violence prevention
Sunday Friends recognizes that the prevention of violence – domestic violence, child abuse, adolescents acting out, bullying, gang involvement and substance abuse – is largely tied to family strength, parenting effectiveness, management of stress and the empowerment that comes from knowing you can meet your needs. Sunday Friends fosters violence prevention through:
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Writing Assignments: Families write essays on topics that strengthen their commitments to various aspects of parenting and violence prevention.
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Family Support: Our bilingual, culturally sensitive staff members support, mentor and encourage our participants. In addition, community experts come to each of our programs to provide additional counseling in health, financial, schooling and other areas.
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The Ability to Earn: Because families can earn their basic necessities – and a bit more – through Sunday Friends, their stress lessens and their confidence builds.
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Community: People who at first described themselves as isolated, depressed and without much hope find community support and re-establish a sense of belonging through Sunday Friends. Community counteracts frustration, anger and violent tendencies.
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Our measured results demonstrate that, through Sunday Friends:
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Children are building the "developmental assets" that the Search Institute has correlated to healthy, productive futures.
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Parents are becoming more identified with their role in fostering the healthy development of their children.
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Parents and youths are discovering healthy, legal ways to meet their needs.
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Parents are gaining confidence that they can care for their families, both now and in the future.
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Service Projects: We provide opportunities for very low-income families to give back to the community, which strengthens their identification as vital, contributing members of society.
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Parenting Classes: We teach positive parenting, raising children with special needs, passing on your values to your children and more.
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Violence Prevention Classes: We teach about gangs, substance abuse, crime prevention, anger management, domestic violence, bullying, post traumatic stress disorder and more.
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Stress Management and Health Classes: We teach Nurturing the Nurturer, Exercise, Nutrition, Health, Family Communication and more.
"I used to be in a gang but no more. Sunday Friends has played in those changes because it has taught me to go moving in the right direction, to not do drugs, to be much more friendly to people. Sunday Friends also has even helped me to get along with my own family - to never look back and to be who I am and not what other people expect me to be, but who I feel comfortable of being. Without Sunday Friends I think I would still be lost in the world I lived before."
Families tell us:
"At Sunday Friends, my kids have learned how to interact with others and be friends with different races and not discriminate against others."
"Before coming to Sunday Friends, I didn't have patience with my kids and I spoke loudly to them. I feel that we didn't understand each other. They also were rebellious and I did not know how to speak to them. When I started to come here and take classes that were offered here, I learned. I feel that they have taught us much about being better parents."
"I came here to steal from Sunday Friends but now I don't steal no more. Now I team up with my son and we do work together and we make tickets for what we need."
"As a family, we've learned the value of teamwork and helping one another and helping out others, also cheering others on and developing vital qualities such as determination, eagerness, integrity, honesty and punctuality, to name a few."
"I love my children but I didn't know how to show them. And what I most like is that my kids have changed their behavior. They are more affectionate, talk more with me, their character also changed and they are doing better in school. They are more sociable, and I think their self-esteem has improved."