United Way EDEN Place grows its reach to North Miami

United Way EDEN Place (Educate. Develop. Empower. Nurture.) is a family resource center that empowers, strengthens and uplifts children and families. Its expansion to North Miami will serve families where 71 percent of households are in, or one emergency away from, poverty, according to the United Way ALICE Report.

The North Miami community has an ethnically diverse population whose majority is of Haitian descent. Many have limited English language skills, face demanding work schedules and are new to the local educational systems and norms. Children are more likely to experience poor educational outcomes, and teens are at disproportionately high-risk for involvement with delinquency and dependency systems. A situation like this can leave many parents frustrated and feeling isolated. And that’s where EDEN Place steps in.

Now expanding its reach to the Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center in North Miami, this new location will offer services with the personal touch clients have grown to love at its first location in Overtown. Their on-demand, free services range from education and financial literacy workshops and one-on-one assistance to parenting skills and family coaching. When it comes to children, they offer school advocacy, counseling, child behavior support and even information and referrals to other services.

United Way EDEN Place in partnership with Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center is officially open to the public as of August 10.

Parents that utilize services at EDEN Place will be equipped with the confidence, knowledge and the support system they need to ensure successful educational outcomes for their children.

“This partnership with United Way represents an opportunity to demonstrate the efficacy of EDEN Place as a resource for parents and communities,” said Gepsie Metellus, executive director of Sant La Haitian Neighborhood Center. “It offers a replicable model for all who share the common dream of educational success for their children.”

Sant La is an ideal partner for this expansion, too. Established in 2001, they have hosted forums in civic engagement, citizenship assistance, college scholarships and community outreach and education, and have served about 50,000 clients since inception. They have specialized staff offering support in housing, employment, tax preparation and so much more. Any questions that family members have can more than likely be answered at this one-stop shop.

United Way EDEN Place was established in 2016 with a primary goal in mind: act as a free family resource center to help caregivers and their children succeed. On average, up to 500 community members per year have benefitted from services since its inception, like weekly parenting workshops.

This initiative addresses the community’s needs for more informed and engaged parents by equipping parents with the tools to successfully understand and navigate the systems that impact their lives and the lives of their children.

Over the years, EDEN Place has worked with multiple partners, among them Overtown Youth Center and Miami-Dade County Public Schools, to support children and families.

“EDEN Place at Sant La represents the lifeline so many parents and caregivers have requested to support their children’s academic success and to navigate these institutions,” Metellus added.

For more information on EDEN Place, visit unitedwaymiami.org/eden.

2019-08-09T15:03:36-04:00 August 8th, 2019|