Woman starts support group for teenage girls

WOODBRIDGE - Four years ago, as Fords resident Shirley Genty was substitute teaching in the township school district and going to school at Rutgers University's Douglass College, she realized what her purpose in life was.

"I had in mind that I wanted to help kids," said Genty. "However, I didn't know how to go about it because I'm only one person."

Genty said she was saddened by what middle school students would tell her while she was substitute teaching.

"They would tell me about their lives and how many failures they have had," she said. "They were not having fun and not thinking of their future."

Then Genty attended a weeklong leadership seminar at her college.

"It was like leadership boot camp," she said. "There were nonstop influential women speakers, and the seminar taught you how to be a community leader within a community."

Genty said the program changed her life.

"It revved me up to want to change the world," she said. "It made me realize that I can make a difference and I can do this."

Genty started presenting the idea of a program for young girls to her classes as a substitute teacher and to her younger sister and her group of friends.

"I wanted to know if this is something these girls would want," she said. "I kind of wanted it to mirror the leadership program I attended where the girls could hold discussions on a whole array of topics and could listen to different inspirational speakers."

Genty received a positive response and decided to start the Woodbridge-based nonprofit organization Sisters of Promise in 2004.

"I decided to concentrate on helping girls who studies have shown … are at higher risk of dropping out of school due to teen pregnancy, suicide, and body image issues," she said.

The program just finished its pilot year.

"It took a year to get all the paperwork to go through, and then we set up a small group of girls and built a curriculum of what interested them," she said. "During the pilot run, we saw what worked and what didn't work."

Currently, the program has 15 girls ages 11-15.

"The girls represent all the middle schools and high schools in Woodbridge," she said. "We also have a large group of women mentors and coordinators, which I have been so blessed with."

Genty said the girls meet during the regular school year from September to June biweekly from 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays at the Woodbridge Community Center, 600 Main St.

"We have a whole array of sister talk sessions on topics including attitude and bullying," she said. "We would provide different speakers to come in and talk to the girls."

Genty and her volunteers promote Sisters of Promise at the open houses at the schools and the first sister talk session will be held Sept. 22.

Genty said she tries to make the sessions fun for the girls, including a session where the girls and their mentors wear pajamas and bunny slippers.

"This way the girls can feel more comfortable," she said. "And we also provide refreshments."

The girls also do special community impact projects throughout the year, including participating in the annual Breast Cancer Walk, sending cards to area troops at war, and clothing drives for the homeless.

In June, Genty said, she holds a Family Day-themed picnic for the girls featuring refreshments and a speaker.

"I tracked down Jasmine Lawrence, who I had seen on Oprah," she said. "She was so inspirational to me that I wanted the girls to meet her."

Lawrence, 15, is the CEO and founder of Eden Body Works, named for the Garden of Eden, where everything is pure and natural. Her business stems from an accident when she was 13 years old when her hair fell out after a chemical perm went horribly wrong.

"The girls loved seeing Jasmine, and she showed the girls that they can follow their dreams and succeed," said Genty. "They can always do what they plan on doing as long as they stay positive. We made Jasmine an honorary member of Sisters of Promise."

Genty was named program coordinator for the township Municipal Drug Alliance Program on Aug. 22, which is a division of the Department of Health and Human Services.

The program, which is involved in community-based treatment and education, is funded by a grant from the Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse.

"This is like Christmas in August," said Genty. "I'm on cloud nine. My passion is helping the young people, and now that I know what my passion is, it's about finding ways to fulfill it."

Genty said she is looking forward to working in the position.

"This will provide more resources for the young people, about drugs and alcohol, which I haven't covered much with Sisters of Promise," she said. "Also, I get to work with both boys and girls."

Genty said it's hard juggling her new full-time job and her nonprofit organization, but she said it's well worth it.

"I was driving in my car one day and I was so tired," said Genty. "I told myself, 'Shirley, you should just quit the organization because you are tired and you could be doing something else,' but then I started to hyperventilate. I thought if I never did this, I would have never met the girls or the volunteers. I get so emotional when the girls, who are phenomenal, tell me their accomplishments. I realized this is truly my passion and it's a blessing."

For more information about Sisters of Promise, contact the program's coordinator, Denise Gable, at (732) 346-1319 or e-mail her at dgable@sistersofpromise.org, or e-mail Shirley Genty at sgenty@sistersofpromise. org.