Report - United Way Community Report

OUR WORK
BUILDING RESILIENCE
GABRIELLE’S STORY
With a steady stream of air leaving her pursed
lips, Gabrielle is relaxed. Meditation helps her
feel calm. It’s teaching her a way to cope with
difficult emotions.
No, this isn’t a yoga studio. It’s a fourth grade classroom at
Clinton Avenue School in Fair Haven. As you enter the room,
the first thing you notice is the serene music and tranquil
environment. It’s easy to forget that students sitting on the
rug in the center of the room are 9 and 10 year olds, and they
haven’t even eaten lunch yet.
Our kids are impacted by trauma.
According to a recent Fair Haven neighborhood well-being
survey, nearly 70% of residents say they don’t feel safe
walking in Fair Haven. Have you ever heard a gunshot in
your neighborhood? Here, 75% have heard more than one
gunshot ring out. These rates are alarming.
“It’s okay to be angry or frustrated, but it’s how you respond
to that which makes the difference,” said Jennifer Ricker
from Rain of Hope.
Meditation is one of the skills that United Way partner Rain
of Hope teaches students.
Your support funds this program, and many more,
in eight New Haven Public Schools.
United Way works with schools where students experience
a lot of trauma at home and in their neighborhoods. United
Way brings in partners who help kids connect with each
other and caring adults. They help students unwind, make
friends, and build their confidence. We’re talking about yoga,
dancing, storytelling, animal therapy, high ropes courses,
and mindfulness programs. Students who need clinical
support can also receive it.
With caring adults and programs like this, kids can
learn ways to bounce back from difficulties.
Research tells us that resilience is a muscle, and United Way
is helping our kids build it. Students are learning positive
strategies to deal with anger, loss, and conflict. This means
they will grow into happier, healthier, and more successful
adults.
A trial published in the journal Developmental Psychology
suggests that the effects of meditation are powerful in kids
as young as nine. It improved everything from social skills
to math scores.
We want to make these services available to all of
our children.
We are proud of the fact that we are serving 2,527 students
through this work. But that’s not meeting the need in our
community as a whole. We know that 90% of New Haven
students have been exposed to trauma, which translates
into tens of thousands of children who could benefit from
increased access to programming that builds their resilience.
We need your support so that together we can do better for
our kids.
Back inside Clinton Avenue School, Jennifer is giving
students soft-spoken advice as the session comes to an
end.
“Be mindful of your surroundings, others, and of your own
actions. Actions result in consequences. Both positive, and
negative. You choose your consequences. How we react to
a situation can change it.”
Together, we can make a difference for Gabrielle
and all students in greater New Haven.
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