Hear about WYS’ exciting interview on WATR’s Talk of the Town
On December 1st, 2022, Waterbury Youth Services' Director of Program Operations, Olivia Dudley and Director of Philanthropy and Grants, Judy Perrin, were guests on WATR Radio's Talk of the Town with Steve Noxon. Talk of the Town, an exciting, fast-paced radio talk show, airs on WATR 1320am and 97.7 FM from 10am to 1pm eastern out of Waterbury, CT. It is one of the longest-running talk shows in Connecticut.
Steve Noxon, with his fast paced, intelligent, perceptive, and knowledgeable style, gave listeners an honest and forthright glimpse into the work that Waterbury Youth Services (WYS) has been doing for 46 years to help Waterbury's youth.
Waterbury Youth Services (WYS) purpose and goal has always been to help youth and their families learn the skills they need to be more successful at home, school, in the workplace and throughout the community. Serving 1000 youth and their families annually, 97% live below the federal poverty level, 52% are Hispanic/Latino, and 80% are youth of color. WYS’ philosophy and programs transform how young people experience learning and relationships with adults, their peers, and themselves. The architecture for all of their programs is the Positive Youth Development model which emphasizes building a young person’s strengths. WYS remains consistently youth focused and is led by its mission - Guiding youth to discover their unique talents and potential for success, One Life at a Time.
In answer to Steve's question to Olivia and Judy about why they work at Waterbury Youth Services, Olivia shared that she was born in Waterbury and one of her passions is building the community in which she was raised. She has worked at WYS for 8 years and is totally committed to the programs WYS offers and the positive impact these programs have on young people. Judy shared that she grew up in Waterbury and has been with WYS for 4 years. She is passionate about fundraising for programs to benefit Waterbury’s youth. She said that she wishes she knew of Waterbury Youth Services when she was growing up here - it would have helped her tremendously to better understand herself, accept herself, and realize her potential.
Some of the programs that were highlighted and discussed were our Truancy Prevention Program, works to reduce unexcused absences, which will encourage completion in school and furthering education; Linking Academics to Life (LAL), a unique college, career and life readiness after school program for high school youth; Study and Transcend Institutional Racism (STIR), a program for young people to understand the history of Black and Indigenous Persons of Color to enable them to promote community and cultural change; Child Advocacy Center (CAC), works to investigate and prosecute cases where child sexual abuse or serious physical abuse is alleged or suspected; Community Housing Assistance Program & Community Housing Employment Enrichment Program (CHAP/CHEER), helps young adults transition from foster care; Youth & Family Emergency Services (YFES), works with youth and their families experiencing severe conflict or crisis warranting immediate intervention; and Mentoring, designed to assist youth in acquiring knowledge, building character, and developing life skills in a fun learning environment.
If you’d like to know more about our programs and how we serve youth and families of Waterbury, please visit our programs section on our website.
If you’d like to join us in our mission by becoming a mentor, making a donation, or joining our team, please click on the hyper links.
On behalf of our team at Waterbury Youth Services, we thank Steve and the WATR team for having us on the air.
Note: Olivia and Judy had a great time talking about their drive and passion for our town, the people in it, and the youth that are the future of Waterbury.