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Making Hope Happen for Armindelis

Mindy Bogue
Mindy Bogue

I think this is my favorite success stories of those I've written. Armindelis is an amazing woman who found fulfilling work while raising her children, one with severe disabilities.

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I N S I D E J E V S PG.6 I ts important for single mothers to know you can have a career and be successful. We can all get up from that couch and turn that TV off and get a job, no matter the age. Thats what Armindelis Toledo says about being a working mom to six children, the oldest of whom is age 12 and living with severe disabilities. Armindelis Toledo came to JEVS Maximizing Participation Project (MPP) in July 2006. She wanted to work, but finding services for her oldest son was difficult. Alex is tube-fed and in a wheelchair, and she was skeptical about leaving her children every day. MPP helps Philadelphians receiving TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) to find work. MPP clients have a medical exemption and do not have the same work requirement that other welfare-to- work clients have. In this case, Armindelis main barrier to finding steady employment wasfindingchildcare, particularly forAlex. Thanks to help from the staff at MPP, Armindelis was hired as the bilingual intake coordinator on the Special Education Help Line at Philadelphia HUNE (Hispanos Unidos Para Ni単os Excepcionales). HUNE is an organization providing free bilingual training, technical assistance and individual assistance to parents of infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities. The position is a great fit with Armindelis skills and experience. Armindelis established the help line, but she does more than just answer questions. She finds resources for callers, posts information about HUNE on the Internet, and speaks in public about HUNEs services. I know its hard to get what I need, and I speak English. Many of our parents only speak Spanish. I want to help them; thats why Im here, she said. Two years after MPP case coordinator Carmen Cruz helped Armindelis find her job at HUNE, she still visits Armindelis to see if she can be of assistance. Cruz says, For her to get out there, find a job and hold it down while dealing with a severely disabled child is huge. Other people use their kids as an excuse not to work, but not her. Thanks to MPP, Armindelis no longer feels trapped in the welfare cycle. She recently won the JEVS Inspiration Award for her CLIENT SUCCESS STORY JEVS Human Services Making Hope Happen for OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO HELP OTHERS Family is very important to Armindelis,both hers and that of her clients.If I have to work and spend time away from my family,it should be doing something that benefits families,and my job does,she said. PICTURED: Armindelis with her son Jay. ArmindelisSetting a Strong Example for Parents of Children with Disabilities I dont want my kids to look back and say, My mom never did anything, so I dont have to. ARMINDELIS TOLEDO For more information Maximizing Participation Project / 267.238.3100 persistence in reaching her goals, and is looking forward to her kids going to school. I would change some choices Ive made, but never my kids. They all have their own character and bring something different to my family.

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Making Hope Happen for Armindelis

  • 1. I N S I D E J E V S PG.6 I ts important for single mothers to know you can have a career and be successful. We can all get up from that couch and turn that TV off and get a job, no matter the age. Thats what Armindelis Toledo says about being a working mom to six children, the oldest of whom is age 12 and living with severe disabilities. Armindelis Toledo came to JEVS Maximizing Participation Project (MPP) in July 2006. She wanted to work, but finding services for her oldest son was difficult. Alex is tube-fed and in a wheelchair, and she was skeptical about leaving her children every day. MPP helps Philadelphians receiving TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) to find work. MPP clients have a medical exemption and do not have the same work requirement that other welfare-to- work clients have. In this case, Armindelis main barrier to finding steady employment wasfindingchildcare, particularly forAlex. Thanks to help from the staff at MPP, Armindelis was hired as the bilingual intake coordinator on the Special Education Help Line at Philadelphia HUNE (Hispanos Unidos Para Ni単os Excepcionales). HUNE is an organization providing free bilingual training, technical assistance and individual assistance to parents of infants, toddlers, children and youth with disabilities. The position is a great fit with Armindelis skills and experience. Armindelis established the help line, but she does more than just answer questions. She finds resources for callers, posts information about HUNE on the Internet, and speaks in public about HUNEs services. I know its hard to get what I need, and I speak English. Many of our parents only speak Spanish. I want to help them; thats why Im here, she said. Two years after MPP case coordinator Carmen Cruz helped Armindelis find her job at HUNE, she still visits Armindelis to see if she can be of assistance. Cruz says, For her to get out there, find a job and hold it down while dealing with a severely disabled child is huge. Other people use their kids as an excuse not to work, but not her. Thanks to MPP, Armindelis no longer feels trapped in the welfare cycle. She recently won the JEVS Inspiration Award for her CLIENT SUCCESS STORY JEVS Human Services Making Hope Happen for OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO HELP OTHERS Family is very important to Armindelis,both hers and that of her clients.If I have to work and spend time away from my family,it should be doing something that benefits families,and my job does,she said. PICTURED: Armindelis with her son Jay. ArmindelisSetting a Strong Example for Parents of Children with Disabilities I dont want my kids to look back and say, My mom never did anything, so I dont have to. ARMINDELIS TOLEDO For more information Maximizing Participation Project / 267.238.3100 persistence in reaching her goals, and is looking forward to her kids going to school. I would change some choices Ive made, but never my kids. They all have their own character and bring something different to my family.