Tribute to MLK

DYS Community Services Program

Pays Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King

To celebrate the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service on Monday, January 20^th, a group of 70 community volunteers gathered to complete an exciting project envisioned and organized by Y.O.U., Inc.’s Charisse Murphy.

As Contract Manager for the agency’s DYS Community Services Program, Charisse manages a staff of nine in Worcester, Fitchburg and Webster. Resource Developers and Site Support Specialists work jointly with the DYS casework staff to ensure that DYS clients living in their home communities receive the services and supports they need to become productive members of that community. The program’s ultimate goal is to decrease recidivism to the DYS system, and help children and families to maintain a path toward success.

Charisse wanted to mobilize her staff and the youth in her programs in a project to coincide with the MLK Day of Service. A grant from the Massachusetts Service Alliance provided the funds needed to realize Charisse’s vision to design a project that honored Dr. King’s legacy of service to children living in poverty. Charisse, her staff, and the program youth planned, shopped for, an organized the materials for 1500 “Healthy YOU” snack packs – along with a donated books and a bookmark designed by a DYS youth.

Joining Charisse and her team on January 20^th were volunteers from various Y.O.U., Inc. programs, the Department of Youth Services, the Worcester Youth Council, and the Y.O.U., Inc. Mt. Wachusett Community College Upward Bound programs, who assembled the packages. Speakers included Ernie Floyd of Pride Productions, Y.O.U., Inc. President and CEO Beth Folcarelli, and Etel Capacchione and Jenni Wiech, members of the agency’s Diversity Task Force.

From Tuesday to Thursday of that same week, Charisse and her staff delivered the Healthy You snacks, books, and classroom materials to seven grateful elementary schools in Worcester, Fitchburg and Webster.

L to R: Jorge Batista, DYS Resource Specialist and his daughter Tatiana, DYS Resource Specialist Pauline Jackman; Charisse Murphy (DYS Contract Manager and her daughter Denim Charisse delivers Healthy You! packages to the Lincoln Street School, as Principal Mary Beth Pulsifer looks on. L R: Charisse Murphy; Beth Folcarelli - President & CEO, YOU Inc., Ernie Floyd - Pride Productions; Barbara Morton - DYS Regional Director; Paul Carey - Director of Family Networks, YOU Inc.