What are your hopes and dreams? Ask almost any parent or caregiver that question and the answer will be the same: a better life for our children. It’s what we all aspire to.
As parents ourselves – with children whose ages span more than two decades – we understand how wonderfully hard the job is. But we also realize we are able to circumvent challenges with readily available resources and formidable networks that so many equally loving and committed parents may not have access to.
The families LIFT serves face daily tangible and systemic barriers that prevent them from not just fulfilling their hopes and dreams, but also meeting basic needs. Yet, they are strong, committed and ready to fight to give their children more.
Just like every parent.
LIFT is proud to be a trusted ally for these families as they start to dream bigger; a partner who believes in them and is invested in helping them reach their goals.
Last year we began to really focus on what it could mean for us as an organization to not only address real-life obstacles, but to also provide the right skills and resources to stimulate long-term mobility for our members (low-income children and families). We started by listening to what they, and behavioral science experts, had to say. Those lived experiences coupled with emerging evidence-based research were an important part of how we evolved our program design.
This report highlights some of the science and stories behind that work, along with a glance at what the next year holds. Like testing 21st century ways to reach parents where they are, using technology and collaborations with trusted community partners. And beginning to measure the skills and attributes studies tell us people need to navigate this complex world. We also started to look at how to leverage nearly 20 years of experience to help inform how public systems can better provide services and supports. It’s an exciting time full of potential for what the future could be – will be – for these young families, and for our country.
In the end, it is the parents and caregivers we partner with who lead the changes in their lives. We’re here to give them the LIFT we all need and deserve.
And we could not do that without your generous support. Thank you for helping us empower families to break the cycle of poverty.
With gratitude,
Kirsten E. Lodal
CEO & Co-Founder
Steve Rotella
Chairman, National Board of Directors
Read LIFT’s 2016 Annual Report.