The Arbor - June 2011

The June issue of The Arbor includes a story by Elder Monte J. Brough about a man he taught on his mission who prayerfully tried to inventory and ask forgiveness for all his sins before baptism, a great example of humbling ourselves before the Lord in order to be free of our past mistakes and errors.

Also find a current list of all face-to-face and telephone meetings in our area.

Job-search Advice

In a Wall Street Journal op-ed Adam Friedman gives "some commonsense job-search advice for new graduates," which is good advice for anyone in "Don't Wear Flip-Flops to the Interview."

The Arbor - May 2011

The lead article in the May issue of The Arbor describes how a family support group blessed the life of one sister whose life had dealt her a series of severe blows.  Through participating in the family support group she was able to feel hope again and return fully to her church family and church activity.

Family support groups are not for recovering addicts, but for those whose lives are so profoundly affected by the addictions of loved ones—spouse, children, or close friends.  In addition, a family support group can bring the healing blessings of the Atonement to any who feel despair because of their circumstances.

The Arbor lists both face-to-face and telephone call-in family support groups available in our area, as well as Addiction Recovery Program meetings.

The Arbor - April 2011

The April edition of The Arbor suggests some simple ways we can improve our lives by turning them to the Savior.  Also see a current list of meetings by phone or in person.

The Arbor - March 2011

The March edition of The Arbor includes an article on using the steps of recovery to heal a marriage, and another on learning to rely on the Lord's Spirit for hope and healing.  As always, it also includes a list of telephone and in-person recovery meetings.

New Therapist

Sister Heather Putney, MFT, is now working as a new part-time therapist for LDS Family Services in Pittsburgh.

 

Heather is a Marriage and Family Therapist who got her degree from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, in 2010.  She completed her internship with LDS Family Services in Nashua, NH.  Heather and her husband recently relocated to the Pittsburgh area and are members of the Pittsburgh 1^st Ward. 

Heather’s clinical areas of interest include: Couple’s and Family Therapy as well as Adoption, Foster Care and Infertility.

Contact Heather at 304-216-8287 (evenings and weekends) or by email at hputney@gmail.com.

Stake Employment Resource Services

After four years of faithful and effective service Brother Ken Soenen has been released as the stake employment specialist.  With Brother Soenen's release we are going to take a somewhat different approach to supporting employment resource services in the stake.  Evan Stoddard of the stake high council, Brother Mark Bondiett of the Washington Ward (newly called and set apart as a stake employment specialist), and Brother Tom Gearhart of the Pittsburgh Seventh Ward (who serves as stake employment secretary), will constitute a team of specialists to assist the ward and branch employment specialists, and Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society leaders in their responsibility to offer employment resource services to the members of their wards and branches.

Where ward or branch employment specialists are serving they will work directly with them.  In units where there is no employment specialist they will work directly with the Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society leaders to offer training and support.  You can contact members of the stake employment by email or phone:

Evan Stoddard    412-431-7188
Mark Bondiett    412-996-8200
Tom Gearhart     412-596-7734

You can call on them to assist where there is need for training or support in employment resource services.  Also take advantage of www.ldsjobs.org.  Encourage those who are seeking employment to register there, complete a profile, and make full use of the excellent training materials they will find there.