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Our Programs |
Success
Stories
Lindsay reports: throughout my first five months
as INSTEP’s Family Support Advocate, I have learned about the
overwhelmingly stressful circumstances in which many INSTEP families
live. I have noticed that many of the families provide mutual support
to each other, and I have also become aware of the sincere gratitude
parents have for the support INSTEP provides. In my position, I have
been able to offer even more support to INSTEP families by inviting them
to individual family meetings to discuss their needs and goals,
connecting parents to valuable, accessible community resources, and
being available to help with referrals, scheduling appointments,
paperwork and translating important information. In my work with INSTEP
families, I’ve experienced success as well as many challenges. The
following are a few
anecdotes about my experiences with INSTEP families:
One mother I am working with has been on what
seems to be an interminable job search. She is from Guatemala and has
been in the US for about 4 years. About three months ago she found a
job bussing tables at a restaurant, but only worked for a couple of
days, as the manager wanted her to work 10 hours a day for $4.00 an
hour. Understandably, she did not want to be taken advantage of.
Currently, she is taking summer English and computer classes and
volunteering at INSTEP while she continues her search for a part-time
job that is near her home. I continue to support her in filling out
applications when she needs it, coaching her on her interview skills and
pointing her in the direction of local employment agencies and job
postings. Her progress in English, positive attitude and the trust she
has displayed in me have been inspiring.
Another family of four (mom, dad, 3 year old
daughter and 11-month old son) currently live in a small apartment with
another family. They are originally from Mexico and are a very united,
affectionate family. They currently live in a small apartment with
another family and wish to find better jobs (mom is currently
unemployed, and dad is doing factory work part-time) and move on to a
place for themselves. Last spring I provided them with resources about
low-cost housing, as well as made referrals to job counseling programs.
Just recently I spoke with mom, who told me the family will be moving
soon to a new apartment by themselves, would like to find jobs near
their new place, and plan on returning to English classes this fall at
In Style. I will be working with them again this fall.
In April, as I was beginning at INSTEP, a single
mother from West Africa who was studying English at In Style arrived
with her four-year-old twins. At the time, she was struggling with many
things in her life, including disciplining her children and preparing
them for Kindergarten. She also wanted to find better housing, as a lot
of violence and other crime was happening at her apartment, which her
children sometimes witnessed. She wanted to find a better paying job,
with more hours. Two of her older children were still in Africa, and
she wanted to find a way to bring them to the US and reunite the
family. I was able to refer her family to Way to Grow, a free
Minneapolis service that provides families with health and child
development information, school readiness learning activities,
connections to parenting support classes and home follow up visits. I
also assisted mom in scheduling an appointment with a Calvary Legal
Services immigration lawyer to discuss the process of bringing her
children to the US from Africa. As the family was beginning their
sessions with Way to Grow, mom found better housing in Brooklyn Center
and moved on July 1st. Upon their exit, she commented that
INSTEP has been a great help to her, and that the people who work there
really understand people’s troubles. Her situation was extremely
overwhelming, and as I started to meet with her on a weekly basis, and
made her aware of other resources available to help her, she quickly
came to trust me and to look to me for support.
Veronica
& Angle:
Their mother says that her two daughters are so excited about coming
to the Cool Youth Center that even when they miss school they still want
to come to C.Y.C. She also said that Veronica feels like a star since she
sang at the breakfast and the pictures of Veronica are framed sitting on
the TV.
Muhammad, Fatima, & Isha: Their mother said that the Cool Youth Center is the main focus
of her children’s lives. Their mother also said that their little sister
4yrs. old now can not wait to be at the right age for acceptance into
the program.
Dominique &
Rick:
their
mother told me that the two boys wish that they could be at the Cool
Youth Center every day. Also Dominique wakes up in the morning talking
about what is going to happen at the C.Y.C. that day.
C.Y.C. is a bright light to so
many youth.
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