The community is buzzing about Worcester Family Partnership!
Worcester Family Partnership is part of the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) Network, which provides child development services and resources to families with young children. It offers services to local parents, caregivers, and guardians and the children they care for and support, including:
- Daily playgroups
- Family recreational activities
- Monthly parent workshops
On April 1, the CFCE Network hosted a legislative briefing about its work, impact, and the need for funding. During the briefing, Eliana Agudelo, Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty's Chief of Staff and a Worcester Family Partnership "graduate," shared testimony about the benefits of Worcester Family Partnership's services.
Read on for highlights of Eliana's testimony and to learn why the buzz surrounding Worcester Family Partnership is growing.
'(Worcester Family Partnership) Was a Game-Changer for Our Family'
Eliana was raised by Colombian parents who came to the United States in search of a better life for their descendants. During her childhood, Eliana was raised in "a tiny apartment located in a neighborhood full of character," she said.
"We were poor, but my mother would use the grit she learned growing up to make sure we were offered the opportunities she never had," according to Eliana.
Eliana's mother was resourceful as she tried to provide her daughter with every possible opportunity to learn and grow.
For example, Eliana said that her mother would check recycling bins on their walks to school to take the lids off empty milk gallons. "These were manipulatives used to teach us colors and counting," Eliana said.
Eventually, Eliana's mother found Worcester Family Partnership, which was known as Family Ties at the time. This connected Eliana's mother to ESL classes and other resources, and Eliana was one of the pilot cohorts for the Parent Child Home Program, which is now known as ParentChild+.
'I Often Joke That Worcester Family Partnership Is the Reason Why I Learned to Read'
Eliana noted that the free toys and books she received from Worcester Family Partnership were "some of the only books and toys that I had."
She also pointed out that sharing resources and caring for the community — tenets of Worcester Family Partnership's work in the community — became a fundamental part of who she has become.
"Investing in children ensured this child could go on to be the first in her family to graduate with a master’s degree and to serve the Mayor of the second largest city in New England," Eliana said. "The investment will pay off, of that I can assure you."
'Consider the Lives We Have Yet to Touch with Our Work'
Eliana expressed gratitude for the leadership of Worcester Family Partnership under Coordinator Beth Vietze.
"Beth has known me since I could not read. She has seen my family through over two decades of life. She gave my mom a job when my dad was laid off and that was our only source of income," Eliana said. "As a social worker myself, I know that service is a calling; leaders who work quietly to move mountains in the lives of those they serve are worth their weight in gold."
Help Us Spread the Buzz About Worcester Family Partnership
Worcester Family Partnership offers weekly email updates about its events and activities. Contact Beth at vietze@worcesterschools.net to join the Worcester Family Partnership weekly email list.
Edward Street is a proud supporter of Worcester Family Partnership. Read our blog post for more information about Worcester Family Partnership and its services.
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