Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies of Broward Celebrates the Guard Your Heart Graduation
From Babette Ferre-Kosar
Fort Lauderdale, FL – On Thursday, July 26th, 16 young women celebrated with a heartfelt graduation ceremony as the culminating event of the Guard Your Heart program.
These young women, some already mothers, and some mothers to be, were participants in the six week long program that focuses on self-esteem/Loving Your Self, Motivation/Breaking the Cycle Of Repeat Pregnancy, Domestic Violence, Healthy Relationships, Family Planning, Life Skills, parenting and Education.
Part of HMHB’s Teen Collaborative Project, the purpose of Guard your Heart is to help these young women better themselves, give them skills for parenting and in turn, help prevent future unplanned births and break the cycle of early un-planned parenthood. The Teen Collaborative Project offers in-home case management services to at-risk teenage girls during their pregnancy and continues support up to their child’s second birthday.
Program Manager, Cynthia Holmes, along with the case managers, arranged a poignant ceremony complete with special, individualized words of affirmation for each of the young women along with donated diaper bags stuffed with essentials. Letting each of these young women know how special they are, how much potential they possess and that they have our support to help them over-come the odds is an important part of this program.
Alice Philport stated “ She has learned never to give up on your dreams just because you become a teen mother and you are no different from others.”
Thony Nerlande stated “ No matter how bad things seems to be going in our life, its just the beginning and we make things better with a positive attitude.
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Broward County, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization established in 1987 to reduce infant deaths by strengthening families through a comprehensive approach to prenatal care, parenting, education and support services. Anyone interested in information or donating monetary or in-kind goods to this very worthy program should contact Cynthia Holmes, at (954) 765.0550 ext. or by email at CHolmes@hmhbbroward.org. For additional information visit www.HMHBBroward.org.