The support that SEI gives to parents and families in North and Northeast Portland is comprehensive and practical. We’ve helped parents learn effective parenting skills and helped families find housing, get connected to a stable job, and access community resources.

Read how SEI’s programs have been helpful in the words of parents themselves.

INSIGHTS FROM SEI's DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAM

A participant in SEI's Domestic Violence program wrote the following poem to express the positive shifts in her outlook:

'What I Know Now'

What I know now is
the steps I take will lead to my future

What I know now is
I deserve to feel love

What I know now is
My expectations of fear left me in pain

What I know now is
No one deserves to be hit

What I know now is
That hurtful words lead to hurt feelings

What I know now is
My kids learn from my relationships
- healthy or harmful,
they learn from them both

What I know now is
How to keep myself safe
How to keep my kids safe

But most of all I know I am a mother
a mother of three little girls who will someday be women
and everything I do no matter how small or big will affect them

Thank you SEI
For showing me my wrong and helping me to find the right
and bring out the good
Thank you.

- Essie Butler

PARENTING CLASS MAKES A DIFFERENCE

One of the SEI parent coordinators received a remarkable letter of appreciation from a father who had been court assigned to take an SEI parenting class with his wife. The father writes:

“(At first) my wife and I were not willing to accept and understand the reason we were there. The understanding took about five parenting classes (to sink in. The parent coordinator) began explaining that parenting is a continual job- things change! The children that were, no longer exist. The respect that was expected must now be earned. There are numerous parenting methods that can be successful. You do not have to hit your child if you use parenting methods. It is not acceptable and it will not work! The SEI Support Group has been very good. It’s an open floor and sometimes a venting session, but when someone brings something to the table that everyone feels, it is so beautiful. To see and hear the feelings that are expressed, to help someone get through it, is worth the ‘inconvenience’ of having to be part of it all.

Please let the next parents know that it gets better. SEI got me and my wife out of the system because they know what they are doing and what is needed. Thank you SEI!”

THANK YOU, SEI PARENTS PROGRAM

"Dear Mr. Hopson,

I just wanted to say thank you for your generosity. It’s so easy to tell about the bad, but seldom do we tell of the good. This Center has been such a blessing and help to me and my four sons. The summer incentives you give them helped buy school clothes for years and that helps me so much. Being a single parent it gets hard, but I know I can always count on support from SEI and I appreciate that so much. I haven’t mentioned all of the Christmas help and Thanksgiving food boxes and since I was in the NCAAN program, my life has changed and I have doing well ever since. Days are hard at times, but I remember everything I was taught from SEI and I never get turned away anytime I am in need. It has meant so much to my sons to have positive role models. Mr. Lampton is great so is Komar Warren, and Ms. MaryEtta Wells. Princella Smith still checks on me to make sure I’m on track and encourages me. Happy holidays and may God pour out his blessings on you and the program.

A big thanks from, Tracy and sons "

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RESOLVING A CRISIS FOR MOTHER AND SON

A Parent Coordinator at SEI who had established a good working relationship with a student and his mother became aware of a crisis situation. The family had lost their income and became homeless. At first they received help from friends and other family members. Finally, when they had exhausted all avenues of assistance, they were forced to live out of their car. The mother tried to get employment, but was unsuccessful. The son was allowed to sleep on the floor of a friend’s small studio apartment, while the mother slept in the car. Desperate, the mother turned to prostitution to get enough money to pay for a week in a motel.

The Parent Coordinator became aware of the situation when the student’s mother called her. The Parent Coordinator took the first step to discuss and compare information with the student’s SEI Coordinator. This conversation helped cover any immediate needs that the student had or would need to address. The Parent Coordinator then met with the mother to discuss a plan of action that would help with these needs. Through this assessment, it was revealed that the mother had some drug issues and had been charged with shoplifting. Through SEI’s Family Services Department the mother was able to secure drug counseling. Using other community-based resources, housing was supplied. The Parent Coordinator and mother worked closely together on a weekly basis with check-ins, follow through on job leads and moral support. This past Spring, the student successfully graduated and his mother is still gainfully employed.