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Dear Friends-
As our city and region regroups and recovers from one of the greatest natural disasters to ever hit the northeast, we here at Junior Achievement of New York hope that you, your families, colleagues and communities are safe and well, and are beginning to return to a sense of normalcy. It is true that Hurricane Sandy has wreaked havoc on our region. As material damage and physical losses continue to be tallied, we applaud the public and private sector resources that are being brought to bear to help alleviate the suffering and rebuild our communities.
Our priority here at Junior Achievement is to focus on how we might best play our own part in helping to address the impact of these events on the young people of NYC and Long Island. Children will need to learn how best to cope with the adversity and uncertainty of life which can sometimes derail even the best laid plans, and to feel empowered to look with optimism toward the future. These are some of the lessons that students receive through JA programs.
As painful as it has been, our children - both those directly impacted and others less so - can learn and grow from this experience. For example, we teach the Junior Achievement programs Our Community, Our City, Our Region, and Our Nation to elementary school students, but Sandy has given us an opportunity to illustrate how important the strength and shared resources of the community, the city, the region and the nation really are, especially during challenging times. This is what our kids need to hear and see through our example as volunteers and supporters of their education. Our young people can also learn that they have a role to play in the rebuilding of their communities. We have an opportunity to show them the way. The knowledge and skills they learn from JA programs, and the inspiration that our volunteers in the classroom provide, can make a big difference in this effort.
Last but certainly not least, if you are a Junior Achievement partner school, and we can help you in recovery efforts, please contact us.
Joseph A. Peri
President |
