Staff from a number of Fall River Area agencies and schools came together on December 4, 2013 at the HealthFirst Family Care Center for two hours of training on how to lead a Parent Cafe event at their organization. The program was led by Anitza Guadarrama-Tiernan, LCSW, Director of Training for the Children's Trust Fund in Boton. Based on the World Cafe model, Parent Cafes are being used across the country as effective vehicles for engaging parents, families, and communities in conversations that matter!  Many states, like Massachusetts, who are implementing Strengthening Families Initiatives use Cafes to engage parents and families in discussions of how to support the development of the Five Strengthening Families Protective Factors that make their families strong.  Parent Cafes are fun, engaging, inclusive and culturally competent.  They also provide a wonderful opportunity to hear parent and family voices and develop parent and family leadership in organizations and communities. This workshop provided participants with an opportunity to learn about Parent Cafes while actuially taking part in one. In addition, they eached received information and materials to prepare them to conduct Parent Cafes in their organizations and communities. Click here for a seven-minute video. For further information, contact United Neighbors of Fall River Executive Director Wendy Garf-Lipp at 508-324-7900.

(Top row, left) Wendy Botelho gives instructions on the exercise as Katherine Rivera and Matt Cadieux listen. (Top row, center) Massachusetts Children's Trust Fund Training Director Anitza Guadarrama-Tiernani gives instructions to the group as they go through a sample set of exercises designed to help parents share their own personal strengths and resources with others. (Top row, right) United Neighbors of Fall River Executive Director Wendy Garf-Lipp, who organized the training, talks with Social Capital Inc. VISTA Volunteer Brian Moses. (Row two, left) Kelly Nicolav shares a laugh with the other participants at her table. (Row three, right) Greater Fall River Re-Creation Intern Kate Doe listens as Nancy Oliveira shares one of her personal resources. (Bottom row, center) Anitza takes notes from some of the ideas posted on the wall to use in her closing remarks.