Project Self-Sufficiency Teams Up with Earth Angels to Serve Local Seniors

Local non-profit agency Project Self-Sufficiency has joined forces with the Earth Angels senior citizen initiative to link seniors with elementary school-aged children through a year-round letter-writing effort and to provide holiday cheer during December. Earth Angels has provided a pen pal program and holiday outreach for seniors for nineteen years, while Project Self-Sufficiency has an established outreach to local seniors through its Central Intake assistance program. The joint effort will allow the letter-writing program to expand to more elementary schools, give additional seniors access to the holiday assistance program, and encourage other forms of outreach in the future.

“We are excited about partnering with the Earth Angels program to broaden the access of senior citizens to local services and continue to expand the wonderful pen pal program with elementary school-aged children,” commented Deborah Berry-Toon, Executive Director of Project Self-Sufficiency. “By bringing multiple generations together, this joint initiative highlights the best of Sussex County and gives young children the opportunity to learn how a simple gesture like writing a letter can make a significant difference in someone’s life.”

In addition to the correspondence program, Earth Angels solicits gift cards and other items for distribution to home-bound seniors in December. Volunteers stuff bags with the gifts and hand-deliver the items to seniors during the week leading up to Christmas. Local seniors eagerly anticipate the visit, often looking forward to a conversation with a new friend more than the items in the gift bag.

Newton attorney, Elenora L. Benz, Esquire, originated the Earth Angels program in 1999 by enlisting the support of her clients, business colleagues, community volunteers and members of the Senior Quality of Life Foundation. The all-volunteer group gathered gift cards and items designed to ensure the comfort of senior citizens during the winter months. “The original thrust of Earth Angels was to bring holiday cheer to homebound Sussex County seniors,” explains Benz.

The program has served seniors aging in place throughout the community, with the primary concentration residing in Newton’s Liberty Towers and Frankford’s Homestead. Organizers now hope to reach additional senior citizens in other parts of the county. “This has been a personal outreach program for me since 1999,” comments Benz. “We see the need of the community and it is now greater than the individuals and volunteers can handle. We are thrilled that Project Self-Sufficiency is willing to partner with Earth Angels. The program will now benefit the seniors in our community in an unbelievable way.”

Volunteer Carol Jaccodine, is the coordinator of the Earth Angels letter-writing initiative. “The Earth Angels pen pal program brings seniors and primary school students together in an inter-generational partnership,” explains Jaccodine. “They share thoughts, interests and experiences with each other over the course of a school year, culminating in a year-end pizza party where they get to come face-to-face with each other for the first time. This is a life-changing event for these young students and the amount of joy and happiness they bring to each other is evident in this meeting."

Earth Angels founder Elenora Benz, Esquire, adds, “When the children get to meet their pen pals the intergenerational action brings tears to your eyes.”

To date, just three schools have participated in the correspondence program, Sandyston-Walpack, Frankford and Green Hills. Organizers hope that the partnership with Project Self-Sufficiency will allow the program to expand to more school districts and encourage year-round participation between students and seniors. “We have classes in waiting who want to be a part of the pen pal program, but we don’t have enough seniors to participate,” explains Benz.

“Many senior citizens in our area are isolated, due to physical issues which limit their ability to drive, or because of the loss of a social support network due to relocation, aging or other factors,” comments Berry-Toon. “The Central Intake program at Project Self-Sufficiency has allowed us to bring essential services to many of these residents, but the partnership with the Earth Angels initiative will allow us to provide the additional emotional connection that many crave.”

Non-profit agency Project Self-Sufficiency is celebrating its 30th year of service to families in northwestern New Jersey. The agency’s mission is to provide a broad spectrum of holistic, respectful, and comprehensive services enabling low-income single parents, teen parents, two-parent families, and displaced homemakers to achieve personal and economic self-sufficiency, family stability, and to improve their lives and the lives of their children. The agency offers a supportive family-centered environment where life issues are addressed through a combination of individual counseling, peer support groups, case management services, parenting skills training, life skills management training, home visits, childcare and early childhood education, family activities and health education. To participate in the Earth Angels Pen Pal program, or to find out about any of the services provided at Project Self-Sufficiency, call 973-940-3500 or 844-807-3500, or visit www.projectselfsufficiency.org.