one-on-one consultations
In order for parents to devote themselves sufficiently to their children’s healthy development and education, they must have a way to solve the big problems that otherwise consume their attention and emotions. Sunday Friends provides problem-solving information through classes, but then follows up with personalized consultations with experts to help our participants with their specific challenges.
Sunday Friends provides one-on-one consultations within every program on topics including:
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In the Year 2017 Program Evaluation:
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93% of parents reported that, because of Sunday Friends, they have more knowledge about how things work so they can solve their problems.
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91% feel they have more people or places to turn to when they have problems.
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90% told the evaluators that, because of the support of Sunday Friends, they are more able to think about the needs of their family in the future.
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Path to College – Teens and their parents receive hands-on guidance from professional college counselors. See the Path-to-College page.
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Summer Activities – We match each child to an enriching summer activity and help the parents with the application and financial aid paperwork.
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Legal – Adults meet with housing, immigration, and other attorneys to receive the personalized guidance they need.
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Financial – Adults speak with a financial counselor for help with credit, banking, securing their savings, collections, identity theft, and those confusing letters that sometimes arrive in the mail.
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Health – In addition to the health screenings provided in each program, we make it possible for parents to meet one-on-one with pediatricians, Ob/Gyn’s, acupuncture specialists, and other health professionals.
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Emotional Health – We bring in mental health, suicide prevention, and grief counselors to support participants in crisis and to advise those who need support in helping their own family members during troubling times.
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Safety – Domestic violence counselors and educators from the San Jose Police Department’s Crime Prevention Unit meet with family members to discuss specific problems.
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Advocacy – In every program, family members who have encountered a personal crisis can seek out a member of our Sunday Friends Advocacy Team for help. Our dedicated Advocates connect family members with the appropriate community resources for: children’s education issues, children’s learning or behavior concerns, mental health issues, legal support, healthcare problems, schooling and job training, elder care, immigration issues, and more. They follow up with each member-in-need and ensure that they receive the best support possible.
Families tell us:
“The consultation with the financial expert was very helpful because he had all the answers to the doubts that one has and he knew how to guide it and explain all of the worries that we have.”
“The consultations help us a lot to inform us about the problems with rent and now with the problems that we are having with immigration. They provide us with support with a lawyer and they guide us through each situation that each person has. This is a great relief in our case.”