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Greetings from the CEO,
"Happy Holidays everyone!" This is a phrase we'll hear a thousand times every December. The Holidays have created many wonderful experiences and memories, and we all wish that every family can share in the warmth and security of the closeness of loved ones, of good food, and a few gifts for good measure. Yet, the Holidays can also be a time when those who are not so fortunate can have an even greater sense of loneliness, depression, and despair. But here's the good thing about the "Happy Holiday's" wish...it turns out that it is a wish that we can all make come true.
A visit or a holiday card with a personal note of encouragement all cost very little to do, but have huge benefits for those who receive them. Gifts are nice, but so are contributions of time and resources that can make life easier for someone else. Consideration, concern, and giving of ourselves are the most valuable gifts we can give.
So, we hope that "Happy Holidays" are a fact for you, but that you'll also take the time to make the "wish" come true for someone else.
Sincerely,
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Donate today to our
Family Support Fund |
Earl "Skip" Stuck |
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 The Family Corner
The Holiday Blues
What Causes Holiday Blues?
The Holidays can really take it out of you! Stress, fatigue, unrealistic expectations, over-commercialization, financial constraints, and the inability to be with one's family and friends, it turns out, can all make you "crazy". The time and conflicting demands of shopping, parties, family reunions and house guests also contribute to feelings of tension. You feel it physically too. People may also develop other stress responses such as headaches, excessive drinking, over-eating and difficulty sleeping. Even more people experience post-holiday let down after January 1. This can result from disappointments during the preceding months compounded by the excess fatigue and stress.
But, there are some things you can do to help find balance and enjoyment in the holidays, if you're willing to work at it... here's some advice from The National Institute of mental health that will get you started. |
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Program Highlights 
Family Continuity Has Some Good News To Share!
On November 30th, the agency was honored to receive a
"Peer Provider" award from the Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers at its annual conference in Boston. This award resulted from a nomination from another agency, KEY Inc., and a selection by the Council's Board of Directors. It is an acknowledgement of the agency's contribution to provide services for vulnerable citizens, its reputation as an effective partner with other organizations and its leadership role in advocacy state-wide. Skip Stuck, our CEO received the award presented by Liz Brunner a news anchor from WCVB, Channel 5 in Boston at the conference awards ceremony. Family Continuity sincerely thanks the Council for this honor.
In late November, Family Continuity was pleased to learn the agency had received a grant of $25,000.00 from the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) to support its efforts in the area of Worker safety. This funding will support the agency's internal needs for training our staff, but also fund training for up to 8 other organizations as well as 3 "train-the-trainers" programs that will provide experienced trainers throughout the state in 2012. The agency has become a recognized leader in supporting the safety of the human service workforce, and is excited by this opportunity to expand its activities.
Does a child's day end when school ends? Does his or her need for structure, mentoring, and support go on hold until the school bells ring the next morning? The answer to both questions is "no", and especially so when the child is struggling with mental health and behavioral problems. For many years our Lynn Wraparound program, and its director, Bob Kowalik have recognized the importance of "non-school hour" activities. Follow this link to see some of the ways we work to make the off-time as valuable as the school day.
 Family Continuity believes that it's responsibilities don't end with a therapy session with an individual client. The agency believes that it must also serve the community, work to strengthen it, so that individuals and families all benefit. Nowhere in the agency is this demonstrated better than through the work of Craig Maxim and our Whitinsville Clinic as conveners and leaders in the Northbridge Coalition. We've talked about this in past newsletters, here's an update on their work.
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Forward this issue to a friend or colleague and encourage them to sign up. |
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Real Stories
When Hard Times Hit A "Regular" Family
It is a sad fact that bad things can and do happen to good people. When you get close to almost any family, you'll soon find that while they have many parts of their lives balanced and under control, any number of events can take place that will tip the balance, with far reaching consequences.
An increasing number of "real stories" begin like this one, when hard times hit a "regular" family. Read When Hard Times Hit A "Regular" Family |
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Be A Holiday Hero
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Family Support Fund today! |
Please consider stepping up to become a Holiday Hero to bring a bit of good cheer and joy to an individual or family in need!
Family Continuity assists thousands of individuals and families year round with various crises that threaten their stability. For many of these individuals and families the holiday season is often the roughest season of the year, emotionally and financially. Monetary donations to our Family Support Fund are always accepted but other items such as movie, store, or restaurant gift cards as well as certificates for music, karate or dance lessons can provide a family with a great memory making experience. Donations can be mailed to:
Family Continuity
60 Perseverance Way, 2nd Floor * Hyannis, MA 02601
ATTN: Fund Development Office
or call 866.219.3320 for additional information |
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Follow Us On facebook 
Family Continuity recently joined the social media super highway by way of facebook. We encourage you to like our facebook page and to recommend it to your friends. Family Continuity can be found at
www.facebook.com/familycontinuity |
Family Continuity's Mission Statement:
Supporting family success in every community by empowering people, enhancing their strengths, and creating solutions through partnerships to achieve hope, positive change and meaningful lives.
Agency Values: Family, Community, Advocacy, Leadership, and Change
Treatment Philosophy, founded on the belief that positive change is always possible:
* The most effective treatment provides a continuity of care, acknowledging that connected, relevant supportive services to clients/client families promote recovery, stability, self advocacy and permanency in the midst of changing needs.
* Therapeutic change occurs in the context of a dynamic treatment partnership between clients and helpers that is founded on choice, respect, honesty, and a shared responsibility for and participation in the development of solutions.
* Effective treatment is empowering and strength-based, recognizing that all clients possess resources for change and that change is possible when these resources are utilized.
* Creating meaningful lives starts with identifying goals and connecting that to individualized, flexible and creative treatment planning that incorporates a client's family/community relationships, culture, and context. |
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