By: Raquel Castaneda Iris Maldonado called Families Helping Families of Jefferson (FHF) after she went through an ordeal with a fishy company. This company claimed to prepare students for college by teaching them how to interview, how to apply for colleges and provided coaching to help decide which college to go to. The catch is families have to pay $1000 out of […]
By: Raquel Castaneda Samantha and her mother, Tammy, came in contact with Families Helping Families of Jefferson (FHF) through our Interagency Transition Team meetings held every semester at all the high schools in Jefferson Parish. Since our first meeting at East Jefferson High School, Samantha has grown to be a great example for others. When we first crossed paths, she was very shy […]
I recently discovered that relatives of mine that passed away a long time ago had left me an inheritance. I am a person with a disability and receive services that assist me to live in my own home. Any inheritance that I receive that is not left to my Special Needs Trust can jeopardize these […]
Like many parents and guardians, Mingo was confused about the system and how to get started. What made it even more difficult for him was the language barrier. He is a Spanish speaker and has had trouble in the past understanding most of the information and resources regarding his situation. Luckily he called the right […]
For FHF of Jefferson staff, assisting parents of newly diagnosed children in the CSHS-Family Resource Clinic at Children’s Hospital is nothing new and something they are very passionate about. Read how our staff assisted, Iesha Sparks, the mother of Corneshia Watkins. Q: Why did you visit FHF of J staff at Children’s Special Health Services […]
Families Helping Families of Jefferson sat down with Ms. Edwina Jones for a Q & A regarding the supports and services she received from our organization. This is what Ms. Jones had to say: Q. Why did you call FHF? A. I called to reach Mrs. Mathieu who is a renown expert regarding IEPs and […]
By: Raquel Castaneda Jessica Nobles is a very bright and lovely 23-year-old woman with autism. We’ve known each other since we were in high school together. She has constantly shown me her strengths and abilities, is very well spoken, and a good self-advocate. Having good self-advocacy skills enabled Jessica to speak up for herself at […]
Shanida Mathieu, Information and Training Specialist with Families Helping Families of Jefferson, sat down with Ms. Etrice Turnage for a Q & A regarding the supports and services she received from our organization. This is what Ms. Turnage had to say: Q. Why did you call FHF? A. My granddaughter has ADHD and she was […]
By: Aura Amaya After marrying my husband, I adopted his son, Israel, who was seven years old. When I met Israel, I learned of his behavioral and developmental challenges. As his mother, I wanted to educate myself about his disabilities and also needed someone who could assist me with some challenges our family was facing […]
By Raquel Casteneda Families Helping Families has been doing a lot of great youth-centered workshops and training. These workshops are centered around the very topics that a group of young adults with disabilities expressed to us they needed. One of the topics we have been doing is a series of healthy foods presented by the […]
Jean Valley, a woman with blindness, always has a passion for learning. Recently she decided that she wanted to go out of town for school, so she called Families Helping Families of Jefferson looking for someone to advocate on her behalf. Her family and other professionals involved in Jean’s life were concerned about her going […]
By: Raquel Castaneda Tyrell, a young adult who has autism, and his mother Sabrina Parker have been faithfully attending our Healthy Summer Days workshops that have been set up especially for our youth with disabilities. The Healthy Summer Days workshops is a series of six weeks presented by the LSU AgCenter […]
By: Raquel Castaneda Joel Castaneda is a 16 year old young man and has Down Syndrome and is also my youngest brother. He is nonverbal but tries his best to communicate which can sometimes be understood by strangers but for the most is not understandable. His speech is one of the main reasons, that as […]
As a family who was relocating to the area, we were overwhelmed trying to navigate the school system. With two young special needs children, we felt like all of our work on our kids was being erased and we were falling down a deep dark rabbit hole until we found Families Helping Families/Jefferson Parish. We had […]
My name is Sophia Rosamano. My mom and I are grateful for all of the support and knowledge Families Helping Families has given us throughout the years. We started our journey with Families Helping Families when my mom inquired about information on Early Intervention services, because of my diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. From there, we […]
Being the parent of a child with Asperger’s, I’ve always been an advocate for him. Although he is very intelligent, because of his disability he does struggle with certain aspects of socialization and needs the support of an Individualized Education Program (IEP). He is included in several regular education classes and has always done well. […]
Because of some family concerns, I was left to take care of my step-brother and step-niece from Georgia without any notice. Both have intellectual disabilities. I didn’t know what to do. I found out about Families Helping Families of Jefferson, so I went there for help. I was provided with the assistance, information and the […]
As parents we want what’s best for all of our children; while following in the footsteps of our parents whom guided us on the path to educational and behavior success. After receiving the diagnosis, Oppositional Defiant Disorder for our son, we had no knowledge as to what it specifically entailed. As a mother I feel […]
When you have good self-advocacy skills you can have more control and make the life decisions that are best for you. Self-advocacy helps to empower you, to speak-up for yourself and make decisions about your life. I am so thankful that my family reached out to Families Helping Families of Jefferson to better understand my […]
Mom’s Letter: I would like to take this opportunity to thank Thuy Nguyen and Steven Nguyen, FHF staff at Children’s Special Health Services – Family Resources Center at Children’s Hospital of New Orleans In September of 2013, my daughter was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Although Tia is cancer-free she is […]