“I was struggling,” recalls Madelin.
A new mother of twins, she seldom left her home. She didn’t feel that little Omariano and Mariano would be safe at the park. So for the most part, they stayed home. Every day. For almost two years.
“It was hard,” she recalls. “I felt guilty. The boys were so little, and they weren’t speaking because we didn’t socialize enough.”
Everything changed last May, when Madelin and her twins joined the Baby & Me program, which offers developmental playgroups and parenting support for parents and their children ages 0-2.
“It’s like a little preschool!” she raves. “So safe and positive. It’s amazing.”
Now every Monday, Madelin and her boys enjoy guided activities like songs and circle time. And as the twins gain essential development and socialization, Madelin soaks up parenting skills and confidence from the community.
“The first time the family came, Madelin seemed overwhelmed,” says Group Facilitator Mimi Ogawa-Spigland, LMSW. “Omariano and Mariano clung to her, didn’t make much eye contact, but they made tremendous progress in a matter of months.”
Today the boys actively participate, developing skills that will prepare them for success in school. Madelin is thrilled to see them so engaged. And Madelin has grown, too, talking about parenting with other moms – including two others with twins.
“It’s like a support group,”says Madelin. “I get so much out of it. I don’t know what I’d do without Baby & Me.”
I began volunteering at SCO’s Madonna Heights program in 1972, when my parents, Bill and Barbara Tyree, got involved. Then twenty-five years ago, I volunteered to start a 4H program for the girls at Madonna Heights. That 4H program is still going on and I look forward to Monday nights, bringing snacks and a special activity for the girls. Of course, for us it is still a family affair, and today, my daughters and my daughter-in-law are all Madonna Heights volunteers, too.
Why I support SCO
I was inspired by my parent’s commitment to SCO, and for many years I just pitched in and helped them with their projects. But it was only when I started volunteering directly with the girls that I came to fully understand what a difference a volunteer can make. The girls at Madonna Heights are just like all kids their age: they need love and support, but they just don’t always have easy access to those things. When I meet them later as successful adults, I can see what a difference love and support can make.
What I love about SCO
The programs and staff at SCO are amazing. It’s exciting to be involved with an agency that is doing so much good for so many people… like the young women who periodically see me and still remember what a difference we made in their lives.
“I get so much out of it. I don’t know what I’d do without Baby & Me.” Learn More
"It’s exciting to be involved with an agency that is doing so much good for so many people." Learn More
Last year,
288
children were reunified with their parents who worked hard preparing for their return home
We help
1,400
children and young adults through foster care programs