One in four high school students in America drops out of high school before getting a sheepskin, according to CBS.
It’s a recipe for a lifetime of dead-ends and despair.
But a public-private partnership called NewBridge Services Inc., led by Morristown resident Bob Parker, is tackling the problem head-on.
The Pompton Plains nonprofit, established in 1963, provides training and job leads for dropouts–some 85 percent of them continue to college or vocational school, according to a profile by CBS News.
“Six to 12 months ago they were sleeping late,” Bob told CBS. “And their parents were pulling their hair. And all of a sudden they’re in a cap and gown walking in front of a crowd of people applauding and saying, ‘You did it! You did it!'”
Since Bob became executive director 20 years ago, NewBridge has added a range of programs, including assisted living programs for seniors, substance abuse and counseling programs, prevention and education programs, and play therapy for children. NewBridge employs more than 175 professionals at 20 locations in Morris and Passaic Counties.
One of Bob’s urgent missions now is to replace the loss of a major funding source; NewBridge has launched a donor drive to keep its services going strong.
NewBridge aims “to bring balance to people’s lives though mental health, substance abuse, housing, senior and youth services,” he told MorristownGreen.com.
Bob, who has a master’s degree in public administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, said he enjoys the challenge of “adding value to the community by providing innovative and creative services.”
Along those lines, he has served on numerous mental health boards and task forces. He also has been active in Morristown, where his years of crusading paid off in 2010 and 2011 with the allocation of $354,000 in state and county funds to create a two-acre park on Hillcrest Avenue.
