Many of the children and families who most need assistance are often the hardest to reach. Whether because of lack of awareness, housing insecurity, high neighborhood crime rates or other social and physical factors, these individuals do not have the advantage of seeking resources that could help enrich their lives and navigate challenging situations.
That is part of the reason why Wayne Rawlins developed the Walking One Stop model for reaching out to communities in need. And the reason The Children’s Trust partnered with Rawlins to host the first-ever Waking One Stop in Hialeah in early December.
The event was held at Benny Babcock Park on December 3 and included multiple partners and organizations that brought together local, state and federal resources to the front doors of residents in need, literally. The Trust set up shop at the park, along with other Trust-funded providers, and then went door-to-door, passing out material and gathering brief information about the household dynamic and making an effort to pair that family with needed services.
This event was successful in disseminating informative materials on the variety of services offered by The Trust and other organizations involved. It successfully helped raise awareness among community members on the availability of services and support to address their needs while also fostering a deeper understanding of the services those residents need to enhance their quality of life.
Esteban Bovo, mayor of Hialeah, attended the event and supported the effort to get resources to those who need them most. “There are a lot of new families here to the United States and they are adapting to the American dream,” he told Telemundo 51. “This is an opportunity to share information with them about the different programs that exist (to help them).”
Resident Loarni Sanchez showed up early with her daughter to take advantage of the Trust-funded UHealth Pediatric Mobile Unit which was on hand at the park to give free vaccinations.
Vitia Acosta, 33, has been in Miami for a year and a half, but has not been able to find work. Finding support for her and her 3-year-old son has been a challenge. At the Walking One Stop she was able to sit with staff from another Trust partner, Career Source South Florida, that helped her work on her resume and helped her with job interview skills.
The Hialeah Walking One Stop is another example of The Trust reaching into the communities it serves to bring resources, services and information to those who need it. Trust-funded programs operate all across the county and in Hialeah there are 55 Thrive by 5 (early education) program sites, 30 youth development program sites, 14 HealthConnect clinics, 12, parenting program sites and six benefit enrollment sites.
To find Trust-funded programs in your neighborhood, visit TheChildrensTrust.org/Find-A-Program.