Equal Shares Parenting

The Live Your Dreams Foundation is centered on helping the community in three very important areas, Physical, Financial and Mental Health and Wellness. This is why I am happy to announce that the next two months of fundraising with our Running for Something campaign will be focusing on that third pillar, mental health. We are highlighting an amazing organization that is advocating for and helping to normalize mental health and therapy in underserved communities.

Mental Health has been at the forefront of tons of conversations in how to make a more equitable society. It is a widely held belief that mental wellness is an important component in making our cities safer, prisons less crowded and gives way to a host of other societal benefits. One of the most important factors is the family unit, and some families are being left behind in this space. Which is why, it is with great pleasure that we announce our Charity of the Month for August and September, Equal Shares Parenting! South Side Chicago native and founder, Trecia Davis, has created a company that tackles mental health in a very important way.

In their own words, “Equal Shares Parenting provides therapy services, educational opportunities, and community events for families who have traditionally been overlooked because of their family structure (ex: single parents, kinship placements and blended families). Equal Shares Parenting seeks to strengthen and rebuild broken families to become thriving members of their community through parenting education, financial coaching, and conflict resolution support. ESP’s vision is that every family, regardless of whether it consists of one parent or four, has access to a great quality of life and is valued in society.”

In our words, “Equal Shares Parenting are a group of mental health rock stars!” So much so that we are making sure that the word gets out about the work they are doing. For the month of August, money pledged to Running for Something will go directly to financing as many sessions as we can (final number will be revealed first week of September). That’s how we are going to help, but there are several ways anyone can help; spread the word, direct people to their website, support by purchasing something from their online shop, and obviously, if curious or needed, sign up for a session yourself.

In the event you are considering a session and feel it may be too expensive or you can’t afford it, they got you covered there as well. To reduce economic barriers, Equal Shares Parenting’s policy is to not turn people away due to an inability to pay (as long as they have the capacity). One fourth of their caseload receives government assistant and services are provided free to them. And if you aren’t receiving government assistance, they provide a sliding scale fee program where payments can be as low as $0. They are licensed to work with clients in Illinois, Missouri (they are based in St. Louis), and Kansas. For a more detailed look at what they have to offer and how they are helping families, please visit their website, but a glimpse of what their team of 4 social workers and 2 non-clinical workers offer is below:

·       Blended Family Support Groups

·       Teen Parent Life Skills Groups

·       Co-Parenting Workshops

·       Consultation for Schools and Daycare Providers Working with Co-Parenting Plans

·       Micro-loans for Emergencies (ex: Missed Child Support Payments & Child Care Emergencies

·       Parenting Plan Coaching and Meditation

·       Single Parent Support

·       Therapy (Individual, Couples, Family)