Family Services

When neighborhood families are strong, they have a propensity for changing communities for the better.  To promote this stability, Bresee served over 500 family members last year through various programs designed to promote family self-sufficiency, positive interactions and cohesiveness.

Parenting Classes

Financial pressures, neighborhood crime and communication barriers frustrate the efforts of parents seeking to sustain a safe and healthy family unit.  This strain is addressed during 10-week parenting workshops offered regularly at Bresee.  While their children receive on-site care, parents of all ages obtain peer support as well as advice and training on discipline and other parenting skills.  Families also benefit from follow-up case management services offered by Bresee staff.

Family Night

With the goal of providing families with a safe, supportive environment to bond, learn and play together, Bresee opens its doors for Family Nights 2-3 times per year.  Free food is provided to allow families to join with others in our community for a cozy, nutritious sit-down meal.  Depending upon on the theme of the evening—one of our most popular is Mother’s Day—we may invite local musicians to perform, open different community center rooms for family game play and crafts, and/or offer training classes, such as basic computers.

Health Services

This July, we expanded our pediatric clinic to serve adults, thereby assuring that the whole family can maintain their health, regardless of insurance coverage.  These services are supplemented by health screening and education workshops that promote prevention and healing.

Financial Literacy

Bresee leads the way to financial literacy with a series of workshops developed by a long-time Bresee volunteer and financial journalist and analyst, reporting on business and investments. The workshops help adults “outside the financial mainstream” learn banking skills that are essential to family self-sufficiency, and were translated into Spanish by Bresee staff members.

Computer Training

After parents of youth enrolled in our technology classes indicated that they felt left on the other side of the digital divide, Bresee began offering workplace-related software training classes in 1997. Class instructors are bilingual and provide a safe environment for monolingual adults to build a level of comfort with technology and the confidence to use it to increase their work prospects.

Pan y Amistad

Bresee regularly hosts a women’s support group called Pan y Amistad. It is primarily comprised of mothers who bring their children to Bresee’s health clinic. Our goal is to provide case management, information and peer support in a non-threatening environment that addresses the needs of women who feel isolated due to their homemaking and monolingual status. Special workshops such as financial literacy, basic computers, nutrition and exercise are provided to the mothers to increase their economic prospects and promote a healthy lifestyle. Childcare is provided.

Hours of Operation

Vary by program.

For more information contact:
Fonda Whitehead
Director of Family Support Services
(213) 387-2822 xt. 164
fwhitehead@bresee.org