THE POWER OF CONNECTION: A COMMUNITY APPROACH
As a part of our Year End Giving letter in December, we shared the story of 3-month-old Sarah and her single mother, Naomi. Naomi reached out to Family Building Blocks in 2023, having recently fled an abusive environment in another state. She drove away in the middle of the night, spending her life’s savings to relocate into an apartment near Salem, far away from home, her family, and community.
Though Naomi and Sarah were no longer in physical danger, she was struggling to provide the stability, connection, and support she and her infant daughter needed. Naomi wanted more tools and support and was able to connect with Family Building Blocks. With the support of FBB, her basic needs began to be met. She had food, clothing, diapers, and formula. Feeling much less anxious and isolated, Naomi joined an 8-week FBB-facilitated Parenting Course and enrolled baby Sarah on the waitlist for the Therapeutic Classroom.
“The staff at FBB listen to me and help.” Naomi shared, “FBB has been a lifeline, assisting us in seeking and finding support in this challenging time and journey. I am deeply grateful for all your kindness, understanding, for holding space for me and for going above the call to support me and my little Sarah!” – Naomi
Family Building Blocks’ work is individualized, symbiotic, and able to respond uniquely to each family in crises.
We featured Naomi and baby Sarah in our 2023 End of Year Giving campaign and the FBB community responded in HUGE ways. It costs $27,00 per year for a child to be enrolled in the Therapeutic Classroom and families receive additional monthly Home Visits with their family. The community responded, sending in over $80,000. Those funds can now cover the cost of Sarah and three of her new classmates, to be removed from the waitlist and experience the life changing Therapeutic Classroom environment, Home Visits, and wrap around supports offered to FBB’s most critical families!
This is the power of what a community CAN DO!
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