From left to right, Douglas Sinclair of Morgan Stanley, Casey Fordham and Adrienne LoPresti of YES Community Counseling Center, Michael Parmiter and Stephen Parmiter of Morgan Stanley.
While the summer conjures images of children creating lasting and carefree memories, for many children who experience chronic stress, live in an unsafe environment, experience chronic stress, or lack financial resources, the summer months can be a time of sadness and isolation. Living in a household where poverty, family turmoil, abuse, parental illness or addiction exists may lead to children lacking appropriate supervision and healthy connections when school is not in session. While many of the local school districts offer low cost camp and recreational opportunities over the summer months, many families cannot afford these expenses.
Made possible by Morgan Stanley, YES Community Counseling Center has launched a Safe Summer Program that will ensure that at-risk and financial disadvantage children will have access to safe recreational opportunities within our surrounding communities. The cost of local camps and recreation programs will be subsidized by Morgan Stanley so that children, who may otherwise be isolated, will have a safe environment to socialize with peers and stay connected to healthy adults during the summer months. In the spirit of Morgan Stanley’s core value of giving back to the community, Stephen Parmiter, Senior Vice President and member of the Parmiter Group expresses, “We are excited to work with YES to provide children in need with the opportunities that they deserve.”
Research demonstrates that environmental protective factors can prevent the onset of mental health challenges and early initiation of substance use for children and teens. Building protective factors within the community, such as healthy pro-social activities, safe supervision, connections with healthy adults, and exposure to positive peer interactions can assist children in fostering resiliency. “As we know, prevention is far more effective than intervening in response to the onset of emotional and behavioral symptoms that a child may demonstrate without the proper support. We are very grateful that Morgan Stanley recognizes the impact of this effort and agreed to invest in our children who need our help.” Adrienne LoPresti, Executive Director of YES.
Morgan Stanley Volunteer Event, May 2023
YES staff identified eligible recipients from the surrounding communities, ranging from ages 4 to 15 years old to benefit from the Safe Summer Program. One mother who was able to enroll her children in karate and dance classes shared “The kindness you showed and the happiness you brought to my family will never be forgotten. One day, rather sooner than later, I promise to pay forward.” Many of the families who have received support from YES over the years have overcome the challenges they once faced and decided to give back to others who now need help.
In addition to safe recreation activities, Morgan Stanley staff volunteers worked with YES staff to create “coping boxes” for the program recipients and other children who attend YES programs. The coping box acts as an emotional tool kit, with items that the children can rely on for self-soothing, comfort, and grounding when they are home or feeling unsafe.
YES and Morgan Stanley hope to maintain and expand upon this program. As a community-based, non-profit organization, YES initiates programs based upon the emerging needs of youth and families, supported by the generosity of community members, groups, and businesses. If you would like to support this effort or would like to learn more about YES programs and services, please visit www.yesccc.org
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