Mary's Story:

A Healthy Families Mom

Mary Jones, a wife, mother, and caregiver to many (3 children, 1 horse, 7 goats, 2 pigs, 1 rabbit, and 1 dog to be exact), lives in Charles City, Virginia. A Healthy Families client since 2013, she credits Healthy Families with helping her keep her family on the right path.

Always a shoulder to lean on.

We enrolled in Healthy Families after I pulled a tab from a flier at the health department. They set me up with Ms. Alva and she has been in our lives ever since.


With Ms. Alva I am able to open up, which for me can be a difficult thing. She has stuck by me, listened to my concerns, and made sure that I never felt alone or that I had to do anything by myself.


With Healthy Families, my support system has grown tremendously. They are always there. When my husband was sick they were there for me and my family. When I was sick they were there for us then too. They even helped when my son got into trouble at school.

Guidance and uplifting words when I needed it most

They give you the advice you need. When you think you are failing as a parent, they hold you up. They encourage you and tell you that your child is on a good path, and if they aren’t, they help you get them there.


Ms. Alva has helped us transition through the different stages. She and my daughter read together and do different projects at home together. She makes her feel like a bigger girl than she already is. She helped me prepare her for Early Head Start and she turned out so advanced that they ended up enrolling her in regular Head Start.

Connections that matter.

It can be hard to know what resources are out there and available for you and your family. Healthy Families helps to bridge that gap by making referrals to different resources in the community. They also connect you with other people. Each year Healthy Families hosts a Family Fun Day and we participate by bringing the animals. It is our way of saying thank you and giving back to a program that has given so much to us.


For anyone interested in supporting the Healthy Families program or volunteering, we highly recommend it. It all goes to a great cause!


To learn more about the Healthy Families program or to enroll, click here.

"Ms. Alva has been here all 3 years, helping to transition my daughter through different stages. They read together and do different projects at home together. She helped me prepare her for Early Head Start and she was so advanced they ended up enrolling her in regular Head Start."

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