'Sunday Friends' Program Helps San Jose Families End Poverty
On a recent Sunday, Anne Darling Elementary School in San Jose was packed, not with typical students, but with families.
"All of these classes are designed to help the families learn life skills and help them be better parents," explained Ali Barekat. "We have classes on parenting, financial literacy, nutrition, preventing violence."
They were there for "Sunday Friends," a program that helps low income families in San Jose break the cycle of poverty through education and outreach. Barekat is its president.
"It was just a matter of time that I wanted to give back to my community and this was a way to do it," he explained.
When families come to Sunday Friends, it's the parents who go back to the classroom. The kids go the auditorium to learn how to cook, make gifts for sick children and hospice patients, and write thank you notes to donors to the program. The youngsters earn tickets when they complete an activity and at the end of the day, they can redeem them for a variety of items, like toys, school supplies, and household necessities. Or, they can deposit them into a "bank" to save them, and get a lesson in personal finance along the way.
"We also build confidence within the families," Barekat said. "The families feel good to give back to the community. As a result they learn -- learn and earn."
Janis Maron started Sunday Friends more than 18 years ago. She said before Barekat came on board, not many people knew about it.
"His heart is is his greatest contribution," she said. "He said, 'This is something everyone needs to know about and we need to get out there and meet people and spread the word.'"
Now, Sunday Friends holds sessions in three schools every week and serves more than 1300 people a year.
"The idea is that the kid, the family, feel good about themselves -- that that are a part of the community, not a charity case," Barekat said. "We believe everyone has something to give."
So for building better families in San Jose's most challenged neighborhoods, this week's Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Ali Barekat.
