Imelda's Story
Even though Imelda shared a home with her husband and five children when she first reached out to Angle Lake Family Resource Center two years ago, she still felt isolated. After all, she had left most of her family behind in Guanajuato, Mexico when she immigrated to the United States. Imelda knew that she needed a support system in order to tackle both the daily stresses of parenting and the challenge of living in a foreign culture with her limited English.
Imelda’s search for help brought her to Angle Lake, where nearly 40% of Angle Lake’s 1,500 participants are Spanish-speaking parents. Imelda and her children were immediately embraced by Angle Lake’s Play and Learn Group, one of the Center’s many programs designed to strengthen families, support them in raising their children, and help them prepare their children for school. The program promotes early literacy and provides a network of support for Spanish-speaking parents like Imelda.
“I have made new friends who are in the same position as me at the community center,” shares Imelda. “I feel that they are a part of my family; we help each other.” Imelda had always longed to actively participate in her children’s education and Angle Lake offered her the tools to make that possible. “Thanks to the resources that the Center has offered me, I’m more confident,” she beams. Imelda has since blossomed as a leader among the Latino community at her children’s school and is energized to pass on the support she received. She helps parents around her to develop their confidence so they too can be more involved in their kids’ education.
National research shows that when family isolation is prevented through an active support system, child abuse and neglect are less likely to occur. Children’s Trust Foundation has been dedicated to the prevention of child abuse and neglect for 25 years and we are able to fulfill our mission by funding programs that offer parents a network of support. We celebrate and invest in programs that help parents bond with their children, strengthen resilience and coping mechanisms, understand child development, and find social connections with other parents. Last year, we awarded Angle Lake a $10,000 grant specifically for the development of the Play and Learn Group.
Imelda’s story makes us so glad that we did.
