Newsletter for January 18, 2007
HELP Center Announcements
Save the Dates: Wednesdays 12:00 – 2:00
Student Parent HELP Center Group Updates:
The Student Parent HELP Center meets weekly on Wednesdays from 12-2 in Room 24, Appleby Hall. We provide a nice lunch for FREE for those folks who can attend for the majority of the session. The purpose of the SPHC Parent Group is to allow a scheduled time each week for participating students to connect, build community, learn from each other and share the challenges and triumphs that are all part of being a busy student who is also parenting a child or children. Our trained SPHC staff facilitators strive for a balance between free sharing that creates learning opportunities between students and more formal education and support activities. The weekly topics are selected based on input solicited from participating student parents throughout the course of the semester. The primary goal is to acknowledge, share and expand upon the expertise already evident among our population of SPHC involved student parents. The input you receive from group can be used, or not used, based on your discretion; and the connections you make with your fellow student parents can follow you throughout the course of you academic career. Group for spring semester will resume on Wednesday January 24, 2007! We look forward to reconnecting with everyone then. Here are some of the upcoming topics and speakers for group.
Upcoming Student Parent Group Topics:
Wednesday February 7: Deb Wilkin from the Financial Aid office will be coming to answer any of your financial aid questions.
Wednesday February 14: This group will be dedicated to discussing healthy relationships.
Any suggestions or questions, please ask your SPHC group facilitators, Jerri Wagner or Ali Cain.
We Need You...
The Student Parent HELP Center, along with SPA, is planning another Student Parent Visibility Day. We will need volunteers, from a variety of academic majors, to share your experience with teen parents visiting the U of M from three different teen parenting programs in the metro area. Mark your calendars for May 1, 2007, from 11:00 – 1:00, outside of Morrill Hall on Northrop Plaza. If you are interested please let us know, as we need volunteers to formally sign up and be available for this event. There will be free food!!! This event receives a good deal of campus wide attention, and serves to significantly increase awareness of the vibrant texture that all student parents add to the rich tapestry of campus life. It is also a great way to mentor and model positive options for teen parents in our community. Please get on board with this inspiring event. All interested students should email Susan Warfield at warfi002@umn.edu, with the subject heading Visibility Day Volunteer.
Student Parent Success Stories
We would like to begin featuring announcements of student and family successes as regular newsletter items. If you will be graduating, are welcoming a new child, purchasing a new home, getting married or experiencing any related event that you would like to have us post in the newsletter, please send the details to the SPHC email address, spch@umn.edu. We would be proud and honored to share in celebrating these wonderful life transitions with you and your families.
End of Year Celebration 2007!!!!!!!!!
Mark your Calendar…
The end of the year celebration will be held this year on May 12, 2007 from 11 AM – 1 PM. This celebration is a chance for students and families to get together and honor their own academic accomplishments and their fellow student parents who have graduated over the past academic year. This is another great community building activity that allows all student parents to meet other SPHC involved students parents and their families. Even if you have not been able to attend any other SPHC activities, you are welcome and encouraged to attend. We will have a ton of food, cake, an appearance by Goldy Gopher for the kids and other activities. SPHC also work all year to gather donations for this event. Examples of “give aways” to attending students we have had in the past are: Twins tickets, Aveda treatments and free kids books. We typically have over 100 students and family members in attendance for this event and a good time is had by all, so please join in the fun! (We are still working on a location for the event, but please watch the newsletter for further information in the weeks ahead).
Parenting Information
Energy Assistance
Unfortunately, the cold is coming! Many Minnesotans will see significant increases in their energy bills, beyond the ability of some to pay. The Energy Assistance Program provides grants for individuals in need. Please visit the link below for more information:
The Energy Assistance Program (EAP) helps pay home heating costs. Households with the lowest incomes and highest energy costs receive the greatest benefit.
- Households who are at or below 50 percent of the state median income are eligible
- Size of grant is based on household size, income, fuel type and energy usage
- Households with the lowest income and highest fuel costs receive the highest grants
- Federally funded through U.S. Department of Human Services
- Funds are available for renters or homeowners
Services include:
- Provide direct payment to the energy supplier
- Educate consumers to use home heating energy efficiently and safely
- Advocate with energy suppliers and human service providers on behalf of consumers
- Crisis help for utility disconnections or necessary fuel deliveries
- Emergency heating system repair or replacement
AccountAbility Minnesota
Taxpayer Assistance Program
The Taxpayer Assistance Program was established with the belief that a taxpayer's access to tax assistance should not depend solely on his or her ability to pay for such services. TAP operates annually from February through April. Volunteers help low-income individuals complete their federal and state tax returns at sites throughout the Twin Cities area, St. Cloud and Duluth. Free tax preparation assistance is available to individuals with an annual income of $27,000 or less per year and families with an annual income of $37,000 or less.
The Taxpayer Assistance Program is accepting appointments and walk-ins beginning January 30, 2007. To schedule an appointment, obtain locations, or for more information you can contact AccountAbility Minnesota at 651-287-0187.
Give Kids a Smile Program
Give Kids a Smile program is coordinated by the Minnesota Dental Association. The dental care will be available in community-based clinics and private practices in many locations throughout Minnesota. More than 1,000 dental professionals will come together on February 2nd and 3rd, 2007 to provide free dental care to low-income children in need.
Here’s How it Works:
All patients must have appointments in advance and be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. After January 1, 2007, parents may call United Way 211 (just dial 2-1-1) or 800-543-7709. Operators will have a list of participating dental offices and will be able to direct people to a location in their area. Parents will then call the dental office to schedule an appointment.
Services will vary from preventative care, which includes cleanings, sealants and fluoride treatment, to restorative care, which includes fillings. Information on specific services that will be provided on February 2nd and 3rd will be outlined when an appointment is scheduled.
Typically, clinics treat children ranging in age from 3 to 18. When calling for an appointment, parents should ask about age requirements.
University of Minnesota Job and Internship Fair 2007
Don’t miss the biggest student career fair in Minnesota, created specifically for U of M students and alumni. More than 150 organizations will be there looking for candidates to fill a vast array of jobs and internships. This event is open and free to U of M students and recent grads.
Monday February 12, 2007 (10 AM – 4 PM) at the Minneapolis Convention Center, 1301 Second Avenue S., downtown Minneapolis.
For more information, including a list of participants and details about registration visit www.umjobfair.org
There is free transportation provided from campus!
Child Care Grants Update
The grants for spring semester were mailed out over the break. Please read all of the materials carefully. The deadline for all grants is Wednesday January 31st at 4:00 PM. Please walk your completed materials into the center between the hours of 8 AM and 5 PM in order to ensure little processing delay. If you have not received a grant application by now, and know that you are eligible, or if you have any general questions regarding the grants or materials received please contact the office at 612-626-6015.
All programs of the SPHC are available to undergraduates only
Who’s Who at SPHC
Susan Warfield, MSW, LICSW
As the Director of the SPHC, I am responsible for overseeing all programs of the Student Parent HELP Center and supervising SPHC staff. This has meant that I have had to step back from having the degree of direct contact with students I have always enjoyed having. This has been a difficult but necessary step for me to take in order to meet the needs of our growing program. If you have an issue that absolutely cannot be addressed by another SPHC staff member, you may schedule an appointment with me. These appointments should be booked through the SPHC front desk. Intakes and basic questions about services offered should be directed to Jerri Wagner, Melissa Schmidt, Ali Cain, or Zer Xiong. I am entering my 7th year with the HELP Center and during this journey have moved from staff, to Coordinator and now Director. With this evolution has come an increase in responsibilities and duties. Please know that even though you may not see as much of me in the actual Center as you may have in the past, I continue to work each and every day to bring you the programming, funding and visibility on campus that student parents need to have a successful experience at the U of MN. We are experiencing a bit of a crisis on the private child care funding side and I really need to devote most of my attention this year to finding more child care assistance and emergency grant funding in order to keep up with demand. Have no fear; you will continue to hear my raucous laughter echoing through the SPHC!
Jerri Wagner, MSW, LGSW
I am the new Direct Service Program Coordinator for the Student Parent HELP Center. Originally from New York State, I graduated from Syracuse University in 2000 with an undergraduate degree in theatre, with minors in sociology and women’s studies. After undergrad, I was an AmeriCorps volunteer for one year in Chicago, teaching arts integration on the west side in a Chicago Public School. In June of 2003, I graduated with my Master’s in Social Work from the University of Chicago. While in graduate school, I served as a therapist with Chicago’s Metropolitan YWCA, working with survivors of sexual assault and their families. From 2003-2006, I coordinated two statewide youth violence prevention programs for the Illinois Center for Violence Prevention in Chicago. Prior to relocating to Minneapolis, I spent March-June of 2006 traveling and learning abroad in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda. I would love to talk about any of these varied experiences with you and really look forward to working with such an amazing and resilient population at the SPHC!
Melissa Schmidt
Hello, I am one of two social work interns at the HELP Center this year. I am in the Masters of Social Work program here at the University and am really excited to be involved in the HELP Center this year. Along with graduate school, I am also an employee at The Aurora Center here on campus. I have one son, Aiden, who was born 10/5/05. I am excited to celebrate his first birthday next month!
Ali Cain
I am pleased to be completing an internship at the Student Parent HELP Center. I am in my last year of the Masters of Social Work program at the U of M, where I also completed my undergraduate degree in Family Social Science. I have worked at a large family homeless shelter for the past five years. I am looking forward to an exciting year, working on campus alongside a great staff and motivated student parents!
Zer Xiong
Hi! It is my pleasure to be the undergraduate teaching assistant (UGTA) for the Student Parent Help Center. I am also a student parent myself. I have a son who was born on 11/27/06. Currently, I am pursuing a bachelor of arts in the Inter-College Program in the following three areas: Sociology, Family Social Science, and Public Health. Feel free to ask me any questions if you need help in the Student Parent Help Center.
Comments, questions or ideas about useful information for this newsletter can be directed to Ali Cain at sphc@umn.edu.