Written by Christine Fennelly
Imagine you’re a single mom, with a preschool child, living in a challenging home environment, no steady job, no opportunity to finish high school, or perhaps you are struggling with an addiction. You’re determined to chart a new course for your life, and for the wellbeing of your child. Where do you turn?
Sadly this scenario knows no time barrier, and it plays out over and over today as it did 40 years ago.
Julie’s Family Learning Program, housed at 133 Dorchester Street in South Boston, was founded in 1974 by two educators, Jean Sullivan, SND and Louise Kearns, SND, who worked closely with struggling, female-headed families living in crisis at the margins of society. Julie’s began as two independent organizations: Julie’s Children’s House and the Adult Learning Program which merged in 1980. Julie’s Children’s House provided care and educational services to low-income, pre-school age children and their parents who lived in South Boston’s Public Housing Projects, including D Street, Old Colony and Old Harbor. The Adult Learning Program provided adult education and support to poor, female head-of-households in the same community.
Today, Julie’s serves 200 people a year providing adult, children and family services, with parenting, life skills and adult education classes, computer literacy, a Montessori pre-school program, and advocacy services, just to name a few. But as with all non-profits, there is always need for greater support.
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Won’t you consider becoming a friend of Julie’s? On Wednesday, September 23rd, join new friends and other Julie’s supporters at the Lincoln – 425 West Broadway for a fun evening of food, drink, raffles and socializing. Come meet some of Julie’s graduates and hear from them how the program has changed their lives and the lives and futures of their children.
Tickets are just $30.00 and the event starts at 6 pm. See more info on their Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1475299372782915/–
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Julie’s Family Learning Program provides a safe space for mothers to share insights and hold one another accountable. They work on everything from better becoming parents to getting a high school diploma and, ultimately, landing a job. Julie’s also provides help for legal, health and addiction issues. The women commit to a three-year program, four days a week. And so do their children, starting as young as six months and staying through kindergarten.
Impressive what they accomplish.
Kate