Step by Step

A Quarterly Newsletter/Issue 4

Tis the season to give thanks for our family and friends and blessings. For many families touched by substance misuse, the holidays can be particularly difficult. Step Up Parents wants to express our deepest gratitude to all who have supported a loved one who struggles with substance use disorder. Their journey is emotionally, physically and financially draining and often lasts for years. In many cases, children are involved, and they are unable to stay with their biological parents. For these vulnerable kids, staying with a relative helps to mitigate their trauma. To all the hero kinship caregivers who stepped up for the children of parents with addiction, we say THANK YOU. You define what it is to be a hero on a daily basis by facing adversity with strength, courage and selflessness. We honor you, and our donors support your efforts.

Contributed by Heidi Yanulis, SUP Digital Marketing Specialist:

Joan Henderson is one of Step Up Parents' steadiest supporters, volunteering her time and talents whenever asked. Being new to the organization, I wanted to meet Joan and find out what drew her to Step Up Parents.

"I am always looking for ways to be helpful," she told me. Before moving to Portsmouth a few years ago, Joan and her husband lived in the Lakes Region, where she worked as a volunteer driver for a nonprofit that helped people without cars get to and from workplaces, schools, the grocery store or wherever needed. "I was happy to offer this small service," she said.

Step Up Parents was more personal for Joan. A few years ago, she and her husband, now retired, were faced with the challenge of raising their grandson when his mother fell into hard times. "I was a kinship caregiver," she explained. Her grandson is now living in the loving home of one of her other daughters and her three children. “A much better environment for him than his grandparents' home," she added. Joan remembers well how it felt to take on the enormous responsibility of taking in her grandson.

Step Up Parents was a natural fit. "I am so grateful to have the time and the health to be of help," she told me. "I want to be involved, as much as I can," said Joan. "I don't care how small or simple the ask is. I want to help out."

With only a few weeks left in the year, we have given over $47,000 in financial assistance to 102 deserving families in 2021. We are seeing an uptick in applications as caregivers, many of whom are on fixed incomes, struggle with the continuing impact of Covid-19 and soaring inflation. Heating costs alone are predicted to increase by more than 30% this winter.

At Step Up Parents, we recognize that family budgets are stretched especially thin during the holiday season.  For the second year in a row, we have been able to spread a little extra cheer to our kinship families through our holiday gift card initiative.  In early December, we surprised each of the families that we helped in 2021 with a $50 Walmart gift card.

Our Donors & Supporters

In September, we held our annual appeal as part of National Kinship Care Month. We’ve raised $5,550 so far.  Thank you to everyone who stepped up and donated to our campaign.  We continue to fundraise throughout the year and ask you to keep us in mind as you consider your charitable giving and year-end tax deductions.  We truly appreciate your generosity and support.

We are excited to announce the award of a $5,000 grant from the Oleonda Jameson Trust. “The Oleonda Jameson Trust supports programs that provide assistance to impoverished families and individuals. We are pleased to support Step Up Parents in helping to alleviate the financial burden its low income clients face in raising their loved ones’ children unexpectedly,” said Trustee, Susan Leahy of McLane Middleton.

The Rochester Rotary recently donated $1,000 which they presented to our board members at their November meeting. With so many kinship families in the Rochester area, we are thrilled to partner with this wonderful organization.