 
Philadelphia Mayor Nutter Proclaims March 2009 as
Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Month
(Philadelphia Proclamation - Printable PDF Format - 289kb)
The Honorable Michael A. Nutter has proclaimed March 2009 as Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Month in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The proclamation is the result of close collaboration between the Mayor’s Office and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF) Region III office.
The impetus for the proclamation is a 2007 Memorandum of Understanding between ACF and the National Conference of Black Mayors. The focus of the MOU is to develop strategies for achieving child well-being, recognizing children do best when raised by both parents in a committed, healthy marriage.
The proclamation emphasizes the importanceof two-parent, married families that represent a desirable environment for raising children. A key component of Welfare Reform, the Healthy Marriage Initiative helps couples who have chosen marriage for themselves gain greater access to marriage education services on a voluntary basis. Available research points to a strong correlation between family structure and the social and economic well-being of children. The Responsible Fatherhood Initiative 1) promotes fatherhood by helping fathers improve their relationships especially within the context of marriage, and 2) reconnect with their children.
The following events and activities support the Mayor’s Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Proclamation. We are also providing information on programs offered in support of this initiative. Details will be updated as they become available.
MARCH
- On March 4, OIC of America, Inc. Healthy Marriage Education Project presents the 3rd Annual Health Relationship Education & Awareness Youth Summit. The Summit is for High School students and will be held at the Temple University Student Activities Center from 12:00 – 6:00 pm. For more information, please go to: http://www.pamrc.com/calendar/youth-summit.htm
- On March 12, the Greater Philadelphia Healthy Marriage Coalition (GPHMC) will hold its 2009 Annual Meeting at the Waterworks (near the Art Museum). It will be a luncheon from 12:00 – 2:30 pm and will provide Coalition members with the opportunity to present their “works in progress,” as well as highlight Date Night and a new program "Marriage - Is it Just a piece of paper?"
- On March 18, Resources for Children's Health, an ACF grantee, will host a Healthy Marriage/Responsible Fatherhood Proclamation Luncheon. The luncheon will feature fathers who have completed the Focus on Fathers program and the positive impact the program has had on helping fathers build and improve relationships with their children. The event will be held at the Achieving Reunification Center, 714 Market Street – fifth floor, from 1:00 – 3:00 pm.
- On March 23, 4EverMarriages and Families will celebrate National Black Marriage Day. Black churches and organizations will be encouraged to celebrate Black marriages in the community.
- On March 24, Esperanza will be hosting a meeting of the Hispanic Clergy of Philadelphia where they will introduce its new curriculum for Healthy Marriage Education. The curriculum is culturally sensitive and is produced in both English and Spanish.
- Boat People SOS, Inc. is pleased to engage in the following activities:
Collaborate with two Vietnamese Christian Healthy Marriage programs in the Greater Philadelphia area to show the movie “Fireproof” to community/congregation leaders, and discuss efforts to show the movie to five Catholic and two Baptist congregations. The movie features a couple on the brink of divorce and their efforts to save their marriage.
Publish Philadelphia Mayor Nutter’s Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood March Proclamation in the Mach-Song newspaper, the national paper of Boat People SOS. Will also explore publication in three weekly Vietnamese magazines in the Greater Philadelphia/NJ/DE areas.Boat People SOS National Coordinator, Mr. Francis Pham, plans to promote the Proclamation on his local weekly radio talk show in Vietnamese.
FUTURE EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
- On April 4, 4EverMarriages and Families will conduct capacity workshops that will feature guest speakers Dr. Rosario Slack and Dr. Nisa Muhammed (invited). The purpose of the event is to provide educational workshops as well as celebrate the accomplishments of Black Marriage Day in the Philadelphia Northeast corridor.
- On May 30, Esperanza will be introducing its first Date Night event. They will bring a Healthy Marriage Educator to conduct the workshop for the Hispanic Clergy during the day using our new curriculum. Date Night will culminate with a romantic dinner and music celebration. The event will serve as a kick-off of workshops available to the Hispanic Clergy leaders in Philadelphia, Reading, Allentown, Lancaster,
and Bethlehem.
- On May 30, 4EverMarriages and Families is sponsoring Date Night, which is a quarterly event that is held on the fifth Saturday of the month. This is an opportunity for married couples with or without children to have a night out together to enjoy many of the city’s attractions, some at discounted prices or even for free. For couples with children, babysitting is often provided by local churches at no cost.
PROGRAMS OFFERED
For more details on the following and related programs, please go to the Philadelphia Area Marriage Resource Center (PAMRC) website at: http://www.pamrc.com/. The PAMRC, which is sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Healthy Marriage Coalition (GPHMC), is a web-based resource that has been created to help couples in the Delaware Valley strengthen their relationships. New program additions are welcome from various groups.
MARCH
Premarital Workshop
March 14, 2009
Hosted by: Wissahickon Faith Community Association
Will by held at Boehm's UCC, Blue Bell
9 AM – 3:30 PM
Workshop Leader: Peggy Vertreace, D. Min.
This workshop will provide couples who are planning to marry an opportunity to explore and understand the strengths of their relationship as well as identify areas to strengthen based on an inventory that all couples will complete prior to the workshop. Couples will also learn key concepts and skills for enhancing communication and addressing differences.
Workshop Fee: $150/couple
To register contact Rita DeMaria, Ph.D. 215-628-2450
Annual Marriage Enrichment Retreat
March 20 -22, 2009
Hosted by: Upper Dublin Lutheran Church, Ambler
Instructors: Lisa and George Clark, Carol and Al Douglass, and Danielle and Terry Yemm.
The 2009 Marriage Enrichment Retreat will help couples learn about the stages of marriage and how each marriage evolves through seven natural stages, each with unique challenges, pleasures and missions to be accomplished. The Retreat will be held at the Inns of Ocean Grove located in central New Jersey. In addition to the program, there will be plenty of time for long walks on the beach, bike riding on the boardwalk or strolling along Main Avenue featuring Ocean Grove's many quaint antique and specialty shops.
Retreat Cost: $375 including program, rooms, breakfast, lunch and dinner
To register contact: UDLC, 215-646-7999
How Relationship Education Can Help
A FREE program 7:00 – 8:30 PM
Thursday, March 12
Hosted by Council for Relationships, Concordville office
Love, Sex and Romance
March 31, 2009
7:00 – 9:00 PM
Hosted by: Council for Relationships, Spring House office
Workshop Leader: Rita DeMaria, Ph.D., LMFT, LSW
Is it possible to have a loving, sexual, romantic relationship for a lifetime? That’s what many people hope for. In this workshop you will learn about the stages of love relationships as well as ways to keep your relationship passionate.
Workshop Cost: $25/person, $50/couple
To register contact Rita DeMaria, Ph.D. 215-628-2450
P.A.I.R.S. (Practical Application of Intimate Relationship Skills) Relationship Roadmap Course
PAIRS teaches specific easily learnable tools for successful communication such as confiding, complaining, and clarifying and for effective problems solving such as managing anger, expressing anger safely, fighting fairly for change and eliminating dirty fighting. The goal of PAIRS is to teach those attitudes emotional understandings and behaviors that nurture and sustain healthy marital and family relationships.
March 7, 2009: 9:00am – 5:00pm
March 14, 2009: 9:00am – 5:00pm
March 21, 2009 9:00am – 5:00pm
TRAINING LOCATION:
Mt Airy Church of God in Christ
401 Ogontz Avenue (19126)
Workshop Cost = $350 per couple/ $200 single
To register, or for more information on 4EverMarriages/Families: Please contact Rob Harrison: Phone: 267-470-4918; Fax: 267-470-4920. Email – info@4evermarriages.org ; Web site: www.4evermarriages.org