Lesley Stahl

VINELAND – Legendary broadcast journalist Lesley Stahl will deliver the keynote address at a one-day conference, “Working Together For Working Families: The Whole Family Approach” presented by the Pascale Sykes Foundation Thursday, Feb. 13 at Rowan College of South Jersey’s Luciano Center.

Doctors Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt and George Jenkins, fondly known as “The Three Doctors,” will also be featured presenters. New Jersey Department of Children and Families Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer and New Jersey Transportation Department Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti will introduce the conference’s Whole Family Approach morning and afternoon panel discussions.

The 2020, one-day conference will focus on how the foundation’s acclaimed whole family approach, a preventive rather than crisis-driven approach, is strengthening America’s low-income, working-class families. The family-led strategy that provides adults and children with the tools and social support to collectively set life goals, create actionable plans, and achieve those goals. When the whole family works together to support each other’s goals, long-term change, stability and well-being become a reality.

New Jersey Department of Children and Families Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer and New Jersey Transportation Department Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti will introduce the conference’s Whole Family Approach morning and afternoon panel discussions.

Stahl, the co-editor of CBS 60 Minutes, the longest running news magazine on television, will be the conference’s keynote luncheon speaker and participate in a special family-focused Q&A following her presentation.

After four decades as a reporter, Stahl says the most vivid and transforming experience of her life was becoming a grandmother. Stahl’s “Becoming Grandma: The Joys and Science of the New Grandparenting,” was released April 2016. The New York Times best-seller explores how grandparenting changes your life for the better with personal stories and interviews with famous and the not-so-famous grandmothers, as well as scientists and historians.

The Three Doctors, Sampson Davis, Rameck Hunt and George Jenkins.

The Three Doctors will be featured as part of a morning plenary session and then serve on the conference’s morning panel, entitled, “The Whole Family Approach in Action.” The Three Doctors, who are extraordinary role models for anyone who’s been through any kind of life challenge or major hardship, grew up on the inner city streets of Newark and vowed to stick together, go to college, graduate, and become doctors. Now many years later, these three men have overcome countless obstacles and proudly bear the subtitle of doctor, serving as the face of health and education for youth and families across our country.

The foundation’s Whole Family Approach grantees, including the Child Connection Center, Connecting Families to Communities, Familia Adelante/Family Forward, Families for Literacy, Families in Motion, Families to College, Family Strengthening Network, First Star, Stronger Families, Unidos para la Familia, will take part in the conference via video and photo presentations, individual displays, and the grantee-led breakout sessions.

Other Foundation grantees that will be in attendance and participating in the conference will include People for People Foundation, Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring, South Jersey Transportation Authority, Greater Bridgeton Area Transit, English Creek-Tilton Road Community Shuttle, Pureland East-West Community Shuttle, the 54/50 Community Shuttle, NJCC and New Jersey’s Heartland.

The Pascale Sykes Foundation builds strong families by advocating for and funding innovative, holistic social and economic programs that transform the lives of working, low-income families.

For additional information visit PascaleSykesFoundation.com. For specific information about The Whole Family Approach, visit WholeFamilyApproach.org.

 


Nanette LoBiondo Galloway

Award winning journalist covering news, events and people of Atlantic County for more than 20 years.