TRENTON GROUP
CHANGES NAME, NOT MISSION
November 28, 2007
- A lot of changes happened in 150 years. Eighteen Trenton church
women, in 1859, founded the Union Industrial Home for Destitute Children,
an orphanage for children struggling to survive in a newly industrialized
society.
Today, the organization, which remains in the city of its founding, has
branched into parenting education, household management, child
development, and computer literacy training among many other programs.
For one more change,
yesterday at City Hall the organization heretofore known as simply UIH
officially announced a name change to UIH Family Partners.
Development Specialist
Claire E. Walton said UIH had been familiar name among other nonprofit
groups. "But no one knew what we did because it sounds like a
workhouse, right?" she said.
The "Family
Partners" label accentuates the work the organization does for all
members of the family. Among programs for mothers and children,
Executive Director Zuline Gray Wilkinson said UIH Family Partners has had
great success with its Fatherhood Programs. "It's unique,"
she said. "We actually have been providing services for men
since the early '90s." The three programs assist fathers with
employment and parenting skills.
Two individuals out of
the 1,000 families that Wilkinson estimates UIH Family Partners helps out
every year were on hand for the news conference and celebration
yesterday.
Ten years ago, Karin
Johnson was taking parenting classes at UIH with her young child.
Today, the mother of two holds an associate degree from Mercer County
Community College and will graduate with a bachelor's degree in business
management from Thomas Edison State College in May.
A few years ago,
Eugene Hemingway was laid up from a work injury and facing family
problems. He entered the fatherhood programs at UIH Family
Partners. "They took us out and introduced you to a lot of
people," Hemingway said. Now, he is part of the information
technology department for the state public defender's office,
troubleshooting in locations around the state.
Wilkinson said UIH
Family Partners will continue its work in Trenton. "We're
really looking to expand the work we do with men," she said.
Also on tap may be assistance to people recently released from
prison. In a sentence, she summed up the organization's
mission. "People can move beyond where they were and they can
become full, productive members of society," she said.
The Times, By Alex
Zdan, Staff Writer
For more information
about UIH Family Partners, please contact Zuline Gray Wilkinson, UIH
Executive Director, at (609) 695-1492.
