July ACS Green Press July 2012

ACS Green Press

Army Community Service (ACS) Fort Drum, July 2012

Keeping Summer Fun and

Safe– Fort Drum Policy on

leaving your children home

2,3

Area Summer Camps 4

Regarding Resilience: Com-munication and Connections

5

Five Tips for a Stress

Free Relocation

Discovering the Flavor

of the North Country

6

Schedule of Farmer’s

Markets

7

Resilience Through Art and the International Spouses Club

8

Look Who’s on the Payroll Career Portfolios

9

ACS Events and Contacts 10,11

Inside this issue:

~A tree free newsletter Direct questions / feedback To: Sarah Lynch : 772-5374 [email protected]

The month of July is especially

significant to the staff of Army

Community Service (ACS) be-

cause it was in in July of 1965

that Army Community Service

was born.

What started as a volunteer

effort by Mrs. Moore, wife of

General Hal Moore, to take

care of other Army Families

has grown into ACS as we

know it today.

Since the establishment of ACS

in 1965, ACS has become

much more than a lending

closet and thrift store. Today

ACS is an informational, train-

ing and self development hub

that serves Soldiers, Families,

Happy Birthday ACS!! Retirees and Department of the

Army Civilians.

Keeping in the spirit of the Army

taking care of it’s own, ACS offers

a number of resources to support

Soldiers and Families. These re-

sources include but are not limited

to Family resources, relocation ser-

vices, immigration and citizenship

support, employment assistance,

financial management and self de-

velopment opportunities.

The ACS staff is comprised of pro-

fessionals dedicated to the military

Families they serve.

This year ACS will celebrate their

47th birthday on Friday July 27

from 10am to 2 pm! Come on by

for cake and a day of resil-

ience activities or just to

wish us a happy birthday!

While your at it, check out

what new and interesting

things ACS has to offer!

Remember: Think ACS

First!

RESEARCH STUDY ANNOUNCEMENT

conducted by va boston healthcare

Army Funded

There is a research study to evaluate new training modules about post de-ployment thoughts that you may be eligible to participate in. Participants will be paid $125.00 with a chance to win $100.00 if you complete the visit and mail back the follow up questionnaires.

For More information call 1-866-912-8391 or visit

http://www.facebook.com/ftdrumsoldierresearch

Page 2 ACS Green Press Ju ly 2012

With the summer

weather comes extra fun outdoors and

an increased risk for children who may

not be supervised adequately, resulting

in a higher number of child neglect

cases. Even though children are resil-

ient, they are often more vulnerable

than we sometimes realize. They are

not always capable of making good

choices while playing near the road

and riding tricycles, big wheels, bikes

or skateboards. They might not know

what to do if something should hap-

pen or if they get hurt. In the home,

on the playground or around the

neighborhood they require our attention.

Below is a copy of the child supervision

policy for Fort Drum which outlines at

what ages and in what situations children

can be left unsupervised.

Please keep in mind that for any number

of reasons a child’s maturity level might

lag behind the ages represented on this

matrix and they might need more super-

vision than what’s shown in the chart. As

always, we need to be aware of what our

children are up to and be responsive to

their needs. For children who are old

enough and are going to be home alone

this summer, Ms. Shalimar of CYS Out-

reach Services sponsors the “I’m Alone

Program” which teaches children how

to be responsible and stay safe when

home alone. You can reach her @ 315-

772-3677 or email her @ Shali-

[email protected] for class

dates and times.

Mobility is important for many children

during the summer.

Continued on page 3

Family Advocacy Program-Keeping Summer Fun and Safe by Laura Myer and Michelle Hoffman

Age/Grade of

Child

Left Without

Sitter in Quar-

ters

Left Alone

Overnight

Play Outside Unat-

tended

Left in Car

Unattended

Child Sit Sib-

lings

Child Sit Other

Newborn

through 3 years

of age

NO NO NO NO NO NO

4 years-1st

grade (6 years)

NO NO Yes-with immediate

access (visual sight

or hearing distance

to adult supervision

NO NO NO

2nd—4th grade

(7 –9 years)

NO NO Yes with access to

emergency supervi-

sion and sponsor

knows location of the

child

NO NO NO

5th-6th grade

10-11 years

YES-with ready

access to adult

supervision

limit 3 hours

NO YES with access to

adult supervision

YES With keys

removed and

handbrake ap-

plied

NO NO

7th-9th grade

12-14 years old

YES with ac-

cess to adult

supervision

limit 6 hours

NO YES with access to

adult supervision

YES YES

YES see below

May not sit

overnight

10th –12th

grade 15-18

years

YES YES with spon-

sor in local area

and access to

adult supervi-

sion

YES with access to

adult supervision

YES YES

YES see below

May sit over-

night

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


According to Drum Regulation 190-2 ,

when bicycling on Post, helmets, bicycle

bells, reflective tape for both bike and

rider, and white lights after sunset are

required.

Some Families who are looking for di-

version and structure for their children

might want to consider the summer

camp experience. Summer camp offers

more than recreation. Both residential

and non residential camps provide expe-

riential and contextual learning atmos-

pheres where children learn that they

can do things on their own without their

parents. The camp setting dually nur-

tures independence while fostering so-

cial intelligence through healthy relation-

ships with peers and counselors. (For a

list of area Summer camp options, see

page 4 ).

As parents, Soldiers, Family members

and humans, we often get caught up in

the day to day, consumed by our re-

sponsibilities. Sometimes we forget to

consider the resources available to us.

Please remember there are programs

right here on Fort Drum that are easy to

access and are designed to support you.

Stress related to finances, individual and

family troubles, work, health, deploy-

ment and other issues are common.

They remind us daily that along with

being highly trained military personnel

and strong Family members, we are also

human and can from time to time use

extra support. Please feel free to use

these programs for your specific needs:

Army Emergency Relief (AER)

772-6560/6555/2855 - No Interest

Loans to Soldiers & Families for verifi-

able emergency needs* AER College

Scholarship Program.

Army Family Action Plan (AFAP)

772-6710/9229 - You can Make a dif-

ference. Identify issues and improve

quality of life.

Army Family Team Build-

ing(AFTB)772-6710/9229 - Workshops

& Classes to help Soldiers and Families

Adapt to Army life and strengthen self-

reliance.

Army Volunteer Corps Program

(AVC) - 772-2899 - Volunteer opportu-

nities * Volunteer Registration.

Financial Readiness Programs (FRP)

772-5196/0050 - Individual financial

planning & counseling * Budgeting &

account management classes * Debt liq-

uidation assistance * Consumer advo-

cacy/complaint resolution* Family Sub-

sistence Supplemental Allowance.

Employment Readiness Program

(ERP)772-9611/2737 - Career devel-

opment services for Army Families *

One-on-One employment counseling *

Employment classes and workshops *

Job listings * Resume & Cover Letter

Writing * Federal Employment System *

Interviewing Skills.

Exceptional Family Member Pro-

gram (EFMP)772-5476 - Support

Leaving Your Child at Home… (continued from page 2) Group Meetings * Respite Care * Spe-

cial Needs Accommodation Process.

Family Advocacy Program

(FAP)772-6929/4244/2279 - Parent

Education Workshops * New Parent

Support Program * Baby Bundles

*Stress & Anger Management Work-

shops * Domestic Violence and Child

Abuse Prevention Education * Fort

Drum Sexual Assault Prevention &

Response Program.

Information & Referral 772-

556/6557 - Information & Referral

Desk * Family Lounge & Kitchen Area

Mobilization & Deployment

(MOB/DEP) 772-2848/2919/0470 -

Deployment Cycle Training and Re-

sources.

Outreach Services 772-5374 - Com-

munity Life Activities * Special Events

* Information tables* ACS Newsletter

Relocation Readiness Program

(RRP) 772-6566/6553/6902/5475 -

Relocation Assistance * Lending Closet

* DRUM Family & Community Con-

nection * Drum Family Welcome Tour

* Hearts Apart * International Spouse

Support Group * Citizenship & Immi-

gration Assistance.

Survivor Outreach Services

(SOS)772-6357 - long-term support

services to surviving Family members

of Fallen Soldiers.

Soldier and Family Assistance Cen-

ter (SFAC)772-7781/7720 - Assists

Warriors and Families with: Transition

preparation * Human Resources

*Financial Counseling *Social Services

*Education Counseling *

Think ACS First!!


Camp Date/Time Enrollment dates Fees POC Exceptional Family Member Camp (EFMP) 6-10 Aug 8:00-2:00 Currently Open No fees 315-772-5488

Camp Wabasso Weekly Sessions 28 Jun - Aug 10 please see website for weekly activi-ties

Currently Open $350 per wk per child Clover bud wk fee $105 for two days

315-788-8450 4hcampwbasso.com

Fort Drum CYS Summer Programs Pre K Part Day Sum-mer program

Weekly Sessions: 2 Jul - 31 Aug 9:00-2:00

First come first serve Fee range: $162-$444 mo. 315-772-1085

Kindergarten Sum-mer Program

Weekly Sessions 25 Jun- 31 Aug 9:00-2:00

First come first serve Fee range: $40 - $110 wk or for hourly 6Am-6PM $4 hr

315-772-1085

School Age Summer Program

Weekly Sessions 25 Jun - 31 Aug full day/before and after Summer School/ and hourly care

First come first serve Fee range: $40 - $110 wk or hourly 6AM-6PM $4 hr daily rate $16 for four hrs or $30 for four hrs or more

315-772-4415

Middle School Camps

Weekly Sessions 25 Jun -31 Aug 7:00-4:00

First come first serve Fee range: $20-55 wk 315-772-8675

Sports Camps Date/Time vary First come first serve Fees vary 315-772-8675

SKIES Date/ Time vary First come first serve Fees vary 315-772-8675

YMCA

Sports Camps Jul 30-Aug 3

9:00-12:00 First come first serve Member fee-$50

Military fee - $60 315-755-9622

Art Camp 25 Jun - Aug 10 time varies

First come first serve Member fee-$100 Military fee - $110

315-755-9622

Wizards Baseball Camp

25-27 Jun First come first serve Member fee- $65 Military fee- $75

315-755-9622

Camp AldersGate Dates and times vary. Please see website for more details

First come first serve Fees range $220 - $360 315-348-8833 [email protected]

Beaver Camp Day Camp 13-17 Aug 9:00-4:00 Residents Camp date and time vary. Please see website for more details.

First come first serve Day Camp $230 Residents Camp $220-$360

315-376-2640 bea-ver camp. org

Area Summer Camps

ACS Green Press Ju ly 2012 Page 5

Regarding Resilience: Tips, tools and techniques for practicing resilience

everyday!

By Jenn Eichner, MRT 772-2848

Take a moment and ponder this state-ment, “The way you think, directly affects they way you speak”. Do you agree? Is your communication style spurred by your thinking traps and iceberg beliefs? The answer is most likely - yes. Here’s another question for you then to considerer, when faced with having a conversation with someone in times of adversity, can you stay resilient? Imagine a tense conversation between the “me, me, me” thinker and the “them, them, them” thinker. How effective can this communication be when one is only finding fault with themselves and the other is blaming everyone and everything else. Neither is placing responsibility on the respon-sible parties. How frustrating! And what if you hold the iceberg belief that, “you’ve got to be loud and strong if you want to win”, and you are en-gaged in conversation with someone who believes that, “less is more”? Communication, although so seem-ingly basic, is a challenging part of any relationship or connection. What kind of communicator are you? There are two polar opposite types of communicators. One is the aggressive communicator who is triggered by

things like, always having the last word, talking over people and speaking from a very emotional state. Then there is the passive communicator who is in the con-versation to appease the other party. They tend to be quiet, avoid eye contact and are submissive. Although there may be spe-cific times that both communication styles are called for, they both have their prob-lems, biggest of which, they can create the inability to truly connect with others. Con-nection, if you will remember, is a critical component of resilience. The resilient communicator is an assertive communicator. They focus on the three Cs – Confident, Clear and Controlled. The assertive communicator follows the IDEAL approach: I – Identify and understand the prob-lem/topic. Check for Thinking Traps, Detect Icebergs, Prob-lem Solve, Put It In Perspective D – Describe the problem/topic objec-tively. Focus on the who, what, when, where - specific, recent, minimize exaggeration E – Express your concerns and how you feel without allowing emotion to blur your thoughts. Use “I” rather than “you”, minimize exaggeration

COMMUNICATION AND CONNECTION A - Ask the other person for his/her perspective and then ask for a rea-sonable change. Use what and how questions, not why ques-tions. Repeat back what you heard to check that you’re hearing him/her accurately L – List the positive outcomes that will occur when communication stays on task. Work toward a win-win. Do you see how many of the resilience skills we have previously discussed build on each other to get you to this point? Give assertive communication a try month. Use this communication technique, especially when you are con-fronting someone about a conflict or challenge. Assertive communication does not guarantee a win-win outcome, but it sure will help ensure that your overall connection with whomever you are speaking with is not lost. Have a great month – good luck and good thoughts!

Upcoming Master Resilience Training Dates:

August 13 Module 5 9:30am-12:30 pm at ACS

FALL MARATHON 17-20 SEPTEMBER

Workforce Development Bldg 2-19 Nash blvd

Time includes 1 hour lunch break

Refrigerators available for use.


According to Military Community

Awareness, the following five steps can

greatly reduce the stress experienced

when relocating:

1.) Manage stress with preparation.

Change, even good change, is stressful.

Be ready for unexpected and emotion-

ally charged things to happen. Know

that people react differently to stress.

Give everyone the slack they need

throughout the move.

2.) Accept your move as a personal

challenge.

Face the move with energy, determina-

tion, and creativity. Ask for help when

needed and research available re-

sources. Learn as much as possible

about your new home before you ar-

rive. There are many on-line sources

of information to help you.

3.) Attack tasks – with to-do lists.

There are over eighty tasks to do on a

move, so you must be organized.

Since very few of us have photographic

memories, we need lists. Lists help

keep track of your progress and your

head above water.

4.) Keep a positive attitude.

It is easy to let the stress and multiple tasks get to you. Try not to get down. Keep a picture of your new home, new friends, and new opportunities in your mind. Look forward to the new ex-periences you and your Family will have. 5.) Make time to relax.

Moving is a team effort, and hard

work. Take time for yourself and your

Family – time to unwind, time to chill.

Take some leave to get accustomed to

your new home/location. Visit the

sites; bring the Family to the beach, or

on a mountain hike. Recharge your

battery and you’ll perform better in

your new job.

For relocation planning assistance,

contact Relocation Readiness at 772-

6566.

Five Tips for a Stress-Free Relocation

Discover the Flavor of the North Country

Local Farmer’s Markets are great

ways to meet people, get to know the

neighborhood and to discover all the

local foods. Here in the North Coun-

try we have foods made right here lo-

cally such as Croghan Bologna, cheese

curd, honey, maple syrup, jams, jellies,

salt potatoes, fresh dairy and meat

products. You can find many of these

tasty foods as well as homemade craft

items at local farmer’s markets. There is

a farmer’s market somewhere for every

day of the week and you will find that

local folks are a friendly lot willing to

explain their products. Fort Drum is

surrounded by picturesque wide open

farm land. You will meet some of

these farmers at the farmer’s markets.

During growing season, some local

gardeners will grow and sell surplus

vegetables which they sell at road side

stands. Next time you are out for a

drive, stop when you see the veggie

the farmer’s markets for naturally

grown produce to keep your Family

healthy, happy and growing stronger.

These farmer’s markets are a long

standing tradition in our agriculturally

rich north country. There are vendors,

artisans and crafters as well as enter-

tainment. If you live in Lewis County,

the Lewis County Farmer’s market is

held in Lowville, NY. Forest Park Pa-

vilion at Lewis County Fairgrounds

Saturdays-May 19th-Oct. 27, 2012 8:30

a.m. – 2 p.m. Lowville also holds a an-

nual cream cheese festival that boasts

the worlds largest cheesecake and fun

for the whole family.

If you are a Jefferson County Resident,

there are many locations to choose

from. Please see the attached schedule

on page 6. ACS encourages you to get

out for a day of fun and fabulous

foods!

sign and check out the produce or farm

fresh eggs. Can’t get any fresher than

that. Just remember to have correct

change with you (no debit cards at

these little stands). Sweet corn is a

popular treat everyone looks forward to

enjoying in August so be on the look-

out for the signs. Don’t forget to pick

up bags of salt potatoes too, either at

the farm stand or local grocery store!

During the summer season you will see

many of the local fire departments ad-

vertising chicken bar-b-ques. The smell

will draw you there immediately. These

fund raisers help keep our local volun-

teer fire departments operating. The

chicken is usually sold either by itself or

as a meal with salt potatoes or maca-

roni salad, baked beans and rolls. Pick

up some dinners to go or sit down with

the locals to learn about the area.

If you are thinking of canning your

own foods this year, remember to visit

Remember think ACS

First!


Schedule of Jefferson County Farmer’s Markets


Recently the International Spouses

Support Group got together for an

afternoon of developing the skill of

energy management through resil-

ience with art. Utilizing art as an ave-

nue to achieve resilience enables one

to manage energy and rejuvenate: Regu-

lating emotion and energy levels to enable

critical thinking and optimal performance

is known as the MRT skill Energy

Management.

Resilience through Art explores art as

an avenue to increase positive emo-

tions, reduce stress, express feelings,

build connections and make meaning.

Military spouses tend to lead busy

schedules. Often times they are left

alone to deal with the day to day de-

mands of household management and

parenting. It is not uncommon for

the spouse to begin to experience

burnout thus causing energy levels to

decrease. Resilience through art is

achieved as the spouse learns to take

time for his or herself, through relaxa-

tion and creativity energy levels are

increased and stress decreased. Learn-

ing to monitor and manage energy

levels and increase stamina promotes

the focus and flexibility needed to deal

with all types of situations without

experiencing burnout.

While all spouses can feel as though

they lose their own identity as caregiv-

ers who endure separation for long

periods of time, international spouses

often loose touch with their cultural

identity as they are living so far from

their homelands. Through the heri-

tage puppet activity, the international

spouses connected with their cultural

heritage to make a representation of

who they are and what makes them

resilient.

Resilience Through Art-Heritage Puppet Activity

The project benefited participants

on a few different levels. First the

act of creating the artistic repre-

sentation of culture was relaxing

and promoted an atmosphere of

creativity and relaxation.

Secondly, participants made con-

nections with each other as the

activity fostered conversation and

a spirit of cooperation.

Lastly, after everyone finished

their puppets, they were able to

share their art and talk about

themselves and their heritage.

The day was rewarding to all who

participated. Look for more resil-

ience through art activities sched-

uled by ACS.

Irene Brock from the Philippines

displays her puppet and shares her

culture.

Marta Napolitano from Italy, shares her

art and heritage with the group.

Cam Ngo of Canada shares her

puppet with the group.


Congratulations to the following Employment Readiness clients who have recently landed a job! Janelle Longton Stephens Media Group Meg Meador Health Center of New York Kimberly Rhodes CYSS If you are one of our clients who has recently become employed, we want to hear about it! Give us a call so we can highlight your accomplishment and inspire others!

Look Who’s on the Payroll: Employment Readiness Success Stories!

What is a Career Portfolio and Why do I Want One?

So, you are out job hunting, and you

want to market your skills, but how? Create a Career Portfolio. A Career Portfolio is a binder or book that shows off your work and abilities, experience, education, accomplish-ments, and skills. It is a collection of records showcasing your accom-plishments and attributes. It is a tool to convince an employer to hire you; what better way to market YOU! For many years’ graphic artists, jour-nalist, and teachers have been using portfolios to land jobs, now other career paths are also using them to enhance their job search and assist in landing a great job! Why do you want one? A Career Portfolio will make you stand out above the other interviewers; you will be better prepared for inter-views and have evidence when an-swering the hard interview ques-tions. When attending an interview with a portfolio you will be able to

show a potential employer what you have done such as work samples, certificates, awards, volunteer work and any other skills you want to highlight that will set you apart from the rest! Keeping your portfolio updated and looking professional is also very im-portant. Your portfolio should be in a three ring binder with page pro-tectors and dividers. You should also have clean copies and examples for your portfolio. Think of your portfolio as an extension of your interview attire. When presenting your portfolio at an interview you need to be tactful; you cannot expect all interviews to take the time to review all of your work, you will want to point out specific areas you would like to highlight. When asked about past work or volunteer work, this is a great opening to show the inter-viewer your work examples or an award from your volunteer work.

You may attend an interview when you are unable to show your portfo-lio at all; this is ok, because you still came prepared and this helped boost your confidence. The hardest part of creating a port-folio is getting started! The Employ-ment Readiness Program (ERP) can help, attend our Career and Life Portfolio Workshop scheduled for 25 July from 9:30-11:30 at ACS – call 772-1090 for more informa-tion and to sign up!

“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” ~Henry David Thoreau


Are You Thinking About Declaring Your “Independence” this July?

Webster‟s definition of independence is: not subject to control by others- self-

governing. It is a common misconception that being independent means you

live without the help of others. Why not let Army Community Service help

support you in your independence through our classes, support groups and

Master Resilience Training sessions? Our programming promotes resilience,

develops leadership and builds strong networks to promote your success as a

Spouse, Soldier, Civilian and Retiree. We are never to old to learn a new trick!

Come by ACS and explore our available classes and resources.

ACS Birthday

Party 10am-2 pm

at ACS

Army Community Service

P4330 Conway Road

Fort Drum, New York

13602

Army Emergency Relief 772-6560, 772-8873 or 772-2855

Army Family Team Building http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000122037720

772-6710, 772-9229

Army Volunteer Program Coordinator http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-Army-volunteer-Corps/13651504365912

772-2899

Exceptional Family Member Program http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-FMWR-Exceptional-Family-Member-Program /104951319542718

772-5488, 772-0819

Employment Readiness Program http://www.facebook.com/fortdrumemployment

772-9611, 772-2737, 772-1090

Family Advocacy Program (New Parent Support Program) SAPRP

772-4244, 772-6929, 772-2279

772-0596, 772-4070, 772-0748

772-5605, 772-5914

Financial Readiness Program http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-financial-Readiness-ACS/1956662120473

772-0050, 772-5196, 772-8526

Information and Referral 772-6556, 772-6557

Military & Family Life Consultants 212-6919

Mobilization and Deployment http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-Mobiliztion-and-Deployment/178420512193448?ref=ts&v=wall

772-2848, 772-0470, 772-2919

Outreach http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-ACS-Outreach/180373271991692

772-5374

Relocation Readiness http:// www.facebook.com/pages/Fort -Drum -Relocation -Readiness Program/171335822906429

772-5475, 772-6553, 772-6902

772-6566

Soldier Family Assistance Center http://www.facebook.com/Fort.Drum.FMWR/SFAC

772-7781

Survivor Outreach Services http://www.facebook.com/fortdrumsurvivoroutreachservices

772-6357

Self Improvement

July ACS Green Press July 2012