Life Changing Solutions

Lisa Elliott Baker had just moved to Hamilton when her son began displaying severe behavioral problems. She had just given birth to twins and had nowhere to turn to for support. With her son biting the twins up to 30 times a day, Lisa desperately needed help. No one could provide her with answers, however, and she was in danger of getting lost in the system.

It wasn’t until she stumbled across the Family Life program offered at Family Services of Hamilton-Wentworth, that Baker’s life changed. From the moment she walked in the door, she found the lifeline she needed for her family. This United Way funded program, which provides a preschool for special needs children, offered Baker some respite and enabled her to concentrate on finding some help for her son.

“I spent months trying to get assistance for my son. It wasn’t until I found the Family Life program that I found someone who finally listened to me. Within weeks we were put in touch with the appropriate support services in the community,” she says.

Nearly three years later, Baker can’t say enough about the program. “Things are 100% better. My son is talking, his behavior has improved and we’re doing well.”

For the 90 children who attended Family Life last year, the program meant improved physical, intellectual, emotional and social skills. For parents, the group provided them with an opportunity to enhance their parenting capacities as well as gain access to a much-needed support network.

Baker’s enrollment with the Family Life program comes to an end this August but she’s determined to find a way to stay involved. “I’m really going to miss the program when I leave. It’s meant the world to my family,” she says. “I can’t think of a bigger compliment than that.”

Changing Lives

United Way is a recognized leader in building community partnerships and promoting long-term solutions for local health and social needs. By focusing sharply on community impact, United Way works to promote and sustain the well being of everyone in our community through a network of agencies in Burlington and Greater Hamilton.

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