• How did the Mosser Village Family Center get started?
• What is the mission of the Mosser Village Family Center?
• What are the goals of the Mosser Village Family Center?
• What does the Mosser Village Family Center do?
• What does "family" mean to the Mosser Village Family Center?
• Employee Profiles

In 1997 a group of community residents, fueled by St. Joseph's Lutheran Church, started meeting to discuss what could be done to bring the community together, increase communication, and improve the quality of life in the neighborhood. Other agencies, such as the Lehigh County Children and Youth Services, the Allentown School District, and the United Way joined the table. After two years of planning, the Allentown School District received a grant from the federal government for after school and summer programs as well as funding for adult English classes. Matching cash donations were solicited and grants were received for Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Donley Foundation and the United Way. The Mosser Village Family Center was on its way.

The Mosser Village Family Center has been operational since October of 1999 when a director was hired. Since then three community residents have been hired. One serves as the assistant director, the second resident position is the community liaison, and the third position is the family support liaison. The Mosser Village Family Center provides the community with free programs for children and adults.

The Mosser Village Family Center is a 501(C)3 non-profit agency governed by at least a 15 member board of directors. Every effort is made to have at least 51% of the board members reside in the community. Currently 2 of the 4 officers are community residents. The board develops the policy for the Family Center, adopts an annual budget, and discharges all duties incident to such office.

The Mosser Village Family Center seeks to build trust, relationships, and communication among neighbors and to utilize existing assets and resources in building a stringer community for the good of one another.

• Relationships: Build relationships of trust and mutual respect among residents, groups, or institutions that live, work, or serve in our neighborhood.
• Ownership and Partnership: Strengthen a sense of ownership and partnership in neighborhood development among residents.
• Empowerment: Empower individuals to effectively address personal, family, and neighborhood concerns. Empower and encourage parents and/or guardians toward active involvement and participation in the lives and experiences of our children and youth.
• Personal Growth and Development: Foster and enrich the personal growth and development of the residents of our community.
• Assets: Identify and apply the assets that exist within the residents, groups, or institutions for the sake of the neighborhood.
• Volunteer Opportunities: Provide the community with opportunities to support the neighborhood utilizing individual's talent and knowledge.

• Provide early intervention and prevention services to the residents of the 14th ward of the City of Allentown by providing assistance in finding solutions to difficult problems facing families today.
• Provide a safe place for children after school by offering free after school educational and recreational programs in the school.
• Offer free summer programs for the children in the neighborhood school and community. This allows the children the opportunity to experience the arts, literature, math, and reading while having fun. They gain the knowledge that learning is a lifetime experience.
• Provide free GED classes for adults in the neighborhood which enables them to become economically self-sufficient.
• Offer free computer classes for adults in the Mosser Village Family Center computer lab. Qualified instructors teach introductory computer classes.
• Operate an emergency food bank for the residents of the 14th ward that provides healthy food during times of economic stress.
• Offer free clothing to needy residents from the Mosser Village Family Center clothing bank that is stocked from community and faith based donations.
• Provide a worksite to community youth through Lehigh County Juvenile Probation in order that they learn to take pride and ownership in their community.
• Provide a worksite for the Association for Retarded Citizens, who stock shelves, sort clothing, provide general custodial services, and beautification projects.
• Publish a community newsletter quarterly to 2,000 households of the 14th ward. Community volunteers distribute the newsletters to their neighbors.
• Offer free classes requested by community residents in cooking, computers, and crafts. Classes are scheduled at the request of the community.
• Provide Metro Plus transportation for the needy, elderly, and handicapped residents. LANTA bus passes are also available for emergency situations.
• Staff the Mosser Village Family Center office daily to serve the community with assistance in problem solving, referral, and case management. The community is encouraged to drop into the center for information, assistance, or to volunteer in a Mosser Village Family Center activity.
• Collaborate with local colleges, universities, social service agencies, and community and faith based organizations.
• Welcome volunteers. They help operate many Mosser Village Family Center activities and programs. There are opportunities for intergenerational contacts between children and adults, children and senior citizens, and children, adults, and senior citizens.
• Establishment of an effective relationship with Mosser Elementary School in academic and non-academic areas. The staff of the Mosser Village Family Center works very closely with the administration and faculty at the Mosser school in planning and implementing after school and summer activities. As well as offering other family oriented support services.

Webster defines family as a group of individuals living under one roof and under one head. For the purposes of the Mosser Village Family Center, a family can be an individual or group of people living in one or more household. A family is what the residents say it is. A family is supportive and needs positive relationships. The Family Center attempts to enhance these characteristics by embracing early intervention and prevention services.

Debbie Harding, Community Outreach Liaison

Debbie's job with the family center is to meet and greet everyone who drops by the family center. She oversees the daily operation of the food bank and maintains the clothing bank utilizing volunteers. You may also see Debbie teaching adult craft class, coordinating volunteers for various programs, collecting newsletter articles, or readying the newsletters for distribution to the community. She is a wonderful asset to the family center as well as the community. You many also find her crossing the children at the corner of Walnut and Carlisle Street. Debbie lives with here family in the community.

Ruth Fiorito, Family Support Liaison

Ruth's job with the family center is to provide families with additional supportive services. Examples of her work are vision referrals, clothing bank referrals, food bank requests, helping with a resume, and making referrals to appropriate agencies for rent or landlord help. She also works with parents and teachers to build better communication and relationships. Ruth is bilingual and lives with her family in the community. Ruth is the newest edition to the family center.

Carolyn Solt, Family Development Specialist

Carolyn's job with the family center is towork with Allentown families who have children from birth to age 5. She also provides a program called "Parents as Teaches" This program provides information, support, and encouragement to empower parents and help them insure their children's success in school and in life. This program provides: (1) home visits twice a month to provide parents with child development information, (2) Age-appropriate activities and books, (3) Group meetings and worksheets for parents and children on various topics, (4) Developmental screening for early detection of sensory problems. Referral for other needs the family might have such as food, clothing, used furniture, etc. Carolyn lives in the community.

Mitzi Xander, Assistant Director

Mitzi's job with the family center is to design and oversee all children and adult programming. This includes after school 21st Century Program, after school homework club, dance classes, arts & crafts classes, and summer camp programming. She maintains attendance records for all programming, provides statistics for writing grants, creates presentations for funders as well as parents. Mitzi lives with her family in the community.

Adrienne Trumbower, Executive Director

Adrienne's job with the family center is to oversee the day to day operation of the family center. She does all the grant writing for the family center, as well as the bookkeeping, and public speaking on behalf of the family center.