recent success stories
Breaking the cycle of illiteracy and abuse—
Angel’s Story
One young man, Angel, will graduate from Glendale High School this year. His success story is truly amazing. As a school-aged boy, Angel idolized his brother who was in high school. While in high school, Angel's brother joined a gang, started using drugs and is now in jail. Angel began to follow in his brother's footsteps, until the Glendale Family Development Center's Kids' Enrichment Program and Family Development Programs took action to help Angel see that, even though he thought his brother was "tough and cool", his brother's choices led him to jail.
Through the special relationships staff and volunteers had earned with Angel, he learned that his brother can't even go to the bathroom without a guard going with him. Angel began to understand that his choice in friends and how he chose to spend his time would dictate whether his future would be in a cell or as a free citizen making a positive contribution to his family and the world. Now, as a 17 year old high school senior, Angel is in ROTC, getting good grades and plans to join the Navy upon graduation. He's an excellent example for his younger sister who also entered high school this year and, like her brother, joined ROTC! The difference in the lives of these younger siblings is not coincidence. The GFDC made Angel and his sister a target for our specific intervention through the Kids' Enrichment Program.
The Glendale Family Development Center helps "at risk" kids, like Angel, truly be "kids at hope!"
Helping families on the edge of crisis—
Getting on Their Way
Kevin, Theresa and their two sons moved to Glendale from North Dakota so Kevin could attend school on scholarship. They had some car trouble during the trip down that used up some of their savings. Then once they got here, they paid deposits on housing, utilities and fixed the car. When Theresa didn’t find a job immediately, they applied for public assistance to make sure that they were going to make it until her first paychecks started coming in. Then the car broke down and would cost $600 to repair. Still without an income, they began to panic. Bad went to worse when the apartment manager threatened eviction when they couldn’t pay the rent on the first of the month.
Theresa was got a job, but still wouldn’t receive a paycheck for several more weeks and by then the eviction process would have started. That’s when they asked the Glendale Family Development Center for help. A GFDC case manager took Theresa to DES and spoke on their behalf to other agencies that provide housing and cash assistance for families in crisis. It took some time and patience on everyone’s part. Finally, at 5:35 p.m. on Friday, knowing that the eviction process would begin at 8 a.m. the following Monday, the assistance came through. Upon hearing the news, Theresa hugged her case manager through her tears and said that her life and the lives of her family members had been changed because of the help she received from GFDC
Now, Kevin is doing well in school and their boys attend the GFDC preschool. Theresa is supporting her family with her pay along with some public assistance. Because of GFDC, they have a real chance for the life they moved to Arizona to create.
Breaking the cycle of poverty—
An Immigrant’s Story
The Santanas migrated from Mexico to the U.S. to build a better life for themselves and their children, three girls, 5, 2 years old and 2 months old. They worked in the fields to earn a living. "We came here to live and I came to the Center to have someone take care of my daughters so I could work," Alicia said. "The Center helped me a lot."
Now, 16 years later, Alicia and her oldest daughter, Brenda, work at the Center where they provide nurturing and love to other children while their parents work. Brenda graduated high school and is registered in the Nursing Program at Glendale Community College. "I feel happy because they continued school," Alicia said, "and she’s not going to have to work as hard."
Brenda is excited about her plans; "I’m going to have an education and a career."
The Santana Family is certainly a great success story. They’ve built their lives from being migrant farm workers and living in poverty to starting a successful small business and sending their oldest daughter to college. Their two younger daughters are doing well in school too. Angelica is in high school and Giselle is in middle school. The next generation of Santanas will have a much different life than their immigrant grandparents!
Breaking the cycle of abuse—
Polly’s Story
Polly’s story is one of the most difficult to tell because it is so awful. Polly came to the Center when she was just 16 years old. Even at that tender age, Polly had already been subjected to years of unspeakable abuses. At only 12 years of age, Polly was “given” to a man in exchange for the man supporting Polly’s mother, brothers and sisters. Polly was forced leave grade school and work in the fields. By the time she came into contact with the Center in 1969, Polly believed herself to be something less than human. She had never been to a restaurant, or a movie theatre. She had not been exposed to any schooling beyond the 7th grade and was told that she was the instigator of the abuse she endured.
The Center created a job for her as a Teacher’s Aide and that was the beginning of a whole new life for Polly. She eventually earned an early childhood education certification and a new identity for herself. She retired from the Center this year for health reasons after working with other abused and impoverished families for over 35 years. After years of GFDC-sponsored counseling and serving others, she grew from being a scared, ignorant victim to a woman who was able to maintain a career and heal through the abuse heaped upon her. In fact, she healed enough to care for her aged mother until she died. She also took responsibility for her grandchildren and stopped the cycle of abuse in her own family because of how Glendale Family Development Center helped her.
Polly is a wonderful example of how the people at the Glendale Family Development Center love, nurture and break the cycle of abuse in our families.