WORD Inc. Family Resource Centers

Here's what members have to say...

"I had the joy of working with a teen parent volunteer at the Family Resource Center. One week I was left alone in the office as other employees attended a conference. I befriended one mom who came in regularly. I told the parent about the “Reading Is Fundamental” (RIF) book giveaway and the need to involve parents in the process of selecting books. I mentioned my frustration at the details of ordering books. The mom happened to be very strong in math. I asked her if she would like to help pick out books and help with the ordering. She was delighted. The next day we worked on RIF for over two hours. The parent was a huge help and the activity boosted her self-confidence. It just made us both feel good!

-- Chelsea Rissner, Teen Family Resource Center
"We organized a school athletic event and offered a turkey raffle for the student runners. The parent of the winning student was called to arrange pick-up of the bird. The parent explained that they would be out of town and that her daughter, the winner of the turkey, wished to donate it to a family. That afternoon, a family new to the school and familiar with the Family Resource Center called to see if we could help her get food for her family for Thanksgiving. She was delighted to know that she could have a turkey.

-- Colleen Huffed and Allison Smith-Moser, Lewis and Clark School
"I held my first Daly Family Resource Center Family Night with a partnership with the After-School Program. It was a true success. It was a scarecrow building night which was quite popular. A total of 108 in attendance with an abundance of volunteers and lots of participation. We managed to make a huge mess with the hay, but when all was said and done, it just didn't matter. Lots of incredible scarecrows came out of the deal. I had asked that each family bring the basics of jeans, shirt, hat, gloves, and shoes. I did have extras on hand, but most families remember to bring their share. I think my biggest success for the evening, however, was one mother who has limited means came up to me before eating and donated some clothing to have on hand in our “extras” pile. It took me by surprise and made me realize that EVERYONE is willing to help out in some form or another no matter what their financial status is. I am grateful for the experience!

-- Rachel Martin, Daly Elementary School
"We have a mother here at Cherry Valley who throughout the years has been unable to plug in. She runs a daycare and therefore was unable to participate in a lot of daily activities. We announced that there would be a painting party to help paint the Family Resource Center and the Teacher's Lounge and asked for volunteers. We didn't think we would get volunteers because of the hard work it entailed. Soon she phones and was so excited to be able to help improve the school at a time when she would be able to attend. She came in 2 days and volunteered a total of 16 hours. We have since been in contact with her frequently assisting her with other ways she can be involved.

-- Stephanie Noyes and Edna Lemm, Cherry Valley School
Our school has been holding literacy lunches where parents are invited to school to have lunch and read with their child. One parent stands out above them all. A dad who has a visible disability attended and sat alone eating lunch with his child. I introduced myself and sat down to visit with the family. He instantly told me that he had not planned to come. We talked about how meaningful it was to have lunch with your child at school. The conversation continued which was pleasant and upbeat. After the luncheon the parents were invited to read with their child in their classroom. This particular dad joined the other parents in the classroom, and when it was time for everyone to leave, he approached the teacher and expressed an interest in speaking to the class about his disability. He walked out of the room with me and commented how awesome the luncheon was and how he felt more comfortable with his child's friends and their parents.

-- Margaret Newman, Lakeside Elementary School
I recently started a "Post Office" in our Family Resource Center to encourage family members to write to each other. The activity has been a success -- the kids love it and it has had a profound effect on the school. The first day, the kids were so excited they were jumping up and down as they walked to the Post Office in the Family Resource Center. Some were so excited they wrote two letters! Post Office has also shown the generosity and hope that the kids bring to our community. Two examples of the positive effect of this program stand out. First, one of the kids wrote to the school superintendent and he graciously wrote back. That was one excited and enthused little girl. But more importantly, that letter from an excited student must have been exactly the positive interaction that a superintendent of a large and complicated school district needs to keep going when faced with the myriad of problems that he must face. Second, and more powerful, is that one of our adopted grandparents through the RSVP program recently passed away. Post Office was the next day and several of the kids wrote letters to the grieving spouse, who also happens to be an adopted grandparent from RSVP. These letters were delivered to the funeral, and the hope and joy that this kindness offered is beyond words.

-- Chris Yankoviak, Mt. Jumbo Elementary School
We hosted "The Road Ahead Welcome Dinner" for our middle school parents. It was a huge success as over 90 parents attended and parents continued to comment about the event for weeks later. The family resource center and counseling program teamed to present parents an outline of activities for the year, unveiled the parent's lending library, and asked for input about programming. Later parents went to class following a bell schedule and met with all the teachers. The teachers informed the parents of school policies and gave a brief review of what they would cover in class.

-- Allison Kinney, Florence Middle School
Our "Attendance Challenge" has kids excited to come to school. Every day that a class has everyone present, they get a gold star hung above their door. If the class has a gold star for 10 days in a row, they get a surprise. Our first class achieved this Monday, September 22nd. I was talking to the teacher that morning, and she said that one student's family was out past midnight the night before, and the parent was going to let the kids sleep in. The student insisted the parent wake him up, because he didn't want to miss a day of school. The program really does encourage kids to come to school. The first necessity in learning is to be present!

-- Heather Williams, Corvallis Elementary School
I called every parent the evening before to ensure a good turnout for our sixth grade "Literacy Luncheon". The calls helped and the attendance was excellent; out of 18 students all but four had a parent present and three had both parents attend! The activity we did was "Who Knows Whom?" where students and their parents fill out questionnaires designed to reveal just how well (or not) each knows the other. It was a real success with the groups laughing, groaning, and generally having a good time discovering unknown things about each other. The three students who had no parent present were spontaneously "adopted" by other parents. Even thought he questionnaire was designed for parents and their own children, the "temporary families" made it work and even added some flourishes of their own!

-- Sara Boyett, DeSmet Elementary School