Together, we can change lives
Dear CII Supporters,
My name is Cynthia Barboza, and I’m the parent of a Head Start student at Children’s Institute.
I’m also the oldest daughter of three in a Mexican family and had a great amount of responsibility growing up—from school to working several jobs at a time and being a caretaker for my father who passed away three years ago.  I did not have much of a childhood, but I told myself, “If I ever have kids, I’m going to make sure that they go to a great school but also have fun, do arts and crafts, and go to events in the community.”
When I became a mom, I struggled with how expensive quality childcare could be. Then one day walking through my neighborhood, I saw another mom go inside this cute little building. I followed her inside, and the Head Start site supervisor, Ms. Shorts, immediately greeted me and spoke to me as if she already knew me. I felt the love! When she told me how parents could get involved, that was my sign that this school was the right one for my children.
I quickly realized that anything you wanted, CII would try to help you reach your goal. If you need a job, they help with resumes, cover letters, and how to get connected to employers. If you need assistance financially or with food, they will help. If you just need someone to talk to, they could do that too. Other schools don’t provide anything like that. At CII, you just put your kid in school, and you’re pretty much hooked in to all the resources they provide. CII is a service to and for the community.
Now I’m a member of the Parent Policy Council—a group of dedicated parents who help make decisions about CII’s Head Start program—and I share my experience to motivate other parents to get involved. I carry flyers in my car about CII’s services and tell new parents that if they need a car seat, formula or diapers, CII is the place to go. That is what families really need at that time in their lives, and it’s a gateway for them to get to know CII and all it has to offer.
It will change their lives. I know, because it changed mine.
We all want a better future for our kids, and providing them with an early head start in education, love and care are the most important things we can do to put them on that path. CII helps us guide children, for the kids, for ourselves, for our families and for our community.
Together, we can change the lives of so many more.
Happy Holidays,
Cynthia Barboza