Pam Kequahtooway was 15 years old when she had her first child. When she had her other two children, she moved back in with her father. And because her mother wasn't around, she had to help raise her three brothers.
"It was hard," she says. "I had trouble figuring out what I was going to do."
Kequahtooway knew she needed help if she was going to finish her education. That's when she approached One World Child Development Centre, funded in part by United Way, looking for day care for her children.
What she found was more than day care. For the first time in a long while she found a place where she felt welcome.
"They (One World staff members) make your children feel special," Kequahtooway says. "That's why I like coming here."
In addition to educating and caring for her children, the staff helped her find a place to live by providing her a reference letter for Metis housing.
"It's been a while since I've been in a house this long," she says of the place she's called home for a year.
One World also provided the training for her level one child-care certification and offered her a job at the centre. After accepting the position, she inquired about driving the centre's buses part-time. She now doubles as a child-care worker and a full-time bus driver and loves it.
Kequahtooway is just one of the many people who have come to One World and received help.
Parents with children at the centre are often unable to feed their children, who subsequently fall behind their peers due to hunger and malnutrition, says Robert Perry, centre director.
Nearly 75 per cent of the caregivers who send their children to the centre have a family income of less than $1,500 a month.
"People living in poverty are at an increased risk of marginalization," Perry says.
That's why One World provides children with food and education, while giving parents peace of mind.
"It's a small miracle for some parents to get their children up and going to school," Perry says.
Parents can get help with finding stable housing, support for better parenting, career planning and computer skills.
Ruth Ramsden-Wood, president of United Way of Calgary and Area, says providing this support to families is essential to building a stronger, more resilient community.
"Pam is truly a success story," says Ramsden-Wood.
"With the help that she received from One World Child Development Centre, she is creating a better future for herself and her children. She's shown true courage -- a trait that everyone can learn from."
Kequahtooway's daughters have now moved on from the centre and attend elementary school.
One of her daughters takes dance, the other plays basketball. Her son, who is still at the centre, is into ball sports and, according to Kequahtooway, "adores" his teacher.
Kequahtooway says she feels like a success now. She's been involved with One World for so long, both with her kids and her job, that she can finally celebrate her roots.
"We've had a rough time and it's been a hard two years," Kequahtooway says.
This summer she took the kids to powwows nearly every weekend. The kids danced and enjoyed learning about their culture.
"It's all coming together," she says.
"That's why I feel so happy right now that everything's working out."
This series of articles highlight programs that benefit from the United Way, in a collaboration between the United Way of Calgary and Area, SAIT journalism students and Neighbours.
To visit Calgary Herald for the story, click the following link:
http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/neighbours/story.html?id=3a6403b0-1437-4644-8480-b3a7607942dc&k=54676
