Sally is the mother of four kids - lives in Chelsea.
She is beautiful and speaks well but cannot read and has a 2nd grade
education.
Her husband, small gentleman with a major speech issues, hit her over the head
with a hammer when her boyfriend came over to the house. The father went to
jail.
There was a lot of stress in the house. Both parents during the pandemic lost
one of two jobs. The father was experiencing major mental health issues. The
kids were "learning at home" The kids at the time where 3, 8, 10 and
11.....learning? How? Both parents were working their one job and desperately
trying to find a second job.
The father worked for 18 years at Bed Bath and Beyond making $15.50 an hour.The
mother continues to work at Whole Foods making $17 an hour.
Because the father is in jail the mother is responsible for all the bills which
she cannot handle. Feb 1 she was evicted and went to stay in a hotel because
all shelters were filled. She and the kids will stay there until housing
becomes available- maybe 2 years? There is nowhere to cook or do laundry.
The father is in jail and has been for three years without bail or a trial.
Just another day at work.
What is SSEF's response?
We are writing letters to the fathers' public defender to try to get him a
trial and bail in March. We have facilitated the father instead of the Nashua
Street Jail to be at the Recovery Center in Worcester. He gets therapy and
tutoring.
A volunteer is working with the mother to try to have some stability in their
life. Many Sudanese are helping getting the kids to school etc.
We have another woman with two kids going into a shelter in March and we have
one child taken away from her mother. Very very sad. Two Sudanese families are
going to take the child in.
On the flip side- there are 5 South Sudanese college students at Umass Amherst
and doing great! We have 10 Sudanese sewing and making money while home with
their kids! We have three kids going to Andover and 14 to Cushing Academy this
summer and we anticipate 40 kids going to sleep over camp.We also have many
many kids going to day camps this summer. And this is amazing!!!
We have 8 families that are in our Financial Fitness Program where we assess
where they are financially and what they need to do to meet their financial
goals.There is a waiting list.
We are getting there ......all with your help. Thank you...the need is huge.
Susan
Susan Winship, LICSW
Executive Director
South Sudanese Enrichment for Families
PO Box 492
Lincoln, MA 01773
781-424-8774
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