Ironbound Community Corporation is committed to “family strengthening,” a prevention-based strategy that partners professional staff with families as they reach towards their goals. ICC’s Family Services are primarily delivered through our two Family Success Centers that provide a range of services and programs to support and strengthen families. Community members look to the Family Success Center in times of need, for community celebration, and for access to opportunity.
Key program components include:
- Family Success Planning: Families sit down with a service worker to set out a strategy for achieving their goals – like finding a job or learning new ways to help their child with homework.
- Parenting Programs: Parents exchange ideas with each other and gain knowledge from trained staff on how to reach their fullest potential as parents. They then organize field trips and support circles to further engage with each other and hone their parenting skills.
- Parent-child activities: The centers create recreational and learning opportunities so parents and children can spend time together. Art projects, park days and movie nights foster a sense of community between families.
- Healthcare access: Health vans bring the hospital right into the community. Our staff work to get families insured, and workshops on asthma and nutrition keep families healthy and informed.
- Economic self-sufficiency: Hundreds of families get EITC tax preparation help that brings thousands of unexpected dollars into their homes. They also come to our center to build a resume, find a job, or participate in workshops on how to save money.
- Lifeskills: Free civics classes help prep immigrants for the citizenship exam. Staff coach community members on how to improve their leadership skills – so they can fight for the rights of their community.
- Housing: We stand with families as they struggle to maintain affordable housing in the Ironbound and ensure that their living conditions are dignified.
Our Family Success Centers (FSCs) work hand-in-hand with our programs. Our FSCs support:
- Families in our Early Learning Programs so that families can get all the support they need in becoming stronger and supporting the healthy growth and development of their children.
- Our community organizers in improving housing conditions and maintaining affordable housing in the community.
- Our environmental justice organizers and educators towards the development of a cleaner environment that improves public health, such as reducing air pollution and corresponding asthma triggers in the community.
- Our community garden staff who bring families and neighbors together in community building activities and food and nutrition education.
ICC’s Family success Centers play a vital role in increasing resources and their access for families and strengthening the social fabric of the community.