PVHC Expansion Mentor-Work Program for Bucks County Special Needs Youths
Project Narrative
PVHC has partnered with Bucks County to rehab a second property (the old Bucks County Crime Lab, in Levittown.) A long term lease was acquired to transform this abandoned property, into a Mentor/Work learning based Program that will benefit the under-served at-risk Special Needs/ADHD population in Bucks County. We will focus on youths/young adults between the ages of 17/18 to 28.
The goal of mentoring, empowering, and supporting this talented, bright, & often forgotten population will be done through fostering character development, setting goals & facilitating follow-through-with a reward system, as well as learning interpersonal communications, coping skills, & other life/vocational skills. This will be done through learning how to work in the back of the house & the front of the house, in this Coffee Café Program (which will be opened to the public, to also create integrated employment awareness & inclusion in the Community.)
Youths/Young Adults will enter the Apprenticeship Program through Bucks County School Districts (the first being Neshaminy School District), as well as Bucks County Agencies, & Bucks County Nonprofits.
We will also be encouraging our youths to express/showcase their artistic talents through hanging their artwork, playing music, & more.
Community Benefits
This Program will lessen Youths/Young Adults coping through self-medicating, dropping out of school, juvenile delinquency, suicide, and possibly ending up in Prison, due to a downward spiral. This will be done through mentoring, and helping to foster self respect, empowerment, a positive self worth, focus, & building a commitment to stay on task/track to achieve ongoing positive momentum forward in their life.
According to NAMI significantly more males diagnosed with ADHD in childhood have been arrested, convicted and incarcerated than their peers with no diagnosis. Youth detained in juvenile facilities are more likely to engage in substance abuse and to live with ADHD or disruptive behavior disorders than any other combination.
Thirty two percent of students living with ADHD drop out of high school compared to 15 percent of teens with no mental health diagnosis. Youth living with ADHD have the onset of substance use disorder, at younger ages and at higher rates than their same gender peers.
The program will last from two semesters to two years-depending on need. Once through the mentor/work program, we will create a well needed support network through social media, with other work program alumni, area Chefs from, ACF, BCCC, and MBIT. Through this legacy network, we will try also seek job placement with Employers such as Star Bucks (who has already written a letter of support for this Program, as has BCCC, & MBIT.)
Organization History
PVHC helps autistic & all special needs children/youth maximize their potential, & integrate into mainstream society. We also place a special emphasis on empowering the whole family, alleviate stress, & develop coping skills. Dr. Davis, a Naturopath physician/researcher/instructor discovered that delivering certain holistic therapies to special needs children/youth, particularly those with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) produced positive behavioral outcomes. Wanting to help as many children/youth as possible she founded PVHC. With volunteers and the donation of nearly $50,000 in labor and materials, she rehabilitated a dilapidated 243-year-old farmhouse in Chalfont, PA, to create a peaceful holistic therapy center. Our Center has a three-pronged approach:
- We educate families in coping skills, stress management and natural food diets and provide holistic therapies like Audio/Sound Therapy, Color Light Therapy and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) for children/youth with special needs.
- We deliver complementary care to the families of these children, including therapeutic massage, stress management, relaxation methodology, Audio Therapy, NLP, & QiGong (needleless acupuncture) to alleviate stress.
- Our education law attorney counsels and educates parents of special needs children about their child’s legal right to an appropriate education.
Capital Improvement Rehab
We are Extremely THANKFUL to our County Partners, Grantors, Generous Sponsors, & UBER Dedicated Volunteers, None of this would be Possible without YOU!!! From complete interior demolition to a brand new EVERYTHING (i.e. roof, HVAC system, windows, plumbing, electric, carpentry work, dry wall, exterior painting & flashing, equipment, storage of equipment, lighting, flooring, furniture, counters, etc…)
Please see our Photos to fully understand the progress that has been made in this project’s successful upward trajectory to repurpose a once blighted building, & turn it into a place of Hope for our Community.
Wish List
View Our Wish List
Sponsor List
- Mr. and Mrs. Buz Harris
- Gardner Fox & Associates
- Mr. and Mrs. Watson and Family
- Foundations Community Partnership
- County of Bucks
- Corporate Executive Chef Carmen Borgia
- Mr. Howard Lichtenstein
- Ernest Bock & Sons Inc, Tom Bock
- DPE Plumbing, Dave Ellinger
- Enerplex Mechanical, Tom Hughes
- QPI Electric
- Laborers Union #332
- John McCarty
- John & Cherrie Stroebel
- John Urban
- Noel Crespo
- Concrete Cutting Systems, Inc., & President, David J. Nevrotski
- The Wawa Foundation
- Renewal by Andersen
- VIV Brothers Company
- Labov Plumbing
- Victor Cruise
- Ferry Fence, Jim Ferry
- SE2 Engineers
- Jay Rosen
- Retirees of Ernest Bock & Sons
- Greenwich Glass
- Burt Dameika
- CTS & Joe DeVito
- Sherri Cook
- KR Capaldi, Inc.
- John Lemly, Dave Bobst, Jimmy Amato, & Robert Fred
- Monty Farley
- Gerry Glenn
- Lou Citro
- Bob O’Donnell
- Steve Carlin, Electrician
- Ron Moore
- Erin O’Brien
- Chris Fiegel
- Union Local 2011 Painting Apprentices
- Miguel Figueroa
- Cynthia Patterson (Thank you for your Beautiful drawing!!)
- Chris Magurity
- Jeff Healy
- Cynthia Patterson
- The Independence Blue Cross & Ken O’Donnell
- The Blue Crew: Matt Lynch, Josh Danridge, Stan Koper Jr, Mark Sobieski, James Scarpella
- Cassidy Fries
- Nicholas Disammartino
- Ed Collet
- Santbir Chawla
- Jim Bayer (& The Electrician’s Union)
- Nick Davis
- Zach Marro
- John Rocco
- Neshaminy HS Students & Life Coaches 2023
- Bucks County Redevelopment Authority
- Hulmeville Borough
- Child Development Foundation
- Parx Casino
Photos
View the progress of the new facility.
Letters of Suport
View the Letters of Support we have received.
Article from Bucks County Magazine
Ready more about the Cafe Program.
