When she arrived in the United States with a young child, Glenny says she felt stressed, disoriented, helpless, and confused. “I was struggling alone and didn’t even know what kind of help I needed.”

She found the help she needed through a parents group funded by the Children’s Trust. The group met at a homeless shelter in Springfield, MA, where Glenny and her son, Damien, lived.

“I started meeting all these great new people. I started gaining strength and self-esteem. And, because I was getting all of this support, my son was not feeling the stress I was going through at the time.

“The Children’s Trust helped me understand that I am not only a single mother who can accomplish so many things, but that I am strong enough to do things on my own. I understood that I am worth something – that I have control over different situations and goals and dreams that I want for my son and me.”

Glenny now leads a Children’s Trust parents group for other recent immigrants. “Because without the understanding and faith that the group gave me – about how to find a job, how to find a place to live, how to take care of my son and make sure he’s ready for school – I am really not sure where my son and I would be today.”