Sacred Heart Community Service Stands for Family and
Children on May 19th

Please help us spread the word by posting this flyer, Proposition 1d hurts our children. You can also download a Spanish version of the flyer here.

Please download and read this story about how Proposition 1D affects the families in our community.

Sacred Heart Community Service Opposes Proposition 1D

Sacred Heart Community Service supports healthy children and families, and opposes Proposition 1D for the May 19 special election. Here is why…..

After years of violence and abuse at the hands of her husband, Mercedes, a mother of four, fled the East Coast with her children and arrived at Sacred Heart Community Service hoping for assistance. She was immediately connected to our Embracing Families program.

During the intake process, Mercedes expressed concern for her daughter Sara’s aggressive behavior and for her children’s recurring nightmares. Mercedes had lived with her husband for several years and the attacks grew increasingly dangerous with time. The last incident involved Mercedes almost losing her life, and Sara, the oldest child, intervening to defend her mom. Mercedes had received some therapy and group support in her hometown, but due to the high cost, she could not continue to access the services.

The family had only $25 and a diaper bag as they packed up in search of a future. At the train station, Mercedes was told that she could not travel cross country without an ID. Her husband had hidden all her documents so she would not escape. Sara pleaded with the operator that they needed to leave that night or they would be found and injured. Somehow the operator at the station was able to get them tickets and soon they were on their way to the Bay Area.

When they arrived, they stayed with Mercedes’ sister in a garage. A few days later a neighbor told them about Sacred Heart Community Service’s programs and encouraged them to visit. Mercedes connected with one of the case managers in Embracing Families. During this intake process, she disclosed that her children were under emotional distress.

Thanks to the First 5 program, Mercedes and her children were referred into the First 5 system of care. This system provides families with a Family Partner whose role it is to meet with the family weekly. The family receives academic and social/ emotional assessments and appropriate interventions. In addition, because of the partnership between First 5 and Sacred Heart Community Service, families receive food, clothing, and job search assistance.

Without the support of this program, Mercedes said: “I probably would have gone back to how I was living. I had no one on my side. My children were frightened and scared. I didn’t know if I would have been able to feed them. I know that as I got stronger, my children got stronger. My babies sleep through the night now. They don’t wake up screaming anymore. Sara goes to school and she is doing so well in her class. She is drawing flowers now instead of monsters. When we were living in the midst of all the violence I felt invisible. I spoke but no one heard me. I kept talking and they heard me here. Now I don’t feel invisible… and my babies are not invisible. I have shown them that they are worth it. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my classes and programs and the wonderful people that have helped me”.

So who are the children who will be affected by the proposed cut to First 5 funding? Our community’s most vulnerable children. Our children, nor our society, can handle cuts in these critical services.