SCAN's Snapshots of Hope
Jacqueline (Jackie) Rodriguez
Single parents face many challenges. SCAN volunteer and parent facilitator for SCAN’s weekly English Educational Parent Support Group, Jackie Rodriguez, knows all too well the demands of juggling a full-time job along with the responsibilities of being a single mother to her now ten-year old son, Miguel.
Jackie first stumbled upon SCAN four years ago during a visit to her neighborhood library when she noticed a flyer advertising SCAN’s weekly parent support groups in Alexandria. SCAN’s Educational Parent Support Groups, offered both in English and Spanish, provide an ongoing supportive environment for parents who may not be able to attend a more intensive parenting class. Participants nonetheless can benefit from having a consistent group that meets weekly throughout the year that they can turn to as needed for parenting help and advice.
Without any family close by in the DC area, Jackie was desperately in need of support in her role as a parent, so she began attending the parent support group meetings to see what the group had to offer. Jackie quickly gained new insight from the guidance of an experienced facilitator who brought books and other resources to the group on various topics such as: child development; communication skills; stress and anger management; dealing with difficult child behaviors; and other pertinent information that parents attending the group requested. In addition, the group facilitator brought in inspirational poems and books that really spoke to every parent’s trials and tribulations and helped them cope with the difficult and rewarding job of parenting. Just as helpful were the new ideas, suggestions, and support from other parents that sustained Jackie throughout the day-to-day challenges of raising her son. Various workshops hosted by SCAN served to link Jackie to available community resources and helped lessen her feelings of isolation as a single parent.
At its foundation, the success of SCAN’s Parent Education Program over the years is summed up by Jackie – “I'm glad SCAN takes the time to select the right people by choosing those who really care about children…have a tremendous amount of patience…and pay special attention to the children and their fundamental needs for nurturing, love, and positive parenting.”
From the very beginning of her involvement in SCAN’s Parent Education Program, Jackie’s potential for leadership was quite evident. Six months after she started attending the weekly parent support group, SCAN informed Jackie about a State Parent Education Meeting that was being held in Norfolk, Virginia, and asked if she would like to attend the two-day event as a parent representative. Not knowing what to expect, Jackie made the decision to attend; and so began her training as a parent facilitator for SCAN’s English Parent Support Group.
Since then, Jackie has played a consistent part of SCAN’s weekly English parent support group in just about every role: from a participant, to a parent facilitator, to helping out with childcare when the group needed an extra set of hands. In addition, Jackie has completed SCAN’s eight-week parenting class series called the ABCs of Parenting, a Nurturing Parenting Program © curriculum developed by Dr. Stephen Bavolek.
When reflecting on her involvement in SCAN’s parent education program over the years, Jackie notes that, “Both the class and the group meetings have helped build my confidence, not only with parenting skills, but also using positive discipline techniques rather than corporal punishment with my child. I am also more involved in my son's life with other activities such as PTA and the sports he participates in (baseball, basketball, and chess). “I feel more confident about myself as a parent and have taken on more leadership roles at work and in the community.” Although I'm still a single parent, attending the group has made me feel better about my life, knowing that there are other single mothers who feel the same and face similar challenges.”
Jackie has also devoted her time and endless energy over the years volunteering with SCAN. From participation in various community events such as the St. Patrick's Day Festival and the Arlington County Fair where she helped with outreach for SCAN’s programs, to her involvement with fundraising activities by soliciting local vendors and gathering donations with SCAN’s 10th Annual Golf Tournament Committee, Jackie has found a way to give back in-kind what she has received through SCAN’s parent education program. For this reason, she is a prime example of how hope can be built and lives can be changed in the process.
