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CALC corner<br />
NOTE from the<br />
PRESIDENT<br />
This past spring, I had the opportunity<br />
to experience firsthand the<br />
impact of the Chaldean<br />
Strengthening Families<br />
Program. My children<br />
and I enrolled to<br />
participate in the West<br />
Bloomfield Program<br />
and attended weekly<br />
Clair Konja<br />
with other area families.<br />
It is a truly valuable<br />
program and I strongly recommend<br />
it to all parents with children<br />
between the ages of 10-15. I now<br />
understand better the stress and<br />
pressures that my children go<br />
through and how I can communicate<br />
with them to help through their<br />
adolescent years. After this program,<br />
I feel that we understand<br />
each other much better. It was a<br />
satisfying and beneficial experience<br />
for both me and my children. The<br />
CALC continues to provide programs<br />
for youth and parents that are<br />
intended to strengthen Chaldean<br />
families. Read on to gain more<br />
information about these programs.<br />
Also of importance to our community<br />
will be the new Medicare<br />
Prescription Drug Program for seniors.<br />
The new program, scheduled<br />
to begin on January 1, 2006, is<br />
multifaceted and involves understanding<br />
which type of medical<br />
insurance for prescription drugs is<br />
best suited for you. CALC staff<br />
was recently trained to act as counselors<br />
to our community to provide<br />
them with needed information to<br />
make informed choices in this area.<br />
Look for more details about this new<br />
prescription drug program in later<br />
CALC page editions of the<br />
Chaldean News.<br />
We hope that you and your<br />
family are enjoying a safe and<br />
happy summer.<br />
STRENGTHENING CHALDEAN<br />
FAMILIES PROGRAM CONTINUES<br />
The CALC wrapped up its Southfield and West Bloomfield SCF<br />
Programs and began its Troy SCF Program in June. The Troy<br />
SCF Program is serving more than 25 youth and their parents.<br />
The Southfield SCF Program was visited by Officer John<br />
Hunter from the Southfield K-9 Unit, who brought his dog<br />
Dewa to inform participants about drug detections and preventions.<br />
He said Dewa has been trained to guard him and to<br />
find and hold suspects. Officer Hunter stated that he and his<br />
dog work as a team because they must trust and understand<br />
each other completely when working in stressful, even dangerous,<br />
and often rapidly changing situations. Dewa has an<br />
outstanding sense of smell<br />
and is trained to follow scent<br />
trails or to detect certain<br />
kinds of odors. He is also<br />
trained in tracking suspects,<br />
finding missing persons, and<br />
detecting drugs or explosives.<br />
Officer Hunter provided<br />
a great deal of information<br />
about the dangers of drugs,<br />
and how children get involved<br />
in drug use and gangs. He<br />
also gave parents and children<br />
important preventative<br />
measures on how to avoid<br />
these negative situations.<br />
Both youth and adults fully<br />
enjoyed the presentation.<br />
Our West Bloomfield<br />
Program was completed in<br />
June and attracted over 25<br />
youth who attended with their<br />
parents. During the program<br />
PARENT COMMENTS:<br />
• “I learned that it is important<br />
to stay calm and not yell or<br />
shout when I don’t like what<br />
my child is doing. I try to think,<br />
cool down and then react.”<br />
• “I have learned to a better<br />
listener.”<br />
• “My child loved the fact that<br />
we were there with them during<br />
this program.”<br />
YOUTH COMMENTS:<br />
• “The most important thing I<br />
learned during the program<br />
was NOT to do drugs.”<br />
• “I learned about the dangers<br />
of drugs, alcohol, peer<br />
pressure, and that my parents<br />
are caring and loving.<br />
• “When is your next program?”<br />
they were visited by DARE Officer Bridgett Ryan from the<br />
West Bloomfield Police Department who spoke about drug<br />
and drug prevention. CALC Board Member Rita Kainaya also<br />
provided information about gangs. All SCF participants<br />
responded positively to the program.<br />
The SCF involves weekly two-hour sessions for parents<br />
and youth who attend separate skill-building groups for the<br />
first hour and spend the second hour together in family-directed<br />
activities. Youth sessions focus on strengthening family<br />
ties, goal setting, dealing with stress and strong emotions,<br />
communication skills, increasing responsible behavior, and<br />
improving skills to deal with peer pressure. Parents discuss<br />
the importance of both showing love to their youth while at the<br />
same time setting appropriate limits. Topics include making<br />
house rules, encouraging good behavior, using consequences,<br />
building bridges, and protecting against substance<br />
abuse. The CALC SCF Program is now in its third year.<br />
Contact and Join CALC!<br />
OUR MISSION<br />
We are Chaldean women energized by<br />
working together and with others to<br />
provide help and hope to those in need.<br />
OUR VISION<br />
The CALC will strengthen and preserve<br />
the Chaldean family by ensuring<br />
that all generations have access<br />
to necessary resources and services.<br />
Please join the Chaldean American Ladies<br />
of Charity (CALC) and be part of a group<br />
of hard working and dedicated women.<br />
It is just $25.00 a year<br />
Call Today: 248-352-5018<br />
or send in your membership to:<br />
21711 W. Ten Mile Rd., Ste. 238<br />
Southfield, MI 48075<br />
www.calconline.com<br />
PROJECT CAN START<br />
CALC’s Detroit Project CAN START has drawn 31 children ages<br />
10-14 living in Detroit’s Chaldean community to meet twice weekly<br />
to develop life skills and service learning for young people. The<br />
youths were recently visited by Sgt. Albert Yasso, a Chaldean<br />
officer from the Detroit Police Department. He spoke to the kids<br />
about violence, drugs and its consequences. The youths listened<br />
intently and asked Sgt. Yasso numerous questions.<br />
During another session, when asked to identify specific<br />
problems that need to be addressed in their community and<br />
neighborhood, youth responded, “people setting fires in the<br />
neighborhood, violence, drive-by shootings, drugs and a terrible<br />
litter problem.”<br />
“It is alarming to note the dangerous events that confront<br />
these children daily. They are very affected by them in a negative<br />
way,” said Brenda Khamarko, one of Project CAN<br />
START’s case managers. Youth were introduced to bowling<br />
on a recent field trip. “You could see a real team effort developing<br />
among the kids. For most of them, youth team sports<br />
is not an option or available to them in Detroit. We could see<br />
self-confidence building as they supported their team,” said<br />
Rudaina Kainaya, another case manager. One youth said,<br />
“This is my first time bowling. It is so much fun!”<br />
Project CAN START and Strengthening Chaldean<br />
Families are funded by Michigan’s Office of Drug Control<br />
Policy. To learn more about these two programs or volunteer,<br />
contact the CALC office at (248) 352-5018.<br />
CALC CERTIFIED AS COUNSELORS<br />
FOR MEDICARE PROGRAM<br />
Starting January 1, 2006, Medicare prescription drug coverage<br />
will be available to everyone with Medicare. This new program<br />
is called Medicare Part D. These plans will help you save<br />
money on your prescription drug costs. In order to get this<br />
prescription drug coverage, you must choose to enroll in a<br />
Medicare prescription drug plan that meets your needs. In the<br />
fall of 2005, Medicare beneficiaries may begin to voluntarily<br />
enroll in the new Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program.<br />
CALC staff was recently trained and certified by the Area<br />
Agency of Aging to act as MMAP Counselors to assist seniors<br />
in making informed choices regarding their prescription drug<br />
needs. More information will be in a future issue.<br />
BARBECUE AT CHALDEAN MANOR<br />
It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy ... that is if you’re a<br />
Chaldean Manor Senior Citizen. This past month the backyard<br />
of the Chaldean Manor sported spirals of smoke as<br />
CALC held a barbecue for nearly 35 seniors.<br />
MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION<br />
NAME:<br />
_______________________________________<br />
ADDRESS: _______________________________________<br />
_______________________________________<br />
DAY PHONE: ______________________________________<br />
EVENING PHONE: _________________________________<br />
EMAIL: ____________________________________________<br />
20 CHALDEAN NEWS AUGUST 2005<br />
ADVERTORIAL