I guess I believe all things begin with a dream or wish.  I know years ago I dreamed of having a beautiful daughter to go with the four boys I already had and my dream came true.  I was given my daughter and she is beautiful and so much more.  She is a joy and a blessing and she tries every nerve in my body at times.  She has special needs, you see.  I think her needs are just that needs!  No more or no less than mine and yours but now I’m getting on my soapbox and that was not my intention. 

My intention when I began this article for the newsletter at Families Helping Families at the Crossroads was to tell everyone in Alexandria and the surrounding area what a wonderful host city and region you are.  This all began with a dream that several of us talked about for a full year, maybe a year and a half.  Children’s Special Health Services and Early Steps both employ parents of children with special healthcare needs in their programs.                                                                                                       

We kicked about the idea of combining those parents and providing a 6 day leadership training course for them.  There is no money that allows Families Helping Families Resource Centers to pay for this type training.  Although these centers agreed such training would benefit both programs and many, many families across the entire state.  All nine of the Families Helping Families Resource Centers were very supportive of the idea.

In our planning meetings we talked about whether to have a full week’s worth of training in one week or did we want to spread it into a 6 month course.  We settled on having three 2 day sessions.  We began in April, 2010 and continued with 2 days in May and 2 in June.  Graduation was on June 3 at the Rapides Parish Health Unit Conference Room. 

In April we met at the Westside Library in Alexandria, LA in their beautiful meeting room and were warmly welcomed and made to feel comfortable.  In May we met at the Cabrini Power Center meeting room which is lovely, welcoming and very comfortable, as is the conference room at the Health Unit.  The amazing thing about the City of Alexandria and the surrounding area is that there are three such wonderful meeting spaces that allowed us access to their rooms at no cost to us.  Hotels and restaurants in the area were accommodating, welcoming and gracious to all of us.  We are saddened to have completed the training course and are searching for a reason to return.

Everyone in the region was exemplary, but without a doubt Jim Sprinkle and his staff at Families Helping Families at the Crossroads made the training possible.  Melissa Harrison, Cathy Dove, Becky, and Kristen Reed provided assistance along the way and we thank you.   Jim Sprinkle, FHF @ Crossroads Executive Director, provided lodging to his sister FHF Centers who found it difficult to pay for hotel rooms for their Parent Liaisons and Community Outreach Specialists.  By working together as a team we provided a service to families using a collaboration of agencies---FHF Resource Centers, Early Steps and Children’s Special Health Services.   It just doesn’t get any better than that.  See I told you it all begins with a dream or a wish and you, too, can make it happen.

By: Esther McGee                                                          

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