25 years of helping kids

Crisis Nursery celebrates anniversary

LEISAH NAMM
Managing Editor

During fiscal year 2001-2002, Crisis Nursery's Children's Shelter program operated at 83-percent capacity, providing care to 459 children 10 years of age and younger.

Photo courtesy of Crisis Nursery

During times of national emergency, the American Red Cross steps in, setting up shelters, accepting donations and providing general relief. But what happens on a much smaller scale, when a crisis strikes a family and children are faced with homelessness or have nowhere to go when their parents are unable to care for them?

For 25 years, the Crisis Nursery's Children's Shelter has provided shelter and support services to nearly 12,000 infants, toddlers and children that face situations like these in Phoenix.

In recognition of its 25th anniversary, the Crisis Nursery will host an Oct. 6 fund-raising concert featuring The Temptations, Spinners and Marvelettes at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix.

When it first opened, Crisis Nursery was a shelter where families could bring their children on a short-term basis while they dealt with a crisis, says Randee Pri-Tal, executive assistant at Crisis Nursery. Children were also placed at the shelter while in custody of Child Protective Services, and the average length of a stay was three days.

Today, due to society's complexity, the average length of a stay is 23 days, with many children remaining for months at a time.

"Life was much simpler 25 years ago than it is now and I think the nursery reflects that," says Marsha Porter, Crisis Nursery executive director for the past eight years and former CPS worker. Porter was one of the first to place a child at Crisis Nursery.

"When I was a CPS worker, we weren't facing drug abuse (and) domestic violence" to the extent that they are now, she says.

She attributes this partly to the type of growth the Valley has experienced. "Most of us who move here don't have the traditional support systems that we're used to," she says. "Extended family, churches, childhood friends ... Sometimes social services agencies have to take the place of those, and hopefully that's what we do."

Instances where parents voluntarily place their children in Crisis Nursery include times they're facing homelessness, hospital care, a drug detox program or a jail sentence.

"There are all kinds of situations where parents can't cope for whatever reason," Pri-Tal says. "We provide an opportunity for them to know their children will be cared for in a safe and a great environment while they deal with whatever they need to deal with."

When the children, from infants to age 10, arrive at the shelter, all their needs are taken care of, Pri-Tal says. This includes food, clothing and a new pair of shoes. When they leave, the children receive a "go-home bag," which usually includes a change or two of clothes, underwear, some toiletry items, a toy, a book and the pair of shoes.

During their stay, infants and toddlers participate in a stimulation program with activities that "enable them to grow and develop in an appropriate manner," Pri-Tal says. A toddler/preschool program, with a paid professional staff supplemented by volunteers, offers preschool activities.

School-age children are bused to the Thomas J. Pappas Homeless School and also participate in an after-school program that includes tutoring and supervised activities.

Although staff at Crisis Nursery recognize the impact they have upon the children while at the shelter, they realize that "the key to really making an impact was to work with families as well," Pri-Tal says.

That realization led to founding a nonresidential program in 1997, which offered full-day developmental childcare, transportation and family support. In 2000, the program moved into a new building - the Virginia G. Piper Child and Family Center - and is now called FACES (Families and Children Experiencing Success).

The nonresidential program, for children ages 3 months to those about to enter kindergarten, offers full-day developmental childcare, transportation and family support. Buses pick up the children at their homes each morning, if transportation is needed. Teachers go to the door and interact directly with the family, Pri-Tal explains. "They can see what's going on. They can see if there's anything that's unusual."

During the day, the children participate in the infant, toddler or preschool program, depending on their age, and they receive hot meals, necessary medical care and education. "There's a routine, there's a stable staff that's there every day," Pri-Tal says. "There's all this consistency in their lives all of a sudden."

Currently there are 68 children in the program; it can accommodate 80 children.

Crisis Nursery relies largely on communal donations. Last year 27 percent of revenue came from unsolicited contributions mainly from the community, Pri-Tal notes.

Several Jewish organizations have helped support Crisis Nursery in the past few years, notes Jennifer Cohen, development director, and wife of Jewish News Editor Barry Cohen. The Desert Foothills Jewish Community Association provided a financial donation and handmade quilts. Beth El Congregation, Temple Chai and Temple Solel donated such items as clothing, toys, diapers and shoes and Temple Beth Israel's religious school made a financial donation.

Last year, during Friday morning Shabbat services, preschoolers at Temple Kol Ami collected tzedakah to donate to preschoolers in the FACES program.

The nursery also relies on volunteers. Besides serving on the board, Trudy Klein has volunteered for 15 1/2 years. Besides serving on the board, Klein has worked directly with the children.

"You nurture them, you discipline them in a nice way," she says. "Mostly you just hold them, sing to them, play with them."

For Porter, the biggest impact on her life has been "seeing individual kids and individual families make lifelong changes. You can't beat that."

Crisis Nursery accepts donated items, such as boxes of wipes, bibs and baby formula. Last year, donations included 38,686 diapers, 1,760 pairs of socks, 319 bottles of shampoo and 465 toothbrushes. Call 602-273-7363.

Details

What: The Temptations, Spinners and Marvelettes concert
Who: Crisis Nursery
When: 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 6
Where: Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix
Cost: $100-$125
Call: 602-273-7363, ext. 151

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