MYC, JAG and UWTC Logo 

MYC & JAG
July 2016
Newsletter
 MYC Summer Camp Starts July 11th! 

MYC Summer Camp kicks off July 11th! It is not too late to sign up for Summer Camp! Click here for our schedule and here for the registration form! Space is filling up quickly! Our affordable fee is $140 per week or $50 per day. 

We have seven weeks of exciting events including Hopkinton State Park, Water Wizz, a Paw Sox game, and Six flags! Campers will also play indoor and outdoor games at the Youth Center, take trips to 
Fino Pool, and more!

If there are any
local businesses or organizations that would like to sponsor a camper this summer please contact the Center! Anyone interested in sponsoring a week or camper, please email us at milfordyouthcenter@comcast.net. Every year we receive donations that help make camp available for local youth in need.  It is possible to sponsor an individual camper or a family!
Jay's Classic Basketball Tournament to Support the MYC!
Join us for the 2nd annual "Help the Youth B-Ball Tournament" at the MYC. On a rescheduled date of Sunday, August 28th, Jay Resto and Jay's Classic Barber Shop will host a basketball tournament in our newly renovated gymnasium at 3 PM. 

Sign ups will start next Tuesday, July 12th at Jays Classic Barber Shop, located at 18 Main St. in Milford. It will cost $25/person to participate. There will be food, music, face painting, and of course, lots of basketball! You must be 18 or older to play. Teams of five will play against each other at the. All proceeds will go back to the After School and Summer Camp programs of the Center!

 If you are interested in signing a team up, please contact Jay at (401) 207-1121. 


MYC Shows their Gratitude towards After School program donations!
We have so many people to thank this month! We would like to begin by thanking the Vineyard Church in Hopkinton for generously donating new basketballs to the Youth Center! Several volunteers from the church took initiative after they realized how desperately we were in need of basketballs, and donated fifteen! Thank you!

Finally, we owe a huge thanks to Ron Taylor, one of our dedicated volunteers, for his extreme generosity in the few short months he has been with us. Along with
kitchen supplies, handyman skills, and doorstoppers, Ron donated a
dishwasher to complete our kitchen! We cannot say enough about how grateful we are for Ron's service and generosity! 
More Thank You's from MYC!
We are also so grateful to Pizza Palace for donating over fifteen pizzas for our end of the year party on June 23rd! Thank you, Pizza Palace, for your continued support of the Youth Center! We would also like to thank Ron Auger who taught CPR to our incoming Summer Camp staff. Thank you, Ron! 

Hannaford Supermarkets of Milford has also been so generous to us! Thank you to Hannaford for raising donations from the community through their supermarket kiosk! We are so grateful that Hannaford always is thinking of us and raising funds in the community to support us! 

We also owe a huge thank you to Best Buy of Milford for donating their refrigerator to our Youth Center! We are truly so appreciative of their generosity and thinking of us when they had an extra fridge to donate. Thank you, Best Buy!
Congrats to this Year's MYC Seaver Scholarship Recipients! 

MYC sends a huge congratulations to Megan Jacques and Josh Andonian for being awarded the Milford Youth Center Seaver Scholarship at this year's Senior Awards night! 

This award has been given to deserving recipients for four years and we hope to continue this great tradition! Both Megan and Josh joined us at our end of the year party to accept their award on June 23rd. 

This scholarship was created, in honor and in memory of, our former Chairman Paul Seaver. The scholarship was possible thanks to a United Way of Tri-County Youth Venture Grant and is sustained through fundraisers (Thank you to the Seaver Family & HOOP CREW LLC)!
Check Out the Milford Summer Food Service Program at MYC!
June 23rd officially kicked off the Milford Summer Food Service Program! MYC is one of the three host sites in Milford that will be feeding children of all ages from all communities for the entire summer!  We will be providing lunch at three sites (Trinity, Memorial School and the Youth Center) every weekday (M-F) for the entire summer (June 23 through August 30), from 11am - 1pm each day.   

We are so thrilled to be a part of such an amazing program that is sponsored through the Hockomock YMCA and the Milford Area Humanitarian Coalition! 

Check out some photos below and click here for more information or how to get involved in this great opportunity! Come by the Youth Center every Monday through Friday from 11:30 to 1pm to grab a free and nutritious meal! It is open to all ages, and a snack is also served from 3 to 3:30pm. Stop in for some good food and fun activities!  

We need as much help as we can get! We are looking for volunteers to help serve lunch and entertain kids for 2-3 hours a day from Monday through Friday during the summer. Click  here to find out more information on how to help feed the children of Milford this summer!

Even if you can only offer 2 hours on one day of the summer - we need you!  To volunteer, contact Marykate at  Marykateb@hockymca.org.  
JAG Youth Council Mini-Grant Project
Check out the MYC/JAG Youth Council and their beautification project at the Milford Youth Center! JAG Youth Council members planted five different types of annuals around the sign outside of the Youth Center. We were so lucky to have such great weather and so many Youth Center members helping us! 

This was made possible through the Social Capital Inc. mini-grant program. Thanks to SCI Americorps, our own SCI AmeriCorps member Mackenzie, and the MYC/JAG Youth Council for making the Milford Youth Center a more welcoming and beautiful space!
Thank You New England Commercial Flooring

The Milford Youth Center would like to thank New England Commercial Flooring for donating over 100 yards of carpet tiles to the Milford Youth Center, with an estimated total value of $2,400.00.  Unfortunately, the majority of the upstairs and basement of our 104 year old Armory and home of the Milford Youth Center, was not included into the scope of our recent renovation project. Luckily, we were introduced to Paul Johnson, who has so generously donated his time to help us complete all of the refinishing of the flooring in the upstairs. Due to the generosity of New England Commercial Flooring, Paul has also been able to help us finish the upstairs hallway, the downstairs work out room and movie area with the carpet tiles! 
  Milford Federal Savings and Loan Association Adopts a Room at MYC!

We would like to say a big thank you to Milford Federal Savings and Loan Association for being a platinum donor through their sponsorship of our downstairs lounge room! We are so grateful for the support of Milford Federal and other generous donors listed below: 

1. Platinum: Hockomock Area YMCA (refrigerator)
2. Gold: Kenny & Nikki Rosa (unspecified)
3. Silver & Bronze: Nicholas Julian (ping pong table & Arts & Crafts bin)
4. Bronze:Peggy Ann-Berube (stove)
5. Platinum: Milford Federal Savings and Loan Association (lounge)



Interested in becoming a donor?
Your business, organization or family can adopt a room and/or item and a plaque will placed for all donors!

1. Bronze - $100.00 (Ex. Arts & Crafts Storage/Supplies, Chairs (stacks of 10), Folding Tables (sets of 5)

2. Silver - $250.00 (Ex. Cork Bulletin Board with door (lock and key), Ping Pong Table, Flat screen TV, Office desks)

3. Gold - $500.00 (Ex. ADA Oven, ADA dishwasher, Lounge Chairs, Kitchen Tables and Chairs)

4. Platinum - $1,000.00 (Adopt a room/space: Main office, Arts & Crafts Room, Movie/media room, Game Room)

Thank you all again and click  here for more information and  here for a form to participate! 
Business AD Space Available to Support the Milford Youth Center!

 
How it works: When members enter the Center, they'll see your ad on the check-in screen. They'll touch the screen in order to check-in for their activities each day. After completing the check-in process, your ad will be shown again as part of a 'thank you' screen. Your ad will show itself all day like a digital billboard.

Price: $1000 per year or $1800 for 2 years. Your ad will rotate every 10 seconds. The Milford Youth Center typically operate from 10:00am - 10:00pm, Monday - Friday, and various hours on the weekends for rentals. Contact milfordyouthcenter@comcast.net or 508-473-1756 for details and specific pricing.

Screen size and presence: 23" wide aspect touchscreen mounted or located on front-desk

Artwork dimensions/format: 23" Wide Aspect screen (2:1 ratio) with diagonal of 23", which translates to a height of 10" and width of 20.00". Highest resolution possible (300 DPI or greater) and EPS/vector or any image format.

Reporting: At the end of each month, you'll receive a report showing the number of impressions and unique viewers. You'll also receive information regarding the gender and age of people who viewed your advertisement.
Why: All proceeds go directly towards Youth Center programming and supplies, allowing the Center to remain a free program to all the youth of Milford. Your business will be able to support this cause, while also promoting your company!

Congrats to SCI AmeriCorps members Amelia and Mackenzie!

Congratulations to our Social Capital Inc. AmeriCorps member for graduating from her 6 month program in Boston this month! Mackenzie has done such an amazing job completing over 900 volunteer hours over the last 6 months here at the Youth Center! 

Mackenzie had a huge role working with the JAG Youth Council, the Juvenile Advocacy Group, the Relay For Life, Celebrate Milford, Milford Summer Food Service Program, our Grand Re-Opening, the After School Program and soooo much more! We are so appreciative of her dedication and hard work! 

We would also like to give a shout-out to Amelia, the SCI AmeriCorps member for the Hockomock Area YMCA! Amelia has volunteered along side Mackenzie and helped out with various activities with the Youth Center including the Youth Council, Relay for Life, Milford Summer Feeding Program and the After School!! YOU BOTH ARE AMAZING!
MYC Summer Camp Sponsorship Available!

THANK YOU to Web Industries, Inc. of Boston for sponsoring children for our Summer Camp program! We are so grateful for your support and your generosity toward the youth of Milford!

If there are any other local businesses or organizations that would like to sponsor a camper this summer please contact the Center via email here or call 508-473-1756. 

Every year we receive donations that help make camp available for local youth in need! It is possible to sponsor an individual camper or a family! Thank you!
MYC Kids Do Arts & Crafts!

The week before Father's Day, kids did an Arts & Crafts project for their fathers. Kids decorated picture frames and filled in fun facts about their dads. For example, some fun facts were, "I love it when my dad.." and "I think my dad is funny because." Check out the pictures below to see what kids said about their fathers!





Check out the eco-friendly Arts & Crafts
project that the kids completed during June! The kids made eco-friendly bowls out of recycled magazines! It takes about a week to complete. Thanks to Nancy Milani and Christine Daddario for this great project idea and all of their help!
Teachers Driving Academy
 2016 Classes!

We are accepting registrations for Teacher's Driving Academy for the 2016 school year! The Milford Youth Center is pleased to partner with Teachers Driving Academy to offer students a great program, at a reasonable price, with added convenience of taking classes right at school! For more information, click hereEvery registration fee is made out to "The Town of Milford- Milford Youth Center" as a donation from the TDA. Please mail form to our renovated Youth Center address at 24 Pearl St.  We are very grateful for this collaboration and support!     

Pearl St. Cupboard & Cafe is Moving:
Support their Brick Campaign! 
The United Way of Tri-County's Pearl St. Cupboard & Cafe is being forced to move! You can show the community that you support their efforts towards the fight against hunger   by purchasing a brick! You can add your name to our "Foundation of Hope" mural to appear outside the all NEW Pearl St. Cupboard & Cafe at Park. 

The mission of Pearl Street Cupboard & Café is to give support to individuals and families who find themselves experiencing economic and personal challenges by providing food assistance and programs that promote self-sufficiency. There is no charge for their services.

Some of the services include: groceries, hot meals, pet food when available, summer meals for school age children as well as other local assistance programs and services.

Pearl Street Cupboard & Café serves thousands of your neighbors each month and we rely on contributions and volunteers to do the work. For more information on how to support their brick campaign, click here
Brain Gym 101 Course this Summer!

Brain Gym® is a movement-based, learning readiness program developed by Paul Dennison, PhD. It is goal-oriented and involves the use of self-awareness and movement techniques to reduce stress and integrate the nervous system. When the mind- body connections are integrated, the learning process is accelerated and enhanced. Self- esteem and confidence improves as anxiety, behavioral problems, attention and performance deficits are reduced. Through years of clinical use and published research, the Brain Gym program has been shown to release learning blocks, leading to improvements in task focus, organization, memory, coordination and communication.

The 3 day course goes from 8:30am to 4:30pm and begins August 3rd. Click on the image above for the registration form and details on paying the course fee. Additional information is featured in the flyer on the righthand side. 

Contact pamformosa@gmail.com or go to BrainFitAcademy.com for more information. 
Medication Take Back at Milford Police Station
"Most people who abuse prescription drugs say they get them from a friend or relative."

Bring in expired or unused medications for safe and proper disposal at the Medication Take Back hosted by the Milford Police Station. The Milford Police Station, in partnership with CVS and JAG, will take back any leftover, unwanted, or expired medications at any time and any day of the week! 

Please take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to safely and properly dispose of unwanted medications and make your home and community safer and more aware of prescription/substance abuse!
 
        Breaking the Chains of Addiction:         Drop in Centers
SAFE/JAG initiated Substance Abuse Outreach and Intervention Program. We proactively provide a gateway to professional resources for persons with Substance Use Disorders ( SUDs), their friends and family members in a manner that encourages community involvement. We seek to educate the community regarding Substance Use Disorder, reduce the stigma and increase understanding that individuals with SUDs are suffering from a disease over which they have no control. 

The centerpiec e for this outreach and intervention program will be to provide a mental health counselor(s) as a partner, who will assist in the coordination and evaluation of this project. The mental health counselor (s) will have direct oversight of all that pertains to the medical and psychological needs of program participants. Services may include referrals to outpatient counseling, medical detoxification, in/outpatient rehabilitation programs and other treatment modalities that may be indicated. 
Persons eligible for these services include:

● Persons with SUDs and/or 
● Those who suffer from SUDs while also dealing with Mental-health issues and/or
● Family members of loved ones with SUDs. 

Drop In Centers Opened in May of 2016:
  • Milford Drop In Centers will be open from 6-9pm at Community Impact Inc., 211 Main S(Across from Johnny Jacks Restaurant, same side as Rockland Trust and next to Mery's Hair Salon) 
  • Franklin Drop In Centers will be open from 6-9 at St. John's Episcopal Church (237 Pleasant Street)
CHNA 6 Updates
June 10th was the last meeting for CHNA 6 until next fall! Thank you to everyone who was in attendance this year and to all of our guest speakers who continue to educate us. 

Mark your calendars for our fall meetings from 9-11 am:
  •       Friday, September 16, 2016 at Ruth Anne         Bleakney Senior Center, Milford
  •       Friday, November 4, 2016 at Milford                 Regional Medical Center: "CHIP Summit" 
  •       December Holiday Party, TBA

The mission of CHNA 6 is to identify, plan and advocate for a healthier community. We are dedicated to the promotion of accessible multigenerational services that assist people to lead healthier lives. CHNA 6 represents the communities of Bellingham, Blackstone, Douglas, Franklin, Hopedale, Medway, Mendon, Milford, Millville, Northbridge, Sutton, Upton, Uxbridge.
  • For a link to the CHNA 6 Greater Milford Community Health Improvement Plan, click here
  • To sign up for the CHNA 6 newsletter, click here
  • For more information, contact Ellen Freedman
Parents of Children/Teens with Special Needs Support Group 
Pizza and Childcare Provided (Please RSVP if childcare is needed)

On every first and third Wednesday night of each month, from 6pm to 8pm, the Kennedy Donovan Center, You Inc. and Dugas & Dugas Advisors host a support group for parents. 

The new locations of the meetings is the Trinity Episcopal Church 17 Congress Street, Milford @ the corner of Congress and Exchange Streets Parking is available on both streets & in the rear lot. 
Some of the benefits that a parent support group can provide: Friendship, Understanding, Empathy, Resources, Laughter, and Hope. An  ASL interpreter is at every meeting 

Please RSVP to sylvieedugas@gmail.com (508) 380-4919 marinoc@youinc.org (508) 735-8049 or on Facebook at Dugas & Dugas Advisors.
Please find attached the current listing of meals offered in the Milford
area throughout the month. We are at 17 nutritious meals being offered
throughout the month, and with the summer lunch program we will be adding an
additional 21 or 22 meals a month!

There are free meal options in Milford and all are welcome! Meals are available almost everyday of the week! 

For different locations for different days, please click  here


 

    The MYC and JAG Monthly Newsletter will be e-mailed at the beginning of every month. If you would like to have something placed in the newsletter please e-mail Jen Ward, at jward@milfordyouthcenter.net.

July 7, 2016
In This Issue
Summer Camp Kickoff
Jays Classic Basketball Tourney
MYC Says Thanks
More Thank You's from MYC
Seaver Scholarship Winners
Summer Food Program
JAG Mini-Grant
Thank You New England Commercial Flooring
Adopt a room and/or furniture
Business AD Space at MYC
Congrats AmeriCorps Grads
Summer Camp sponsorship
MYC Arts & Crafts
TDA
Pearl St. Cupboard & Cafe is Moving
Brain Gym 101
Medication Take Back
Drop in Centers
CHNA 6 Updates
Parents of Children/Teens with Special Needs Support Group
Free Community Meals

Join JAG on Facebook and Twitter


   Twitter    Facebook  

Join the

Milford Youth Center on Facebook and Twitter


     Twitter    Facebook
 

Join the

JAG Youth Council
 on Facebook and Twitter


     Twitter     Facebook   

Check out one of our major sponsors 

United Way Logo 

Check out our newsletter

sponsor

 

Juvenile Advocacy Group (JAG) mission  is to work with its community partners to bring resources together to prevent substance abuse and address other emerging needs in the community. The Massachusetts communities included in JAG's service area are the towns of Milford, Bellingham and Hopedale. Through JAG's programs and services youth and their families are able to gain the information and resources to help live and lead healthier lives.  For more information, click here.

Milford Youth Center (MYC) mission  is to provide a safe environment that promotes self esteem, builds character, and fosters the notion of community and the importance of respecting and serving others. For more information, click here.

The  MYC & JAG work together to provide resources and opportunities for youth to make healthy decisions. The MYC & JAG have worked to provide local youth with the necessary activities and events that help them develop physically, mentally, socially and emotionally through their childhood years. By providing Milford youth with these types of programs and a safe environment during the after school hours and during our monthly events, we hope to address adolescent risk factors as well as promoting the partnership among community members to ensure a comprehensive vision and plan for the health of the youth in the town of Milford.

Juvenile Advocacy Group:  communityimpactinc@gmail.com
phone: 508.422.0242 
web: http://www.JAGnetwork.org


Milford Youth Center:  milfordyouthcenter@comcast.net
phone: 508.473.1756
web: http://milfordyouthcenter.net/