On Friday, September 7, 2018 we held our annual Volunteer Appreciation Party. The theme was superheroes in honor of all our volunteer hard work throughout the year, helping to "save the day." Our volunteers do so much, from organizing files and supporting our administrative staff, to helping provide services when disaster struck last October during the fires. We are so thankful for all that they do for us and for the families we serve - thank you volunteers!
Last month, three families graduated from the Healthy Families™ Home Visiting (HFHV) program. This is the first group of graduating families in the program since its inception in 2012.
Seeing these children grow from infancy to their first day of school is not only helpful for their development, but extremely rewarding. This would not be possible without all of the incredible support of our donors. You make it possible for Melanie to excel at matching games at every visit; for Octavio to become a great storyteller, sharing a new story with the FSS every time they met; for Joshua to learn how to read with his Mom’s support before he turned 5. These seemingly small milestones will be lifelong memories for these children and their families.
Children’s advocates are urging community leaders to tackle such issues as affordable housing and a living wage as ways to help curb child abuse and neglect. The county last year had 314 verified child abuse cases, according to the Napa County Child Abuse Prevention Council. Last week, the group presented its annual “Report on Children” to the Napa County Board of Supervisors.
Now that the community is transitioning into long-term recovery, Cope will continue to serve families working to heal from the fires. The financial, mental and emotional impact of the disaster on already vulnerable families will be long-lasting and the road to recovery will be long. Read more to learn how Cope will continue to support families impacted by the fires.
My name is Carole and I have had the honor and pleasure of serving on the Board of Cope Family Center for nearly six years. During this time, I have worked alongside dedicated volunteers and skilled staff to help carry out Cope’s mission to empower parents, nurture children and strengthen communities. During this season of giving, please join me in supporting this important work.
After the 2014 earthquake, Cope Family Center was identified as a key partner to provide emergency support during a disaster. When disaster struck our community last month, Cope Family Center once again served (and continues to serve) a critical role in assisting the community in disaster response, relief and recovery. On October 9th, Cope immediately re-allocated staff and volunteer resources to meet the needs of the community and continues to re-assess priorities and direct resources where needed.
Baby Steps, one of our most intensive support programs, is increasing its scope to meet the needs of our community. Previously the program had been reserved for young, first-time moms and their families. Now Baby Steps is open to all pregnant moms and their families in Napa County, regardless of age or number of children.
