The arrival of summer means it is time to measure how we are doing. We can say it has been a busy semester: our Social Work team carried out 27 individual, 5 group and 6 family interventions. The Psychology team performed 9 interventions with parents individually, 3 workshops with parents and 20 individual sessions with participants.
Topics discussed with parents included:
1. Promoting good mental health in our children.
2. Managing my emotions.
3. Preparing our Emergency Backpack before, during and after a natural disaster.
4. How to teach resilience to our children.
5. Identifying the location of rainwater drains in my community.
Additional topics covered
2. Values.
3. Fostering affective relationships.
4. Fire Prevention.
We have noticed that combining practical topics related to preparedness with more personal topics on emotional resilience is a good practice that allows us to address resilience in a more holistic way.
Again, thanks to all who have contributed to this effort. We look forward to taking the project to the next level. Have a happy summer!!
The beginning of 2019 has been very active in the process providing resilience tools to Punta Santiago's children. Our goal is for participants to have a better understanding of what it means to take care of themselves and of each other, and how that helps them become a more resilient person and community. We want to reach as many children and families as possible before the next hurricane season, so there is a lot of work still to be done!
Some of the tools we have used:
-116 children, aged 6 to 14, have received psychosocial services related to their family situation after Hurricane Maria;
-67 families benefited from different services, including group workshops about resilience and support regarding their children's academic progress;
-Our Social Work and Psychology Services teams have served both adults and children through individual interventions and group counseling;
-Families have engaged in community service events as an experience on how to express solidarity with their neighbors;
-Children have also enjoyed several recreational activities, like kite flying by the ocean (the same ocean that flooded their neighborhood more than a year ago); book readings; theater and others.
-Preparedness has also been a topic discussed with families and children, with visits from first responders (like the local firestation); and workshops on how to prepare an emergency backpack.
The combined effect of these tools, and other we have put in place, is that the children in our community appear to be calmer, happier, and more willing to participate in preparedness processes that are part of community life. We believe that this transformation will carry them to a better future for them, their families and Punta Santiago.
How to get our neighborhood ready for the next hurricane season? One house at a time.
Our teams and volunteers are working at full speed on repairs, painting, installations and all the tasks for the rebuilding process. But being ready requires so much more of us. For a start, we do a thorough evaluation of every referral -- not only in terms of structural conditions of the house but also regarding demographic and social characteristics of the family.
We apply a holistic approach that includes identifying the need for social services or any other type of support for family members.
And we make the best effort to make the family part of the process and to engage volunteers and community members -- so the project becomes part of the process of strengthening community ties.
We thank donors and volunteers who work with us and also celebrate with us, one house at a time.
