This Friday, Judy Wroda from Southwestern Independent Living Center’s No Wrong Door / NY Connects Program, will be at the Brocton School hosting an event called “Family Connections.”

This event — which will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. — is in conjunction with the Service Providers of Chautauqua events that Wroda has developed, connecting the people of Chautauqua County with service providers and organizations that can assist them.

The “Family Connections” event is unique in that it is focusing on the needs of the children and students of Chautauqua County. Wroda has put together this event to allow parents, grandparents, schools and children to meet the service providers who are available to assist with their specific needs. Wroda stated, “There are so many organizations that can assist a student, but it is surprising how many students and their families are not aware of the services that are available to them. This is the reason I have developed this event — to connect students to service providers so the student has the assistance they need to be successful in school and have a successful transition into adulthood, and life after school.”

Wroda states that there are a variety of factors that effect a student, such as home environment, cultural differences, personal issues, school environment. Wroda points out that there things effecting our students that we all may not be aware of or understand. Some students have to stay at home to care for siblings or grandparents while the parents work, some students work to help provide money for the family to live, some students choose not to go to school as they do not understand the lessons that are being taught, some students do not like school as they have not found their niche and feel isolated. These are areas that Wroda is attempting to address by holding the Service Providers of Chautauqua events and now, the “Family Connections” events.

To make this event a success, Wroda states she needs service providers to come and attend, visit with the students and parents, grandparents, family friends, and inform them of the services they have to offer to assist the child in being successful while attending school and after they graduate. The one idea that Wroda is insistent on conveying is that success for the child is determined by every aspect of the child’s life. With this she states that she would like to see providers there that have an impact on the family as well as the child, such as employment agencies in case the parent is looking for work, child services agencies in case the child is presenting with a learning difficulty, child advocacy groups for the children who are living with a disability and who are failing in, or need assistance within, the educational and home setting. Wroda would like to see youth programs, physicians offices, law enforcement, specialized agencies that deal with autism, downs syndrome and other issues that pertain to children, to also become involved in this event.

Any agency that would touch the life of the child and their family in some way is encouraged to attend this first “Family Connections” event on May 31 at the Brocton School. If you would like to be a part of this outreach to the community, please contact Judy Wroda at 661-3010 or at 450-3960. There will be snacks, children’s BINGO games and door prizes, as well as beneficial information and guidance offered at this event.