Welcome to GSOFamilies!

Welcome to GSOFamilies - the all-inclusive resource for families in the Greensboro, NC area. Any information shared on our website, twitter page, Facebook page, or Facebook group may also be included on our website! Please see a full listing of our social media and community groups here: http://www.gsofamilies.com/p/gsofamilies-social-media-and-community.html
We’re glad you’re here!

Saturday, July 26, 2014

The Interactive Resource Center and Homelessness in Greensboro

Have you heard of the Interactive Resource Center (IRC)? Do you know much about homelessness in Greensboro? I admit, even though I consider myself to be fairly on top of what's going on in our community, I didn't know enough. I still don't know enough. However, today I had the opportunity to help move some cots into the IRC for the people who are about to be displaced by the emergency closing of Heritage House. I was helping a friend who works at the IRC with the cots, and she was kind enough to give me a tour and more information on what the IRC is and what they do for the people in our city who are managing homelessness. I was blown away by this wonderful resource center. They have amenities on site to help meet basic needs (showers, laundry, barbershop) but also provide a computer room, a mail room, a phone bank, a day room, a medical clinic, and more. They also house the Artifacts Cooperative, The Greensboro Voice, Changing Gears, and Food Not Bombs. On top of all that, they have edible landscaping and gardens.

There are plenty of ways to help the IRC throughout the year. Read about these opportunities on their website http://gsodaycenter.org/get-involved/ and http://gsodaycenter.org/support-the-irc/

However, right now, the IRC needs help! They need VOLUNTEERS, BLANKETS, SHEETS, TOWELS, PERSONAL CARE ITEMS (shampoo, soap, shaving cream, toothpaste/toothbrushes, etc), and certain kinds of NON-PERISHABLE FOODS. (IRC is not a food bank, but will be serving as an emergency shelter so their requests are specific - please email gwen@gsodaycenter.org for appropriate items).
*If you have any of these items to donate, and aren't able to travel to the IRC to drop them off, please contact me (Becky) at gsofamilies@gmail.com and I will work with you to coordinate the collection of items.

IRC #CommunityWorks

From the IRC website:
"We didn’t start this week at the IRC thinking that we would need to provide emergency beds by next week, but we are up to the challenge.

Like everyone in the great city of Greensboro, the IRC is prepared to work with our  partners and the City as we all coordinate a response to the emergency closing of Heritage House.  According to WXII, the City of Greensboro must shut down the 178 unit-building due to at least 800 code violations. Learn more about the City effort to coordinate assistance here.

The IRC is preparing to open as an Emergency Shelter to residents of Heritage House starting July 30th, 2014 when property is boarded up.  IRC staff, along with our partners at the Greensboro Housing Coalition and many other locations, will work with residents to find permanent housing solutions.

Transitioning from day services to additionally being open for nighttime emergency shelter will necessitate the IRC to operate on a 24 hour basis for the immediate future.  In preparation for the Emergency Shelter opening,  we are asking for community support at this time to help us purchase cots and bedding. #communityworks

Please consider supporting this emergency funding campaign here."




This graphic shows the services offered at the IRC:
IRC Services
This graphic shows a snapshot of what they did in January 2014 - pretty incredible, right?!

Interactive Resource Center snapshot - January 2014


Thursday, July 24, 2014

UNCG Memory Development Lab and DUCK Lab recruiting parents and children

The Memory Development Lab at UNCG collaborates with the DUCK (Development and Understanding of Children's Knowledge) Lab, another developmental lab at UNCG, to create potential opportunities for recruitment. They are a non-profit research center dedicated to the study of children’s social and cognitive development, located in the Eberhart Building at University of North Carolina Greensboro.

Our research provides insight about children’s skill and strategy development that informs educational curricula and interventions. Our studies investigate how young children develop control over their thoughts and behavior. This skill enables them to understand concepts at a deeper level and to act appropriately in many contexts. For example, we are interested in how children decide if a person is good or bad, or whether children benefit from talking to themselves.

We are also interested in how children of different ages learn about past events. To do so, we might ask children to study pictures on a computer screen, or participate in staged events in the research center. We then ask children questions about the events they experienced. We might also ask families and children to visit a local museum and take photographs. We then ask children about the events they experienced at the museum using their photographs. All of our studies involve fun games that children 
typically enjoy.

Participants in our studies are volunteers in the Greensboro community who generously offer their 

time to help us run our studies. We greatly appreciate the support that we have received from each and every parent and child in the Greensboro community!

Parents and their children are very important for their research to be successful. The studies investigate how young children develop control over their thoughts and behavior, and how children of different ages remember past events. The studies are designed to be similar to games and try to provide us insight in social and cognitive development.

From the brochure:
A typical visit to the center will begin with one of the researchers greeting you at the parking lot across from the Eberhart Building on Walker Avenue (just past Tate Street). We will have a complimentary parking pass for you. A quick elevator ride to the fifth floor will take us to the center, where we have a fun waiting room for you to relax in while your child (and their siblings) play.

During a typical session, your child will be asked to participate in short games with the researcher, such as playing with a new toy, following instructions to complete a task, or answering questions about different scenarios.

The sessions include breaks and are designed to be fun for your child. They are typically 20-45 minutes long. At the very end, your child will be given a prize as a token of our appreciation!

If you would like to be contacted about specific studies or to learn more please visit:
uncg.edu/~mdlab/signup - You can decide if you would like to participate once we contact you with more information.

In case you want more information, both labs have websites: http://www.uncg.edu/~mdlab and http://www.uncg.edu/~s_marcov/


FAQ:
If I sign up to participate, can I still say no based on my availability?
Of course! If you give us your information, we will contact you about specific studies. You can always let us know that you are busy and we will try again in the future when you are available.

Will I be compensated?
Your child will receive a snack and a small prize (e.g., toy; book) in all of our studies. A few of our studies offer monetary compensation.

Will I have to pay for parking?
No, a researcher will greet you once you arrive and you will be given a parking spot and a free parking pass near the building.

How long are the studies?
When we schedule the appointment, we will let you know how long the study will be. Studies can last between 20 to 90 minutes.

Why should I do this?
Your participation helps not only further knowledge of children's social and cognitive development, but also helps graduate and undergraduate students earn their degrees.

Do you do assessment?
We study group patterns in development but we do not diagnose or assess individual children.

What if I cannot come in during regular hours?
We will plan our schedule around yours. We can set up appointments in the evenings and on weekends.

What if we come to the center and my child doesn’t want to play?
We want this to be a FUN experience! Participation is always voluntary and if your child is not in the mood to play with us, we will follow his or her lead and end the session. Your child will get a prize regardless of whether he or she completes our tasks.


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