RELEASE: January 7, 2004

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Wall High School students to finish painting Northern Monmouth DYFS visitation room

RED BANK, NJ – In October they began by painting a blue sky and green grass on one stark white wall of the DYFS Northern Monmouth District Office visitation room. Gradually, coming after school hours, a handful of high school students from Wall High School have painted the whole windowless room with Disney characters and nature scenes so that youngsters who are under the care of the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) can visit with their families in a warm, welcoming room.

The Wall High School students began putting the finishing touches to complete their mural at the DYFS District Office in Red Bank on Tuesday, January 13, with reporters from the Asbury Park Press, the Atlantic Highlands Herald and 101.5 FM – WOBM noting their progress.

Resource Development Specialist for the District Office, Jo Pohl, said “It is beautiful! The children visiting their parents have enjoyed watching the progression of the work. One child stated ‘this week the lion has eyes now!’ The high school students are also going to add three dimensional butterflies hanging from the ceiling.”

Pohl continued, “With the bright new mural, plus the mini-library of over 300 books that Bridge of Books furnished for us in August, the room has become conducive to positive family visits, which ultimately helps the children who have been removed from their biological families and put under foster care.”

	(l. to r.) Wall High School seniors Jacki Betts, 17, and Mollie Weiss, Kelly Cahill and Christina Bellers, all 18, rest in front of the colorful wall murals they have painted for the Northern Monmouth DYFS visitation room so that youngsters under the care of DYFS can visit with their families in a warm, comfortable room. The girls paid for all the paint and materials themselves and since October 2003 have donated many hours after school to complete their painting project. The colorful bookshelf containing 300 books, donated by the Bridge of Books Foundation in August, completes the transformation of the windowless room of stark white walls.
(l. to r.) Editor and e-publisher of the Atlantic Highlands Herald, Allan Dean, interviews Wall HS seniors Jacki Betts, Mollie Weiss, Kelly Cahill and Christina Bellero in front of another mural scene, painted by the teens for the Northern Monmouth DYFS visitation room in Red Bank.
	(l to r.): Jacki, Mollie, Kelly and Christina chat with one of the youngsters in DYFS care who has come to visit her parents at the Northern Monmouth DYFS District Office in Red Bank.