Michael Baker walks one block with his two daughters to St. Vincent de Paul Louisville’s Family Success Center four days a week during the school year. They also attend summer programming.
His daughters, J’Marie and Yhana-Roe, are incoming fourth and fifth graders, respectively. They’ve been associated with the FSC for almost six years.
“At this time, I’m a single parent,” Baker said. “So, it literally takes a weight off my shoulders … It’s like having a second person there. St. Vincent de Paul is a community that helps me out a lot.”
The FSC’s goal is to provide educational and social development opportunities for at-risk children who are experiencing extreme poverty and homelessness.
“St. Vincent de Paul is a great pillar of the community,” Baker added. “It definitely is something that is needed. A lot of people who live in and around this neighborhood probably couldn’t survive without the FSC or St. Vincent de Paul.”
The FSC partners with Dare to Care, which provides a Kids Café, and is a JCPS and Evolve502 Learning Hub, providing tutoring on trauma-informed reading. The FSC’s after-school program is Monday through Thursday from 3:30 to 7:00 p.m.
“At the after-school program, they get to enjoy a meal,” he said. “They get help with their homework, and then after that, it’s free time. So they enjoy having free time with the other kids. It’s well-rounded for a nice after-school activity.”
Programs include tutoring, athletic programs, and enrichment workshops such as art classes, interpersonal communication, robotics, and cooking classes.
“It’s cool because we get free time,” added Yhana-Roe. “How much free time you get is in proportion to how much homework you do. They help you with your homework.”
We are proud of our outcomes from the 2022-23 school year.
- 75% of K-3rd grade participants were reading on grade level
- 100% of participants demonstrated increased STEM knowledge
- 83% of students showed improvements in their grades
In Kentucky, less than half of 4th graders are proficient in reading. It drops to 36% in Jefferson County. Through our after-school program, 80% of our 4th and 5th grade students are reading on grade level.
Baker says SVDP has helped his family with more than getting good grades, but all the way around.
“The FSC offers the Food Pantry. They help us with food if we need it. They also have a clothes closet for kids if your kids need a coat, some clothes, or something like that. They have a lot of different resources, so St. Vincent de Paul helps out all across the board,” Baker said.
Most importantly, Baker says he feels safe leaving his daughters in the hands of the SVDP staff, and that they genuinely care about each student.
“All the staff in general, do a great job. (SVDP’s Associate Director of Community Support) Mr. Julio Anthony, he’s been here the whole time,” Baker added. “He is definitely somebody who is a light not only to me, but my daughters also. They look up to him.”
The FSC has helped Baker and other families living on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods since it opened in Sept. 2014.
“I’m always coming to get an application for a niece, nephew, or neighbor. I highly recommend it,” he said.
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