Believing in the power to change lives for the better is something we, as a Community Foundation, know we owe the community. And your support of our work to help every child be ready for school and to thrive has leveraged millions in funding for both school districts. Now, it’s also making a difference in the homes of the children who need it most.
Mercedes Ruiz, who does school readiness outreach for The Community Foundation, meets with local Latino families, some of whom struggle to navigate the school system. After repeated attempts with the same frustrating results, many of the families feel a lack of confidence and hope. Luckily, they are open when Mercedes urges them not to give up.
“I see their faces light up during our visits, because the other coordinators and I speak their language and have been in their situation. We know they want to see their children’s school experience be different and for the whole family to be part of the community. Their opinion counts with us,” said Mercedes.
Parent leaders are also meeting to discuss the biggest issues they face, and a peer training program is being developed. It will focus on such topics as understanding the path from pre-Kindergarten through college and how to find the right people and most effective ways to communicate when advocating for a child.
Mercedes says the pressure is on to deliver the right tools for families who have tried before and were left disappointed.
“If in 15 years I see one of the families I worked with and they tell me our program gave them the tools they needed and their kids went to college, I will feel so satisfied. Also, I want to see the Latino community integrate more with the community as a whole. I tell my families it’s not just about what we can get to make our lives better. We have things to give that will improve the whole community too.”
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