To Another Successful Erie Gives Day-
We would like to say a huge thank you to all who donated to our mission during Erie Gives Day, as well as those who shared our posts on social media, or spread the word about our organization to others. We are beyond grateful for the continuous support we receive from the community! We nearly doubled in donations from last year! Because of you, we can continue making big strides in the community by empowering parents and families through every stage of their parenting journey, while ensuring families have access to all the resources they need to be successful. Your generosity helps keep our programs running which directly impacts the lives of families in our community by strengthening family relationships and enhancing well-being—
Don’t worry if you missed Erie Gives Day, we are always grateful for any donations, which give any time through our website!
Exciting News: We’re Moving!
We’re moving locations to EBCO Park, located on 2011 Peninsula Drive, Erie, PA 16506, and we hope you come on this journey with us! Our entrance will be around the left side of the building pictured below under a red awning. You will see our famous footsteps logo upon arrival.
As we settle into our new space, programs will continue to run and additional program locations will begin to pop up throughout the community, such as at community schools. All programs will continue running as normal with transportation and childcare included, and the Parents as Teachers program will continue throughout this transition as well. Thank you for the continuous support, and we hope to see you there!
Parent Resource Center
Young infants and toddlers have trouble regulating their own emotions, so instead of correcting them, a useful approach may be to connect with your child through a process called co-regulation or “sharing the calm.” We can do this by providing responsive support when our child is dysregulated to help manage their emotions before they are old enough to manage their own. Some simple strategies to try —
- Staying close to your child
- Using a calm tone
- Breathing slowly together
- Label feelings out loud
- Offer comfort before correcting behaviors
The Crafting Corner
As Fall approaches, we are here to share this fun yarn pumpkin craft with you all! Once finished, they make a great addition to any Fall decorations. The materials needed are —
- Balloons
- Orange Yarn
- White Glue (Tacky Glue works best)
- Pipe Cleaners (Brown and Green)
- Scissors
- Plastic Fork
- Tape Measure
Click here to view the instructions or watch the step-by-step tutorial!
Happy Crafting!
Community Partner Spotlight
This month we are shining the spotlight on Diehl Elementary School. Diehl is a collaborator in our Diaper Depot program, making diapers more accessible for families with children who attend the school. With a focus on meeting the needs of each of their students, Diehl has an English as a Second Language Program, where they educate students from 24 different countries who speak 15 different languages. The school’s S.O.A.R mission is to put students first, own our actions, always stay positive, and reach higher. For more information on this Erie Public School, click the button below.
What’s Happening in your Community?
The Erie Zoo is having their third annual Zoo for All event on Saturday September 5th during normal open hours. This free zoo admission event is hosted by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. From 10:00am to 2:00pm there will be a book drive, where all donations will go to future zoo initiatives.
Upcoming Incredible Years Classes – Enroll Now
This evidence-based class provides parents with social and emotional techniques to strengthen parent-child bonds, and teach positive behavior management. This 14-week class has two start dates in the month of September. Click here and check out our website calendar to find the most convenient location, time, and dates for you and your family!
- Wednesday, September 9th from 4:00pm to 6:30pm @ JoAnna Connell Elementary School
- Monday, September 14th from 5:00pm to 7:30pm @ New EBCO Park Location
Upcoming Incredible Years Autism Class- Enroll Now
This evidence-based class helps parents of children with autism and language delays strengthen communication, reduce challenging behaviors, and build positive routines at home. Supportive, practical, and empowering. This class is set to begin Monday, September 14th from 5:30pm to 8:00pm at the Autism Society of NWPA.
What Parents are Saying
“I’ve taken the Incredible years class. We have been navigating being a parent to a special needs child/autistic child for 5 and a half years with no guidance. We’ve had to figure everything out on our own, so when I learned about the course, I quickly signed up. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the class was everything I needed. Now I have the tools to handle situations better.”-
– Incredible Years Autism Participant
Upcoming Events
- Diaper Distribution: September 11th & 25th (10am to 12pm) at Mercy Anchor Community Center- Register Now [Must register by the Wednesday before at 8am]
- Diaper Distribution: September 30th (9am to 11am) at Corry Family Center- Register Now [Must register at the latest by 8am on Tuesday the 29th]