from the camaraderie that they had on the green. Once the day-time festivities were finished, the event kicked into overdrive and the golfers were able to relax while enjoying a beautiful sunset, and rehashing their round on the open patio during the cocktail reception.

As the evening activities began to come to life, the happy golfers continued to purchase raffle and 50/50 tickets. Some of the more adventurous thrill seekers made the Silent Auction area the place to be, as they waited quietly in the wings to out-bid their fellow competitor. Before entering the formal dining room for dinner, the Skill Prize winners were announced, raising the excitement level of the day once again.

Sitting down to a wonderful dinner of roast sirloin beef with gray, pan seared salmon-dill beurre blanc, chicken savoy, tricolor vegetable medley sautéed with garlic, assorted salads, breads, and many other tasty morsels, the evening quickly came to a delightful crescendo. During dinner, brief expressions of thanks were given by YSP’s Executive Director, Susanne Byrne and board member Anne Denyeau. Shortly after the fine feast, the raffle prize drawing got underway. Winner after winner was called until the moment that everyone had been waiting for finally arrived; the announcing of the 50/50 winner.

Sr. Barbara Moran, Director of The Nurturing Place was asked to pick the winning ticket. She reached into the colossal tub that was filled to the brim with yellow 50/50 tickets and picked one. The room went quiet, and you could hardly hear the air, then the next sound was the winning number… then there was silence once again as the each person checked their arm-load of 50/50 tickets. At last the suspense was over when York Street Project’s very own Sr. Harriet Hamilton, Director of St. Mary’s Residence raised her hand and said, “Hey, my sister won!” Cheers of happiness went throughout the room for Sr. Harriet as she came up to have her ticket verified.

A very special thanks goes out to The Haydon Family – Tournament Sponsor of the event. More thank yous are in order for the Lunch Sponsors; James Patterson and Goldman Sachs. Other major sponsors include Morgan Stanley, The Russo Group, The Denyeau Family, Emerald Seafood, Dan & Francine McGuire and the Solomon Page Group. Thanks to these and many other sponsors and special friends of the York Street Project, the 10th Annual Golf Outing raised more than $85,000 to help women and children break the chains of poverty.

Mark your calendar to meet us on the Green on Monday, September 20, 2010.

11th Annual ChalkFest

Chalking at The Plaza

The sun was hot and high in the sky. The hotdogs were heating up, and the drinks were cooling down. The stage was set and all was ready for the children on Thursday, July 30th at Exchange Place Plaza in Jersey City for York Street Project’s 11th Annual ChalkFest.

At approximately 12:00 noon an entourage of children from The Nurturing Place along with their teachers and volunteers marched onto Exchange Place Plaza decked out in their official violet ChalkFest t-shirts ready to unleash their creative imaginations.

Have you ever seen a purple cow? How about a cat wearing pink shoes? Well, perhaps you’ve seen a blue-eyed flower with long flowing eyelashes! The artistic illustrations that the children created with the help of local artists and volunteers was an amazing sight to see!

And, if you were in the mood to dance, DJ “Big Ben” made sure that the tunes put a wag in your tail and a pep in your step! Fun face painting designs, stickers and arts and crafts games were provided by the City of Jersey. York Street’s friend Kellei from KC Balloons joined the festivities again this year, and created eye-catching and unusual balloon art for all the children who dared to venture her way.

In addition to the vast display of art, the Food Court was well stocked with an abundance of free hotdogs, chips, sodas and water for the more than 500 hundred lunchtime patrons who were at the event. There even was a new local neighbor from the Philly Pretzel Factory who joined in on the fun and served up trays and trays of free pretzels. And last but not least, the sweltering heat caused the line at the Italian Ice stand to practically reach the ticket booth of the Ferry dock!

Special invited guests, the children of the nearby Waterfront Montessori School of Jersey City, also enjoyed the festivities. Eighteen of their school-aged children joined in on the fun and instantly became York Street Project Chalkerteers. Olivia Viteznik, Waterfront Montessori 5th grader had this to say about her day at the ChalkFest, “I really liked ChalkFest because they played music and you could dance, and they had a DJ. It was also nice because everyone had a big square to make chalk drawings, and the whole event helped York Street Project." Karen Westman, Head of School, Waterfront Montessori also said, “It was wonderful to see so many children and adults participating in the event. What a privilege it is to be able to help York Street Project.”

Thanks to Fidelity Investments, the Title Sponsor for the fifth consecutive year, Pershing and Morgan Stanley and other supporting sponsors of the 11th Annual ChalkFest, more than $35,000 was raised to help women and children break the chains of poverty.

Mark your calendar to meet us on The Plaza next year on Thursday, July 29th at 12:00 noon.

The Changing of the Guard

The prestigious ceremony for the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace is a focal point for the many thousands of tourists who visit London each year. Charged with the responsibility of guarding the royal residences since the reign of King Charles II, the soldiers are honored to protect and oversee the grounds of the royal family.

This intricate yet visually enjoyable ceremony involves the renewing of the “The Old Guard” at the end of their duty. They are relieved by a refreshed detachment referred to as “The New Guard”. The New Guard must pass an inspection before they are allowed the privilege of guarding the Palace. Once inspection is passed, the Old and New Guards must “Present Arms” before the Captain of the Guard who then majestically hands over the Palace Keys; a passing of the torch so to speak. This symbolic gesture represents the transfer of responsibility and authority over the safety and protection of the Palace from the Old to the New Guard.

A Changing of the Guard has taken place at the York Street Project. The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, (CSJPs) sponsors of the York Street Project, conducted their General Chapter, an international gathering of their members, that is held every six years. During the week of January 26, 2009 they met to elect members for their Congregation Council. Sr. Kristin Funari, then Executive Director of the York Street Project, was among the five Sisters elected to the new leadership team.

With this new direction in her ministry before her, Sr. Kristin humbly opened her arms to embrace God’s will for her life. She announced her resignation as Executive Director in February. Although Sr. Kristin knew that the time had come for her to move forward in her ministry, she could not help but reflect on the last 35 years of her life where she served in a twelve block radius of downtown Jersey City; 24 of those years were intimately tied to the physical rehabilitation of the York Street properties and its program development. The week of May 18, 2009 was her last week of service as Executive Director of the York Street Project.

When asked about how she felt about leaving York Street, Sr. Kristin had this to say, “This is not the best time for a transition in leadership given the fact that we are in ‘white water’ times both internally and on a societal level. The Project is no different than many other places in our lives where change is challenging us on profound levels. I am confident that this change is a new day in the life of The Project; one that will be graced with blessings that we have not yet dreamed. Our ministries are vital; our ability to adapt to the many external threats faced by social service agencies is strong. Our program directors and staff remain passionate about shelter and education among the poor of our city.”

To properly prepare for Sr. Kristin’s successor, in February of 2009 a Search Committee was formed and the task to find a new Executive Director began. Recognizing that The Project was at a critical juncture in its history, the Committee was diligent in its search. Fortunately because of God’s grace, it did not take long for the right person to surface and answer the call. That person was found in the name of Susanne M. Byrne, a former employee who was no stranger to the York Street ministries.

Susanne M. Byrne, affectionally known as Sue, describes her original connection, and her calling back to York Street as fate and divine intervention, as it was fate that initially brought her in contact with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. It was the summer of 1998 and the children of The Nurturing Place (TNP) were making a short trip to Long Beach Island (LBI) thanks to the generosity of a friend and donor who believed all children should experience the beauty of the shore. Sue, who then was working in Long Beach Island at the Beachcomber (a local LBI newspaper) for the summer, happened to receive a phone call that unbeknownst to her would eventually change her life. It was through this call that she first learned of TNP and the work that was being done by the CSJPs in Jersey City. She then was given the opportunity to write a story about the children and the program when they came for their visit to LBI.

Not long after she met Sr. Barbara and the children, another act of fate transpired. Sr. Barbara asked her if she would be interested in working at The Nurturing Place after the summer because her Administrative Assistant had just resigned. Sue accepted the offer and this was the beginning of her York Street Project relationship. Sue worked for TNP for two years before taking the Caseworker/Advocate position at St. Joseph’s Home (SJH). Her experience at TNP gave her a strong introduction to administrative and financial responsibilities and her more than seven years at SJH provided a variety of opportunities for direct service work while developing her passion for advocacy and policy. Her brief employment with Hudson County in 2008 also seemed to be an instrumental part of her fate, one that would help prepare her for the calling on her life that soon was to take place. When asked what she acquired as a County employee, Sue shared the following, “I feel the skills I have developed there made me much more qualified for this position than I was before. I greatly strengthened my administrative abilities, did contract work, developed fiscal reports, reviewed budgets and monitored expenditures. It was also at this time that I was able to finish my master’s degree.”

Prior to being formally offered the Executive Director’s position from the CSJPs, Sue emphatically expressed to the Search Committee, “I believe that my intimate knowledge of York Street and all its programs makes me uniquely qualified for this position. It is one that if offered, I would accept without hesitation and with an understanding of how much faith you are placing in my hands. It is not a responsibility I will ever take lightly. And although I will be a different leader for York Street than Sr. Kristin (for her shoes can never be filled), please know that I will lead with deference to those who came before me and great consideration and excitement for those who will come after me.”

As Sister Kristin proudly and with the utmost confidence passed the torch to Sue, she imparted these words of support, “I believe Susanne’s 10 years previous service to the project, first through The Nurturing Place and then St. Joseph’s Home qualifies her in a unique way. She has demonstrated a deep passion for justice and a love for the poor. Her efforts toward advocacy, first on an individual case by case level and then on a more systemic/policy level were tireless and marked by a deep, objective and disciplined intellectual approach to social welfare policy issues affecting the lives of the poor in our city and country.

Understanding the culture of the ministry and those who are served through it is half the battle in assuming a position of leadership in any institution. Susanne possesses firsthand knowledge and experience on both levels.

Her educational pursuits while holding down a full time job and raising a young family was a proven measure of her ability at multi-tasking and tenacity, two qualities much needed in the position of Executive Director.”

The Program Directors of the York Street Project also have welcomed Sue in her new Position as Executive Director. When asked about Sue’s appointment Sr. Harriet Hamilton, Director of St. Mary’s Residence, said, “The Directors at York Street Project are very delighted to have Sue Byrne back with us. Her dedication and hard work on behalf of the women and children at York Street Project has greatly benefitted us in the past. We know Sue’s present commitment will continue to serve the women and children at YSP very well into the future”.

Sr. Rosemary Coffey, Director of St. Joseph’s Home, shared her thoughts, “Sue was a professional staff member with me at SJH with whom I worked closely. I have great confidence that Sue will continue to lead and guide us into the future servicing women and children who require our services”.

Sr. Joan Repka, Director of Kenmare High School, has this to say, “Sue is a kind and caring woman. People respond to her open, gracious warmth. She is making a positive impact here at the YSP.”

And Sr. Barbara Moran, Director of The Nurturing Place, responded by saying, “The depth and breadth of Sue Byrne’s past ministry experience at both The Nurturing Place and St. Joseph’s Home is extremely valuable to her new position at Executive Director. She continues to be a compassionate companion and advocate for our women on their journey toward self-sufficiency and applauds their effort as parents to enroll and become active participants in the Child Development Program offered at The Nurturing Place.”

Like the New Guards at Buckingham Palace the official “Palace Keys” of the York Street Project have been handed over to Sue with full authority and responsibility. With these keys come a myriad of challenges and undertakings. And like the New Guards at the Palace, Sue is honored to have this mantle placed upon her and has completely embraced this charge to oversee the operations of the York Street Project. The staff of The Project, as well as her family and friends, are behind her one hundred percent and have no doubt that she will do her best.

As most of you know, there is always room for laughter at York Street. Recent supporting words from Sr. Kristin, one who always finds a moment to laugh, summed up all sentiments with one comedic sentence, “As difficult as it is for me to say that I’ve been replaced by a young, attractive, blonde, I must admit that the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace feel blessed in having Sue as the first lay administrator of this most precious sponsored ministry.”

We invite you to visit The Project and meet Susanne soon!

The 20th Annual Spring Event

“Where The River Flows Everything Will Prosper.”

That was the theme and message of the York Street Project’s 20th Annual Spring Event that was held on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at the JPMorgan Conference Center in Jersey City New Jersey. The two-hour cocktail reception was attended by more than 250 friends and supporters of The Project, and raised more than $130,000 to support out life changing programs.

Sister Kristin Funari, then- Executive Director of the York Street Project served as this year’s guest speaker. When making the connection of the theme to the mission of the York Street Project and the neighboring Hudson River, Funari had this to say, “The ebb and flow of prosperity, the endless cycles of economic expansion and depression are strongly influenced by the Hudson and all of our precious waterways. Those of us who witnessed the final death throws of the manufacturing industry in the 60’s and 70’s – the well planned redlining and disinvestment in neighborhoods that boarded the factories and river— the first blush of revitalization in the early 80’s and the full-blown renaissance during the last 20 years – understand the life-giving force of this river and its long, silent witness to both the hope and despair created by those who determine her use for economic growth and development. When the river flows at the end of an economic growth cycle, the poor have access to her shores because all that could be taken and used appears spent; when her flow brings a new cycle, vision and opportunity the poor are pushed out, denied access because their presence is not deemed a part of the highest and best use of land. The cycles come and go, but the poor, the tired, the homeless tempest-tossed remain with us.”

During her speech, Sr. Kristin shared the news of her resignation as Executive Director of the organization with her captive audience. “The Project is going through its own time of deep transition and change. My leaving the position as Executive Director has put many of us in deep thought, but certainly not in a state of panic or fear. Our roots are too deep and intertwined, our services are too essential to the survival needs of the poor, our institutional foundations too strong for us not to move forward with passion and purpose.” She has spent the last 35 years of her life serving in a twelve block radius of downtown Jersey City; 24 of those years have been intimately tied to the physical rehabilitation of the York Street Project properties and its program development.

Sr. Kristin closed her remarks with a reflection on the gift of the river. “The scriptures are replete with images and metaphors of raging, flowing, still and peaceful waters. Living Waters - Waters of life where deserts become verdant valleys and wastelands flower into cities. I am blessed, taught and challenged by the gift that the river has been in my life. She has brought new friends and opportunities. You, like our sister the river, have sustained, enlivened and strengthened our roots during these last 20 years. With a heart full of gratitude and joy I pray the fullest of God’s blessings upon all of you and upon all who are dear to your hearts.”

What color is their parachute?

On Tuesday, February 17th, a representative from Dover Business College will conduct a life-changing workshop, “Your Personality and Your Career Choice” for the women at Kenmare High School.

The workshop is designed to help students understand and develop new skills that will give them valuable assets to build on for a successful future.

What amazing discoveries will be made on that day!

We may very well find a film director, Pulitzer Prize winner, or maybe even a Rocket Scientist right in our own midst. The possibilities are endless.

We wish all students a great day as they learn how to find careers that best suit their personalities. Stay tuned for the workshop follow up where we will unveil all the exciting professions that await our students!

Inauguration Day at York Street Project

Our children of The Nurturing Place begin today's Inauguration Day celebration by preparing special treats of red, white, and blue.