Ad
Lib
Libertae’s mission is
to empower women
and their families to
maintain recovery through
comprehensive treatment
programs that support
healthy communities.
The Bi-Annual Newsletter of Libertae Fall/Winter 2010-2011
C enturies ago, John Donne wrote, “No man is an island,” and we would add no woman is either. That
phrase is the essence of what it means to be in community: No one can go it alone. Since Libertae’s
earliest days, community members — individuals, organizations and businesses, support agencies, and
others — have stepped up to help out in so many ways — too many to mention them all. The women of
Libertae and their children have been blessed, as volunteers of every stripe help make their lives in recovery
richer and well-rounded. Our women have worked hard to regain their lives and take places in the larger
community and thanks to our donors and volunteers, their journeys have been eased.
The following list represents some of our many community helpers and financial donors over the years, to
represent all those who have given so selflessly. We have not listed them all, and we know you’ll understand
if your name is not included. Please know that our gratitude is unending.
Members of Libertae’s Board of Directors Rita Klien of Pine Run and her friends are
United Way of Bucks County the latest senior women to hold a birthday
Connelley Foundation party and request party-goers to bring
Johnson & Johnson baby gifts instead. These onesies, toys, 1
Bucks County Water & Sewer Authority books, and diapers (and more!) are
then donated to our Family House
Community Development Block Grant where baby showers are held for
funds which afforded us the opportunity our moms-to-be who receive these
to replace the windows in our Halfway wonderful gifts.
House with new energy efficient
windows. (From The County of Pennsylvania Pre-K Earned
Bucks, Department of Community & Income Tax Credit program helps
Business Development) to underwrite the costs of our
beautiful, licensed, Family Center
Holy Ghost Prep childcare program. We thank the
Etta Nu following businesses for their generous
All Libertae volunteers contributions: Wireless XCessories
Rep. Gene DiGirolamo Group - National Penn Bank -
Novick Brothers
Volunteer opportunities abound at Libertae and Maggie Baranek, our new volunteer coordinator, is happy to
fit your skills to our needs. Currently she is looking for drivers to take residents to appointments; organizers
to assist in the “clothes closet”; childcare assistants to help with children from newborn to age 12; tutors
and speakers on topics such as reading, budgeting, time management, job coaching, and more. She especially
would like volunteer speakers to discuss faith and spirituality during our Tuesday night sessions.
Remember, everything works much better when we all pull together. b
“Stick it out. Don’t give up. You’ll be proud of yourself.” R. “Focus on yourself. Libertae is a chance to live a new life.” T.
Dear Friends,
Wish List
I have had the good fortune to work with
• Yarn for crocheting and Libertae and our extended Libertae family
knitting for 20 years. Over these two decades the
importance of our community and the
• Toys, games, and more: larger community in which it resides has
GIMP—the multi- become ever more clear. I decided to take
colored plastic braiding the opportunity of my Libertae anniversary
sets — Sudoku booklets, to thank everyone who gives so selflessly to
Etch-a-Sketches, beading help our women heal. Connie B. Karasow, E.D.
materials, Silly Putty,
stress balls, card stock In our field of service, we are considered community based residential
paper, sketch books, treatment. A community is a set of people who (usually) live in the
journals, colored pencils, same area and have a shared element. That element can vary widely,
Slinkys, non-mechanical from a situation to an interest to a value system. Community comes
hand-held games, worry from the Latin munus, which means “the gift” and cum, meaning
stones, pizza boxes with “together, among each other.” So community literally means, “to give
white tissue liner among each other.” For our purposes, I will define it as a group of
• Payless Shoe Store gift people who share gifts that they provide to all.
certificates
That definition is brought to life every day at Libertae. Our community
• Diapers begins with the women who come for treatment of a serious disease.
It extends to envelop their children and families, our staff, neighbors,
• Basic toiletry items local schools, places of worship, service organizations, businesses
• Gift cards for Wal-Mart and coalitions, government and court officials, and various support
2 and Target fellowships such as AA, NA, CODA, and OA.
One of the most wonderful things about working at Libertae is the
diversity of good people who want to help, and the variety of skills,
Libertae’s services, and gifts they offer. Throughout the year, they donate
clothing, school supplies, holiday gifts and more — they offer their
wonderful interns time and talents and often their hard-earned dollars to support our
A gain this semester, we
will have student nurses
from Holy Family and LaSalle
women in their journey in recovery.
Through these generous volunteers, our women receive an important
universities completing their message: Although they have the disease of chemical dependency, they
clinical rotations with us. The are not to be shamed, they are not bad women, but sick women getting
students from Holy Family will better. The generosity of our larger community provides the antidote
be here on Fri days from 9 a.m. for stigma, the end of isolation, and the beginning of rejoining the
to noon. Their educational community, heads held high.
workshops will focus on
nutrition, and then they will Now that’s a gift … and we thank you!
meet with individual clients
for medication reviews. The
students from LaSalle will be
here on Saturdays from 9 a.m. Peace.
to noon. Their challenge this
semester is to come up with
a creative and fun ways to
encourage exercise and outdoor Connie Karasow
playtime with the children. b Executive Director
Earth Day volunteers Celebrating 20 years!
Local volunteers
worked hard at
Libertae on Earth
Day, 2010, to help
beautify Libertae’s
grounds. In the top
photo, members of
the Fathers and Sons
group from Holy
Ghost Prep rest in the
shade of a giant tree ...
... and below,
the group from
RHODIA takes
a well-earned
break.
Connie Karasow, executive director, is
surprised by the Board of Directors in
celebration of her 20th anniversary
with Libertae.
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Not only football stars suffer from concussive trauma
C atherine Getchell, CRC, CAAP from the PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, provided a training
at Libertae in July about “The other co-occurring disorder: working with clients with addictions and
acquired brain injuries”. Thirty-four staff learned the definition of brain injury to be “any insult to the
brain, traumatic or otherwise, that occurs after birth.” Interesting statistics include: 1. Half of the 400,000
people who sustain a brain injury each year meet the criteria for substance abuse or dependence. 2. Long-
term abuse of drugs, especially alcohol, has been strongly correlated with neuro-cognitive impairment. 3.
Clients in treatment who have acquired brain injuries tend to engage in treatment less readily, drop out more
frequently, and have shorter periods of abstinence than clients without brain injuries.
Many of these criteria cross-reference into the chemically dependent population and are seen in women
with severe and repetitive domestic violence or are a result of behavior engaged in while under the influence
of addictive substances. The symptoms of an acquired brain injury further compound the effects of
extended drug use and impact short-term memory, organization, and cognitive processing; all of which can
make living in a community treatment facility a challenge. Strategies were discussed and myths dispelled
about the likelihood of how many of Libertae residents suffer in silence (or ignorance) with yet another
barrier to integrating recovery principles, making Libertae’s ability to have the time to observe behavior and
engage resources invaluable. Noncompliant on a discharge summary, may be a matter of being cognitively
impaired. b
Libertae online
Libertae can now be found on Facebook. Log in, “friend” us and help our virtual community grow!
Libertae’s additions NEW! Bright Spaces
playground!
We welcome our new life skills counselor,
L
Theresa Smith, shown holding our latest ibertae has been chosen by
newborn in the Family House, Ila.
The Bright Horizons
Foundation for Children at A
Charming World as a site for a
new Bright Space. Bright Spaces
are play areas, typically located
Jean is treated to a special shower before in community agencies and
the birth of her baby girl.
shelters, where children in crisis
have a place to grow, develop,
and play. The ribbon cutting
was held on Sept. 28, for our
new play space built earlier that
Fall Festival week by volunteers from Bright
Horizons. Our new space houses
Vicki Fultze represents Libertae at a dinosaur, wooden balance
Bensalem’s Fall Fest. beam, walking stumps, benches,
picnic tables — and lots of happy
children. b
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SAVE THE DATE!
Volunteer Recognition Breakfast
November 4 Bensalem Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo
7:30 to 9 a.m. joins Libertae’s Associate Director,
Kathleen Curtin, and Family Services
Bucks County Country Club Supervisor, Pamela Judge, in cutting the
ribbon to open the playground, watched by
Libertae will honor our volunteers for their generous support two little ones eager to put it to good use!
and devoted service. We have been graced by the support of
numerous individuals and organizations who have added
depth to our efforts. In various ways, these volunteers help
our women learn they are accepted and supported as they Board news
rejoin our larger community as active, vital members.
This year we are pleased to present the Outstanding Leader
award to Bensalem mayor Joe DiGirolamo; the Outstanding
W e heartily thank Dan
Moser for his years of
service, as we welcome Kyle St.
Organization award to Holy Ghost Prep; the Outstanding Claire as a new board member.
Individual award to Barbara Charles; and Outstanding We also welcome back Julie
Alumna award to Colleen Boyce, second graduate in the Goldstein, Esq., who is returning
Family House who, with her son, graduated on August 21, to our board after giving birth to
1998. See www.libertae.org for more information. a baby girl, Lillian Yael, on June
11. Congratulations Julie and
Josh! b
Bike Run review
L ibertae’s annual fundraiser, the Bike Run, raised more
than $4,500 for our programming and services in early
June. Save the date for the Leslie Duco Memorial Bike
Run 2011, which has
been moved to a new
fall date to be
announced. b
Cindy and Mike Praul
enjoy the Bike Run.
The children of Libertae
expressed their thanks to
Bike Run participants with
this special banner.
FASD Kickoff
T he Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Awareness Week
kick off event was held Sept. 7 at the Southern Bucks Recovery
Community Center in Bristol. Libertae participated in the week designated
4 to bring awareness to this entirely preventable disorder. b
Janice Kopelman (far left photo), Deputy
Secretary for Health Promotion and
Disease Prevention addresses the attendees,
and Libertae staff (near photo from left to
right), Kathleen Curtin, Associate Director,
Celeste Wansley-Carpenter, Clinical
Director, Pamela Judge, Parenting
Specialist/Family Service Supervisor,
Gale Vanselous, Operations Manager
Sweet Dreams is now open!
L ibertae’s new night care center is now taking enrollment
applications. If you work the night shift or attend night classes,
this new program may be right for you — or someone you know. The
Keystone Stars-rated Center offers progressive, comprehensive care and
activities f or children aged 6 months to 6 years, and is open from 2 p.m. to
1 a.m., Monday through Friday. Call the Center at 215-245-4005 for more
information or to enroll. b
Libertae
Board of Directors:
NON-PROFIT
Bonnie Halbreiner, President ORG.
US POSTAGE
Fredlyn Brown, Vice President
PAID
Dr. Deb Niehoff, Secretary Freedom to Choose
Freedom to Change LANGHORNE, PA
Linda Lutz, Treasurer PERMIT 104
Julie Goldstein 5245 Bensalem Boulevard • Bensalem, PA 19020
Address Service Requested
Susan Rade
Lou Shaknitz
Pastor Kyle St. Claire
Sharon Stark, MA, LPC, NCC
Stephanie Wood
Libertae contact information:
Phone: 215-639-8681
Fax: 215-639-4277
Email: info@libertae.org
Web: www.libertae.org
Ad Lib is published by Libertae, Inc., a private,
nonprofit organization. Official Registration and
financial information may be obtained from the
PA Dept. of State by calling 800-732-0999.
Member Agency –
United Way of Bucks County
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Please support Libertae with your tax-deductible contribution which will support our mission:
to empower women and their families to maintain recovery through comprehensive treatment
programs that support healthy communities.
Please make your gift by check payable to Libertae or by phone with credit card to 215-639-8681.
Your Name
Billing Address
Phone Cell E-mail
❑ I/We wish to remain anonymous.
❑ Gift in honor/memory of
• ave you heard of www.Good Search.com? This website offers another way for you to support
H
Libertae’s work. Visit the Libertae page at the site, here: http://www.goodsearch.com/nonprofit/libertae-
bensalem-pa.aspx and register. Then, each time you search the Internet or shop online at one of our
participating stores, a donation will be made to Libertae at no cost to you.
R
• emember to visit our website www.libertae.org, where you can order your tickets for the Volunteer
Recognition breakfast. We now use Pay Pal for secure online payments and contributions!
Libertae, Inc. is a non-profit, charitable corporation chartered under the by-laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. All contributions are
tax deductible. Financial information may be obtained from PA Department of State: 800-732-0999.
“Trust the staff. You put yourself in their hands. Let them do their job, and you do yours.” D.