Spero Awarded Pilot Program to Support Quality Improvements for Child Care Providers in Rural Illinois Communities
Spero Family Services Rev. Deb Pollex releases book-PRESS RELEASE
Spero Charity Golf Classic
We are so excited to announce the Spero Charity Golf Classic will be held Friday, July 17, 2020 at Green Hills Golf Club in Mt. Vernon, IL. For more information or to sign up your team of 4 visit our golf event page! Spero relies on fundraisers like this to be able to continue to provide the highest quality social services during times of uncertainty.
Spero Amazon Wish List
We have made donating to Spero easier than ever. Just click on this Spero Amazon link for the most up-to-date items we need for various programs and families. Once on the wish list, add an item to your cart and it will be shipped directly to us. We will continue to add items as they are needed. For more information on how to support Spero Family Services visit our website.
YouthBuild Success!
We love to share success stories from our programs with the public. This week we would like to share a story of a former participant of our YouthBuild program.
Shaylyn Stover was a participant with the YouthBuild Program October 2017-April 2018. Shaylyn attained her GED in March 2018. She was in the Rend Lake College Bridge Program. When Shaylyn came to the Youthbuild program she had an unstable living situation. Her situation made it difficult to care for her child. Thankfully her family was able to take care of her child, so she could get back on her feet. Shaylyn showed great determination and did an exceptional job during her time at YouthBuild. Shaylyn’s drive and determination continues beyond YouthBuild. She is working a full time job, and has her own apartment. Shaylyn’s child is back in her care. Shaylyn also had a baby in October 2019. She is continuing to provide a stable environment for her family. Shaylyn is a strong independent women and it was a privilege to work with Shaylyn during her time at YouthBuild. Shaylyn shared some words of wisdom to help current and future YouthBuild participants.
“There will be people who tell you that you wont amount to anything. I know, I did, but I always remember two quotes.”
“When people undermine your dreams, predict your doom, or criticize you, remember they’re telling you their story, not yours.”
-Cynthia Occelli
“The future belongs to those who believe in the future of their dreams.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
“Don’t listen to the haters. You got this!”
If you or someone you know are interested in our YouthBuild program, visit sperofs.org/YouthBuild or call 618/533-5288 or 618/242-6723.
They are accepting applications until March 2nd for the next cohort, so now is a perfect time to get started!
#YouthBuild #EarnAsYouLearn
Pause, Ponder, and Pray
Pause: Breathe in deeply, feeling your breath spread through your body. Breathe out, and relax. Repeat. Repeat.
Ponder: Many people hate to ask others for help, having a strong “I can do it on my own” mentality. It is difficult when we have to rely on someone else during illness or injury, a new baby, a new job.
At times like these it’s important to let go of feeling that we should be able to do it all by ourselves and accept the help of others. Too often we make things worse by trying to do more than we should or by slipping into a feeling of uselessness. It does take strength and insight to accept that we, just like every other human being, have limitations.
Actually though, a deep feeling of gratitude can develop as we ask for and accept help. We can learn aspects of God’s heart through others that we simply can’t learn alone. Accepting our limitations leads to humility, gratitude, and a deeper understanding of being human; which enables us to be that much more compassionate in the world.
Pray: Where or how do you need help? Have you considered the possibility that God is trying to help you through others? Talk to God about this.
It is foolish to be too confident. Those who ask for advice are wise and will escape disaster. Proverbs 28:26
Spero Counseling and Wellness Center offering Play Therapy for children
Play Therapy? What is it? Play is essential to human growth, development, learning and cultivating relationships. Play therapy is a powerful tool for addressing cognitive, behavioral, and emotional challenges. Professionals therapeutically use play to help clients better process their experiences and develop more effective strategies for managing their worlds. This can be used for clients who have behavioral issues caused by: bullying, grief/loss, divorce/abandonment, physical/sexual abuse, or crisis/trauma. It also helps those with mental health disorders such as: anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, academic/social impairment, physical/learning disabilities, and conduct disorders.
Did you also know, that our Counseling and Wellness Center now offers play therapy for children ages 3-10. For more information, contact our office at (618)242-6944, or visit us online at sperocwc.org.
Spero Awarded Eagle Accreditation
Spero Staff Feature
We wanted to share her story, because she is the epitome of what Spero stands for, and truly believes in the mission.
“I love what I do. I love recruiting. I love meeting new hires. I love my boss. I love that this job allows me to be a mom first. I’m not a social worker, but I love that I get to support the work they do in my small way.” -Amanda Flanagan
#LoveWhatYouDo
#SperoFamily
#StaffFeature
Pause, Ponder, & Pray
We are so happy our Rev. Deb Pollex is back with her Pause, Ponder, Pray. We have missed it! This is a great one for February!
Pause: Breathe in deeply….breathe out. Breathe in deeply…..breath out. Repeat as much as needed.
Ponder: We don’t usually think of Valentine’s Day as an explicitly Christian holiday like Easter and Christmas. But there are many passages in the Bible that specifically speak of LOVE.
1 Corinthians 13
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres”.
1 John 3:18
“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
The Bible is actually a whole book about Love, and since we’re entering the month of February (the month of Love), I thought it would be good to revisit a few love scriptures and then pray in a fun LOVE-ing way!
Pray: Let’s pray using the word LOVE. Grab your phone. Look at the first name in your contacts that starts with the letter L. Say a short prayer for them. Now pray for the first name in your contact list that starts with O. Now do the same for V. And now the same for E. Amen!
