Newsletter Issue # 28
December 2018

Sesame Flyers International Tree Of Love

Initiated by the Winthrop Parent Council nearly a decade ago, the TREE OF LOVE begins with a Charlie Brown looking tree that is placed in the Lighthouse main office at the Winthrop Campus.  The tree is decorated with ornaments or "leaves".  Each leaf of the tree has a label on it that indicates the family composition with age and gender only.

A person takes a leaf from the tree and puts together gifts for "their family".  Unwrapped gifts are returned in a gift bag, all of the gift bags are then picked up by a staff member from the shelter and delivered to the families at the shelter's holiday gathering.
 

Executive Director's Holiday Message

Happy Holidays everyone! This time of year is always a warm and special time for us and I hope it will be for you as well. Let us all begin to take a moment to slow down and reflect on the year and look forward to a new year ahead. Leading Sesame Flyers into 2019 I look forward to the New Year with optimism and confidence. 2018 was a great year for Sesame and our community at large. With a focus on our Legacy over the past 35 years, we expanded our staff and placed greater focus on our vision to continue servicing our community for another 35 years and beyond. I am pleased to share that our reach in the community is ever expanding. More and more people are beginning to discover that Sesame Flyers is a Mas Camp and so much more. We have made focused and strategic efforts to educate our community on all the free offerings we provide and we are seeing the fruits of our Labor. We are now attracting a wider variety of people who wants to work with and partner with Sesame on their events, projects and initiatives. I am proud to share that we have also been actively recruiting additional members to our board and advisory board in small intimate events designed to give people a deeper and personal understanding of Sesame Flyers. As we close out 2018 I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge those that we unfortunately lost this year as well, which for those closest to them can find this time of year particularly challenging. For those we have lost, on behalf of Sesame Flyers we send our love at this time and hope the Season of giving and merriment brings your warmth, joy and cheer.
 

Employee Spotlight - Ms. Ruth Harte

Ms. Ruth Harte is an exceptional employee. She works with relentless dedication as a Case Planner for Sesame’s Center For Family Support Beacon Preventive Program. Ms. Harte has been assisting the program with sustaining families and preventing placement or replacement of children in foster care since 2013. Prior to that, she worked as a teacher assistant for the agency’s Bildersee Beacon Program.  Throughout the years, past and present, supervisors have confirmed the joy of supervising Ms. Harte. She is the type of employee that follows through with directives, respectfully challenges injustices and remains a strong advocate for her families. Ms. Harte has also served as a positive example and role model for her co-workers, past and present. She has been displaying duties reserved for that of a Senior Case planner for years.

Ms. Harte is known for thinking outside the box. For example due to building construction, the Preventive program was displaced and working off-site for the Summer of 2018. Ms. Harte never complained, but with her laptop and knowledge of policy, worked tirelessly to ensure that her duties were carried out. Ms. Harte utilized one of the ACS Brooklyn Field Offices to complete initial Family Team Conferences (FTC). She maintained communication on client’s progress with her supervisor by participating formal and informal supervision sessions. Finally, Ms. Harte updated the system’s progress notes and Family Assessment Service Plans (FASP) to ensure that all required parties were kept abreast of her contact and visits with the families.

The program has since returned to the assigned site with some required set-up still pending. Ms. Harte remains dedicated and without complaining, carries out her duties as expected.

It is an honor to recommend Ms. Ruth Harte for this month’s Employee Highlight. Please join me in recognizing Ms. Harte for her undying loyalty to the families being serviced and Sesame Flyers International’s mission as a whole. Ms. Harte, a true asset, an exceptional employee.
 

Winthrop Beacon III Community Center Annual Thanksgiving Potluck

On Monday, November 19, Lighthouse participants and parents streamed into the Winthrop Beacon with trays of food and drinks for the Annual Thanksgiving Potluck. Participants were greeted with festive decorations & Thanksgiving themed activities to complete with their parents. It was a pleasure to see parents engaged with their children to ensure the activities were done correctly. The real fun began when it was time to eat. Participants, parents & staff all came back asking for seconds. We can only applaud the chefs that contributed to our stomachs.

Ms. Simone & Ms. Turner would like to thank the parents for sharing their children. They would also like to thank the staff that contributed and assisted during the Thanksgiving Potluck. Without them, the event surely would not have been such a great success.
 

Movie Casting At The Cultural Center

Sesame Flyers International is proud to share the we partnered with Vernon Films, the British production company and team behind critically acclaimed Chuck Norris vs Communism (Sundance 2015, distributed by Netflix). We assisted them in casting aspiring young actors for an upcoming hybrid feature documentary project, A Cops and Robbers Story. This feature tells the inspiring story of long time friend of Sesame Flyers, Corey Pegues, former drug dealer turned Commanding Officer of the 67th Precinct. He is now retired, however he stills serves the community. He is an Author, Motivational Speaker, Community Leader, and Expert on police related topics. Many young people came out for the casting looking for a chance to be seen on the big screen. Filming has begun as of December 4th 2019. The movie is slated to be released Fall 2019. Stay tuned!
 

Sesame Standing With The Community

Two teens from our community were shot hours apart in Flatbush on Halloween. The first shooting happened around 4:30 p.m. on Hillel Place near the intersection of Flatbush Avenue. It left a 14-year-old boy in the hospital. Police say there was an argument between a group of teenagers when someone pulled out a gun and shot the teen in the face. He is expected to survive. About three hours later and less than a mile away, there was another incident that left a 17-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the leg. That incident occurred near East 23rd Street and Ditmas Avenue. The victim started running after the shooting and was found unconscious a few blocks away. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition. A rally was called for unity at the site where the first teen was shot. Several community based and faith based organizations came together under the leadership of City Council Member Jumaane Williams. The rally brought out several people as well as media coverage. Sesame Flyers was proud to stand with our community to lend our voice to bring an end to gun violence.
 

Money Matters

Sesame Flyers opened its doors to support the community with the basics in trading in the stock market. The event was both informative and fun. The workshop was lead by volunteer Georgette Brown, a professor at Munroe College. The attendees expressed interested in additional workshops and having financial education and literacy as an ongoing series. We are currently working with financial experts and leaders in the community to discuss and develop additional workshops. We look forward to this endeavor, we will keep you posted of upcoming workshops!
 

Winthrop Beacon III Community Center Welcomes Local 100

The Winthrop Beacon was happy to host the men and women of Local 100 in having a public forum with the candidates for Train Operator Chair. Slates and independents running for office came to discuss important issues that are impacting the MTA. If you have an organization that is need of space to hold free events that positively impact the community please contact us. We are happy to discuss it with you.