Going Above and Beyond to Support Families in our Community

My role as a Family Resource Center Coordinator at Gatepath is to offer support, provide information and connect families of children with special needs with local resources, which is immensely rewarding. Raising a child with special needs can be complex, especially for families who are struggling to meet basic needs. Recently a family with twin boys was referred to me because they were struggling to make ends meet. This lovely family told me about their challenges trying to obtain diapers from another provider and being told their children didn’t meet the age criteria. I wanted to help this family in any way possible.

As I was thinking about potential resources, I recalled the organization Baby Basics of the Peninsula, which is located near our new Family Resource Center office in East Palo Alto. I reached out to their director, Lisa Moody, and told her about this family. Baby Basics of the Peninsula graciously provided a one-month supply of diapers for each of the twins. Since the family only speaks Spanish, I asked my colleague Ana, who is bilingual, to share the great news and arrange to drop off the diapers. Mom graciously welcomed us into her home and expressed her deep appreciation for the support during this difficult time.

All of the Coordinators at the Family Resource Center try to be creative and collaborate with other team members as well as community partners to assist individuals and families. I am so happy we can provide a myriad of services for families so they can better support their child’s development.

To connect with our Family Resource Center Coordinators, call our free support line at 650-259-0189, email us at info@smcfrc.org or frcespanol@smcfrc.org, or visit our website at SMCFRC.org.