Fire Prevention Week Kick Off Parade - October 5, 2014

On Sunday, October 5, 2012 at 1:00pm, the Upper Darby Township Fire Department will be hosting its annual Fire Prevention Parade to kick off Fire Prevention Week.  This year’s theme will be “Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives, Test Yours Monthly ”. The parade will begin at the Drexel Hill Middle School located at State Road and Shadeland Avenue.  The parade will exit the school property via the rear drive onto Kenwood Road, proceed on Kenwood Road to Bond Avenue, and continue on Bond Avenue ending at Aronimink Elementary School.

Each year the parade is dedicated to someone who has dedicated themselves to our community.  This year the Upper Darby Fire Department and Upper Darby Township have decided to dedicate the Fire Prevention Parade to PA State Senator Edwin “Ted” Erickson and PA Representative Nicholas A. Micozzie,  both of whom have proudly served their districts and our community for many years.

Featured in the parade are:  Mayor Thomas Micozzie, Upper Darby Township Council members, Upper Darby Township Fire and Police Departments, the Upper Darby High School Marching Royals, and marching bands from Beverly Hills Middle School and Drexel Hill Middle Schools.  The Greater Overbrook String Band will also be featured.  The bands will perform during the parade and also at the conclusion of the parade at the Aronimink Elementary School.

The Upper Darby Marine Corp. League Honor Guard #884 will lead the parade with their colors.  There will be antique fire trucks, motorcycles, fire departments from surrounding communities, and the Fire Department's special guest, “Sparky the Fire Dog.”

Following the parade, the Upper Darby Fire Department will distribute fire prevention materials and assorted novelties for children, and there will be demonstrations by members of the Fire Department.  The demonstrations will include vehicle extrication using the “JAWS OF LIFE”.  There will also be demonstrations on “Stop Drop and Roll”. Firefighters will be available distributing fire prevention literature and fire safety tips and will be available to answer questions.

In conjunction with this year’s theme, the Upper Darby Fire Department will be conducting a contest with all of the Upper Darby Township elementary schools, grades 1 through 5.  The contest will be based on the best poster relating to the theme.  Each grade will be judged and best five  posters from each grade will be awarded, either 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd place and two honorable awards.  The winners will be presented with their awards on October 5, 2014 at the Aronimink Elementary School following the parade.

The program is for all, young and old.   Admission is free and all are invited to attend.

Reading: New Book Alert!

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Contact: Ronald Bowden4107 Kingsley Park Ct., Duluth, GA 30096678-510-3640 (phone); 678-530-1136 (fax)ron.bowden@bsi2.com

Imaginative picture book helps a precious little girl realize home is the very best place of all.

Many small children dream about living in castles or other exotic locales, especially when their own homes are small and simple. Sometimes, a gentle dose of reality is all it takes for them to regain perspective and cherish their own homes and families.

This is the case for the young girl in the newly published children’s picture book "Lillou’s Adventure – Little Trip Away" by author and illustrator Adriana Bowden.

This debut book introduces Lillou, a sweet young girl who has a very busy mother and father and a noisy little brother. They live in a small and charming house, but Lillou isn’t happy. This isn’t what she wants. Her home is too small, it’s too noisy, and she hates eating her vegetables!

Instead, Lillou dreams of living in the big house next door. Grand and spacious, it reminds her of a castle. One day, when she realizes her mom is preparing vegetables for dinner yet again, Lillou sneaks out to visit the home she has always dreamed of.

There, she meets a sweet old lady who listens to her dreams and invites her to stay upstairs in the vast and comfortable tower. It’s a dream come true, or is it?

Lillou soon discovers that as lovely as this castle appears, it isn’t very warm inside. It’s also a bit untidy, because the old lady has been ill and unable to clean it. Lillou consoles herself with the thought that at least she doesn’t have to eat any dinner, because the lady hasn’t cooked any.

Even Lillou’s new bedroom isn’t what she expected. It may be huge, but it’s also terribly quiet. Before long, Lillou realizes this isn’t what she wants after all. A bit embarrassed, she runs down the steps to find the old lady. Lillou apologizes, thanks the lady, and invites her to come to dinner, which she suddenly can’t wait to eat!

In her own cozy home once again, Lillou is so filled with gratitude that even the noise she once disliked sounds like music to her ears.

Bowden comments, "This book grew out of the stories my husband and I started making up to tell our children at bedtime. It has wonderfully colorful illustrations and a simple but interesting story that will peak your little one's imagination and bring the characters to life."

"I loved the pictures in the book, and the story was just wonderful for my three-year-old daughter. The pictures in the book are so nice that I would like to have them on the wall in my apartment…This book is really great to give as a gift." ~ Review by Bree L.

Author: Adriana Bowden is the mother of two children under the age of five who give her inspiration to create wonderful books for others to enjoy and the stepmother of two older children in high school and middle school. She works on her books in her spare time and never seems to run out of creativity, even when she is tired. She draws all of her characters by hand on a large surface and then puts them into the computer by taking a photo. It is a lot of work, but the result is a wonderful canvas of colors and imagination. She is a native of Brazil and is self-taught in the skills of drawing and illustrations.

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Lillou’s Adventure: Little Trip Away - written and illustrated by Adriana Bowden; Category: Children’s Picture Book; Hard Cover, 978-0989784610, $14.99; eBook: 978-0989784603, $2.99; Availability: Amazon.com, BN.com, iBookstore.com

Richly Illustrated Children's Book conveys the Importance of Having Someone to Love and Care For

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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Contact: Martin AllenP.O. Box 2395, Gainesville, GA 30503720-206-6759

martin.allen@nanofiberco.com

                                                                                                         

Richly illustrated children’s picture book uses historic perspective, metaphor, and dream to convey profound life’s lessons.

The compelling new picture book titled Thorden offers important messages for readers of all ages.

Written by Martin Allen and featuring original paintings in ink and vibrant colors by Crisanta Baker, this debut children’s picture book with a five-star rating from Amazon tells a thought-provoking tale of trust, friendship, grief, and courage.

Thorden is a gnarled old tree nine twists old. As the story begins, he is comforting a young elf named Gilraen who is afraid of the dark. As she readies herself for sleep and nestles onto Thorden’s great contorted branch, the ancient tree tells her of a time before the terrible desolation, when trees and elves grew and frolicked together.

When Gilraen falls peacefully asleep, Thorden gazes down at her with contentment, comforted by her soft warmth, grateful to have an elf to care for. As he reflects on the many friends he lost in the great fire that ended the life of his friend Maeglin, he realizes that, for the moment at least, life is good and full of meaning.

An excerpt from the story reads as follows:

The soft warmth of the elf on his main arm reminded him of another era. There had been peaceful and perfect times, before the fire, before Maeglin had died. The time before all kindness had succumbed to hopelessness, despair and questions. He was tired now. He closed his eye and the moonlight watched over them.

Allen comments, "Thorden conveys many messages. Among them, I hope readers will understand the importance of having someone to love and care for. I also hope they will appreciate how much courage it takes to go on in the face of great loss. This task is made easier when there is someone to love."

AUTHOR: Martin Allen was born and raised in Germany before emigrating to the United States. He has authored other publications and is internationally known for his contributions to the sciences. Thordenrepresents the author's debut into the genre of juvenile fiction.

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Thorden; Author: Martin Allen; Illustrator: Crisanta Baker; Category: Juvenile Fiction; Soft Cover: 978-1495235900, $19.99; Availability: Amazon.com, BN.com

Give the Gift Back: Become a Tutor

The following organizations seek tutors.

The Hispanic Ministry of St. Laurence Parish

• Have you the gift of imparting knowledge to others?
• Does helping those new to our country to adjust to our culture excite you? 
• Would you be enthusiastic about teaching newcomers to speak English? 

If so, The Hispanic Ministry of St. Laurence Parish can help you fulfill your goals through our ESL (English as a Second Language) program. We invite you to come and share your gifts with us. We need you as a teacher in our ESL program. Seasoned volunteers have designed sessions of teacher training to assist you in instruction. These sessions will accent teaching techniques, explain the use of the manuals and texts, and display charts and other materials to enhance teaching. Call Sister Dominica at 610-306-7370 to volunteer to enhance the life of our immigrant community.


TUTOR TRAININGS FOR NEW TUTORS 

If you know anyone who would like to become a Volunteer Tutor, have them contact Melina at 610-876-4811 or visit www.delcoliteracy.org. Training also includes a follow-up session for a total of 12 hours. Tutoring requires bachelor's degree, application, criminal background check, and media consent form.

• ABE Training for New Tutors: September 13 and 20, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., plus follow-up session. 
• ESL Training for New Tutors: September 13, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; September 15 and 17, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., plus follow-up session. 
• ABE Training for New Tutors: November 8 and 15, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., plus follow-up session. 
• ESL Training for New Tutors: November 8, 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; November 10 and 12, 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., plus follow-up session.

The Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians

• As a Volunteer Instructor, You Will....
• Work with adults in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and/or GED classes.
• Be in a friendly, small-group setting in an easily accessible Center City office.         
• Work closely with experienced teachers, using curriculum materials to meet students' individual listening, speaking, reading, math, and writing needs.

The Qualifications You'll Need to Succeed:

• Ability to serve as an instructor for 6-9 hours a week for 10 weeks
• Strong desire to improve the English language skills of students
• Sensitivity to cultural differences
• Flexibility in schedule
• Ability to meet challenges with enthusiasm.
• Fluency in English

Call Jesse James at 215-825-7760 for more information.  Ready to apply? Submit your resume and a brief cover letter explaining why you are interested in this volunteer position to Jesse James at jesse@welcomingcenter.org

Thresholds Seek Volunteers

THRESHOLDS IN DELAWARE COUNTY

About Thresholds

Founded in 1975, Thresholds is a nonprofit organization that teaches a six-step decision-making course to inmates in Delaware County. Better decision-making empowers an inmate to be more productive upon returning to the community.

Become a Volunteer

We seek caring individuals who can commit to meeting with an inmate for 1-2 hours each week, for a 7-week teaching cycle. No previous experience or special education is needed.  

Volunteer Training

Volunteer Training is very thorough, and a prerequisite to working with inmates. Your tuition covers the cost of training materials, plus continental breakfast and lunch on both days. Pre-registration is required.

Saturday and Sunday

September 27 & 28, 2014

Neumann University, Aston PA

Tuition: $25 (Some scholarships available)

For information and registration:

www.thresholdsdelco.org

or call

484-301-0590

Immigrant Job Seekers

Did you know about Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians?
Refer an immigrant job seeker today!
 

 Hot Job!

• Manufacturing field
• $13.75 per hour to start
• Machine operator experience preferred
• English level 3 (on 1-5 scale)
Know someone who qualifies?

Ask them to call us today at 215-557-2847

They have a satellite office in Delaware County and since 2007, have been serving immigrant job seekers through this location.

Their employment services help legally work-authorized immigrants who are looking for their first American job, or professionals who are seeking a higher-level position.

See more information below, and feel free to give them a call with questions!

Q. Where is our Delaware County office? 

We are co-located in the Upper Darby Township Welcome Center located at
7000 Walnut Street
Upper Darby, PA 19082
The office is very transit-accessible, and is located just 3 blocks from 69th Street Terminal

Q. How can I refer an immigrant jobseeker? 

They work by appointment only. To make an appointment, contact the Intake Coordinator, Fabiola Castellanos-Gaspar at (215) 557-2847 or email fabiola@welcomingcenter.org

Q. Who is eligible to receive Welcoming Center employment services? 

We serve men and women who are:
• Immigrants with permanent work authorization (for example, legal permanent residents or naturalized US citizens)
• Looking for full-time employment in a W-2 payroll job (no independent contractors)

Please note: To avoid duplicating services offered by other organizations, we do not serve refugees and asylees who have been in the US for less than 5 years.