Dear Friend, My name is Amen Ayanru. I’m an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in nutrition. For over a decade, I’ve been dedicated to the field of lactation, and today, I have the privilege of running Public Health Solutions’ Breastfeeding Warmline. Every day, I witness the incredible difference that compassionate…
To Whom It May Concern, For many women, breastfeeding doesn’t come naturally; it is a skill to be learned and practiced, and it can be a journey filled with challenges. I discovered this firsthand six months ago when my son, Lennox, was born. As I settled into motherhood, the initial excitement quickly turned into feelings…
Min*, a 65-year-old elderly woman, lives by herself in the Bronx. Due to her disability, Min is housebound and her mobility is restricted, making necessary tasks like going to the grocery store and doctor’s appointments particularly challenging. Min also lives on a fixed income, struggling to afford nutritious foods to help manage her preexisting conditions,…
In early 2020, Georgina Acevedo was living in Queens with her husband, Bernaved, and their two children, Tony and Valerie. Originally from Mexico, Georgina came to the United States in 2003 with her husband. They had big dreams of raising family and worked hard to provide food, a safe home and education for their children….
Rachel Oddman was getting a ride home from a friend in early 2020 when she noticed a large cloud in the sky. She recalled there was “a grayness in the air.” She had a feeling that she should start stocking up on groceries and essentials, although she could not explain exactly why. Soon after, reports…
This story was first published by Nurse-Family Partnership on October 15, 2020. TENACIOUS SUPPORT DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC Say what you will about New Yorkers, they understand COVID-19. Nobody dares try to convince them it’s a hoax. Memories from March and April, when the outbreak across the city was raging and refrigerated trucks were parked…
Being a single mother at eighteen years old, Rosa felt nervous and unsure about caring for a young child, but her troubles were compounded when immediately postpartum, her appendix ruptured, leaving her in pain for weeks. This was when a social worker at Woodhull Hospital referred Rosa to PHS’ Healthy Families Program, one of our free family support and home visitation programs.
Research has shown that father engagement in a child’s life is particularly important in the health and development of the infant and growing child. Recognizing the important role that fathers play in the overall development of families, PHS recently implemented a Fatherhood Initiative and will be working to expand the program throughout New York City.
Tyesha lost both of her parents by the time she was 21 years old. She found herself responsible for her three younger sisters, age 17 and 15-year-old twins. She knew she wanted to be there for her siblings, despite others suggesting she put them in foster care. “I couldn’t do that,” Tyesha says. “We are family, they are my sisters, and we belong together.”
Stephanie was 28 weeks along with her second baby when she noticed that she was bleeding. All her instincts told her something was wrong. Her doctors diagnosed her with a medical condition that put her and her baby’s life at risk. Just days later, she found out she was laid off from her job. A call from Jasminda Rodriquez, a Family Support Specialist with Public Health Solutions’ Healthy Families Bushwick home-visiting program turned out to be a life-saver.