SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY:

The Y Collaborative reaches out to families with support and services

The Colabortative staff

The McMiller family was referred to The Euclid Collaborative by way of the Cuyahoga County Grandparent Kinship Program. Robert Pruitt, Senior Wrap Specialist was assigned the case.

The immediate need of the family was emergency assistance for utilities, clothing and some other basic needs.

Pam McMiller was awarded temporary custody of her grandchildren due to the inability of the biological mother to care for them. Their biological father was working on a cruise ship at the time that County became involved with the family. When the father found out about his children’s situation, he took a leave of absence to come home and help his mother care for the children.

Collaborative clients The Euclid Collaborartive introduced Wrap Around Services to the McMiller family. Through the Collaborative, the family was able to locate housing and additional sources of income.

Pam McMiller has also become a financial consultant with the help of a Euclid Family YMCA Board Member, Oakland Lewis.

The family received a full family scholarship to the YMCA which enabled the family to participate in basketball, gymnastics, swimming and much more.

Derrick, their father, also helped coach youth basketball.

The entire wrap around program took about a year and a half and in the winter of 2009 the family graduated from The Euclid Collaborative services. As of May 2010, Derrick, the biological father has established stable housing, found employment as a chef at the famous MELT Bar and Grill, and has been awarded full custody of his children.

The McMiller family has been a spokesfamily for the Collaborative and also the YMCA Annual Strong Kids Campaign. Since becoming a financial consultant, Pam was the approached by Collaborative staff in the fall of 2010 to teach a weekly financial management program to other Collaborative clients.

She was able to give a personal testimony to other wrap around families about her struggles and successes and what she has done in her life to become self-sufficient. The entire McMiller family has been a tremendous success story about overcoming obstacles and working hard to achieve family unity.

The Euclid/Hillcrest Area Family to Family Collaborative assists families and individuals by guiding them to services that are available in their community and by offering a wide range of support services to families and kids.

Recognizing that parents, adoptive parents, and kinship providers need a peaceful place to recharge, the Collab's Foster Parent Support group meets monthly to share a meal, support each other, and exchange ideas.

The Collab's Strong Parents, Strong Families support group and Youth Group also meet monthly for fellowship, educational support, and understanding. The Collab provides child care, dinner, and transportation if needed.

Because the Collab recognizes the critical importance of parents’ emotional engagement with their children, it organizes regular social outings encompassing sports, arts and culture.

The Collaborative staff also helps families with wraparound services, prevention services, basic needs assistance, counseling, school advocacy, community services, employment assistance, foster care recruitment, and housing and utility assistance.

It also works with families that are involved with or at risk of involvement with the Cuyahoga County Department of Children Services (DCFS). Staff are available to attend meetings and provide support, advice and advocacy.

The staff also serves as a liaison between neighborhood organizations, agencies, service providers and the residents of Euclid, Euclid-Green, Richmond Heights, Lyndhurst, South Euclid, Highland Heights, Mayfield Heights, Mayfield Village and Gates Mills in need of these resources.

For more information abou the Collab's mission and services, visit its web site at www.clevelandymca.org/branches/euclid/collaborative.html.