ISSUES & SUPPORT
You arrived at a place to turn for comfort, support, and informational resources in a welcoming and non-judgemental environment. These are your memories and StJosephsVillage.com is your link to your past. If you are looking for a walk down memory lane, we hope that we do that well elsewhere on this site, but if you need closure and a place to turn, this page is here with caring and open minds.
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Connecting With Others - Join "Village Memories" on Facebook
This is a discussion group for anyone who ever lived, worked, or visited St. Joseph's village. Reunite with childhood friends and aquaintences; stay informed about reunions; remember and discuss memories of the sisters and lay staff, events and field trips, and things that we did during our stay; recall funny and memorable moments; let others know where life took us before and after the Village; discuss feelings about being an orphan, the loss of one of your parents, locating birth family; and traumatic experiences at the Village. Additions and changes to this website are also announced on this board as well as upcoming events of the alumni group.[go there]
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Growing Up in an Orphanage
Here you will find a documentary movie about the myths, truths, and history of orphanages. It goes into great detail about growing up in an orpahanage.
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TO COME: The plan is to add an article in this spot that discusses the issues many face having been an orphan or having to leave a home situation and thus living in an orphanage for any time. In addition to discussing the emotional issues this article will provide links and resources directly related to this concern. If you are interested in writing or contributing to such a piece, please contact Jim Brown at: jimbrown@optisonics.com -
Resources for Those Who Had Tramatic Experiences
There are some former residents who claim they have been victims of a variety of physical and sexual abuses during their stay at the Village. This page provides links and other information so that these alumni can gain the much needed support and closure they seek.
Included in this article is a reference guide to: discussion and support groups, sexual abuse in the church, sexual abuse survivors' support groups and advovates, psychological resources, DNA testing, articles pertaining to abuse issues, and links to organizations for addictions and domestic violence help.
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Obtaining Your Records From St. Joseph's Village
The sisters are glad to help you with a genuine need for your records. To protect privacy they ask that you follow this simple procedure. To obtain your records from the St. Joseph Village for Dependent Children, you must send a NOTARIZED letter by post office mail to: Patricia Weidner, Administrative Assistant, Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, Shalom Center - 399 Hudson Terrace, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632. Please state your full name that you were known as while at the Village and include your present address and/or telephone number. Please note that records can only be mailed directly to the individual person who had been a dependent child at the Village and not to any siblings or relatives. If a former resident is deceased, the executor or administrator of the estate may request the information by notarized letter. If you have any questions, you may e-mail them to paweidner@verizon.net. Please be patient as this search must be done within their busy schedule.
Records are sketchy and only list some basic information such as name, date and place of birth, parental names, family background, sacraments received, accademic record, dates of admission and discharge, and a brief circumstances for placement.
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Finding Your Birth Family
This section provides basic information on starting your search to find your birth family for medical records and to connect with blood lineage.[read]