According to a 59-minute film titled “Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream,” 740 Park Ave., located in Manhattan, New York, is one of the most exclusive addresses in the world and home to some of the richest Americans. But just 10 minutes away across the Harlem River lays another part of Park Avenue. In this area located in South Bronx, the unemployment rate is 19 percent and half of all residents are in need of food assistance.
Residents in Indianapolis can relate.
Begin the drive at 86th Street heading south on Meridian Street. City dwellers and visitors might first notice the spectacular view of the soaring Chase Tower, but the farther they travel, they also notice the houses enlarge rapidly. Small front porches become extravagant sunrooms and three windows displayed on a home’s face become many. The eye-catching view quickly completes a 180-degree turn as the vehicle passes the intersection of Meridian and 38th streets. Payday loan stores, broken sidewalks and crumbling buildings dominate the area.
These neighborhoods are on the same street but reflect a very different way of life for several residents.
One may ask, “How do I achieve the wealth and happiness of those who live in dazzling homes,” or “How do I simply achieve my goals when life’s worries continue to make their presence known?”
Several programs in the Indianapolis area are ready to assist those in need who are truly ready to make their dreams come true, but many people aren’t aware of these free services.
Meet 21-year-old Chantel Sparkman. Today, she is proud to say she is just weeks away from graduating from the Excel Center with a certification as a pharmacy technician, but just years ago, she had a different story to tell.
At 19 years old, Sparkman’s downfall began the moment she was asked to leave her mother’s home.
“We got into an argument one day and she told me to leave, so I did but it was a misunderstanding. She was upset that I was beginning to stay out late, so I moved in with my boyfriend, Melvin, and his mother,” said Sparkman.
Shortly after, the Pike High School student was enrolled into an education program fit for teens looking for extra help to graduate, but she soon dropped out of the program and high school altogether when she lacked transportation.
Just weeks later, Melvin and Sparkman decided to move to Iowa with some of Melvin’s family members. The young couple was told the family owned a large home, big enough for everyone, but once the two arrived, it was clear there was a miscommunication.
“We were tricked because his grandparents thought we had money to help out, and we didn’t. And they didn’t have a house, only a trailer with two bedrooms and three people before we arrived. The area we stayed in was technically a storage area,” confessed Sparkman.
A week before Melvin was set to leave for training for the National Guard, Sparkman found out the couple was expecting their first child.
“After he left I spent most of my time looking for a job, but I often spent most of my time crying and upset,” said Sparkman, who finally began rekindling the relationship with her mother and asked if she could return to Indianapolis.
As a high school dropout and soon-to-be mother who was unemployed, Sparkman felt hopeless but couldn’t find a way to get back on track. She said her mother and boyfriend were very supportive, but she needed more fulfillment.
She found this fulfillment in Goodwill’s free Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) program.
“I was working as a cashier at Walmart and a lady from the NFP program came through my line and asked how far along I was and my age. She told me a little about the program, but she was in a hurry so she gave me a card with information,” mentioned Sparkman, who to this day doesn’t know who the woman was but considers her an angel.
Immediately Sparkman and Melvin began doing research on the program, which pairs mothers pregnant with their first child with a registered nurse for ongoing home visits aimed at supporting mothers and families in providing the very best start for their children during the earliest, most developmentally critical years. The program allows the registered nurse to complete ongoing home visits with the young mom until the child turns 2 years old.
Since NFP began in Marion County in 2011, the program has served nearly 600 families. To qualify, a woman must be less than 28 weeks (seven months) pregnant, have no previous live births and be at 200 percent of the poverty level or below (equivalent to the Medicaid eligibility requirement).
Sparkman signed up for the program just one week before the 28-week deadline. This is when she was introduced to Donya Trice, her registered nurse.
“I have really seen a change in Chantel. I try to guide her but also tell her things in a very real way,” said Trice, who was also a young mother.
The relationship between Trice and Sparkman has blossomed over the past year and has been instrumental in Sparkman’s success, they both believe.
With Trice’s help, Sparkman learned the basics of child care, how to best balance work and life, where to find additional resources and how to obtain her personal goals. An overall goal of the program is to break the cycle of poverty by including long-term family improvements in health, education and economic self-sufficiency. Today, Sparkman said she feels comfortable sharing anything with Trice and looks at her like a big sister.
“The point of programs like NFP is to have a dual generational effect,” said Betsy Delgado, vice president of Mission Advancement at Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana. “We want to help our moms succeed in all areas so they can then prepare their children for success. The issue is, many young moms aren’t aware of this program. It’s a free resource and we want our moms to truly reach their goals.”
For those who have participated in Indiana’s NFP program, 94 percent of children at age 12 months were fully immunized, 87 percent of babies were born full term, 87 percent were born at a healthy weight at or above 5.5 pounds and 88 percent of mothers initiated breastfeeding.
On March 30, 2014, Melvin and Sparkman’s son was born, and although the new mom didn’t want to leave her new baby behind as she went to work each day, it was Trice who encouraged her to meet her goals.
Thankfully Sparkman’s church members heard of her pregnancy and gave her a baby shower where she was given several items, but through the NFP program is where she discovered other resources like the Beds and Britches, Etc. (B.A.B.E. Store), an incentive program run by the Marion County Public Health Department that provides new and used clothing and supplies to pregnant women and children up to age 5.
After Sparkman was given an abundance of resources, she wanted to focus on returning to school where her ultimate goal was to become a pharmacy technician.
It was through the NFP program and Trice that she discovered the Excel Center, operated by Goodwill Education Initiatives Inc., which provides adults the opportunity and support, tuition-free, to earn a high school diploma and post-secondary education while developing career paths that offer greater employment and career growth opportunities. The center, operating year-round for extended hours, including nights and weekends, offers flexible coursework and a commitment to individual attention that gives each student a realistic path for his or her educational success and career prospects.
Sparkman said after meeting with the director, she was sold.
“Everyone has their own experiences and there are some people my age who have also had babies. You can relate to everyone. It’s nice to talk to people who are in the same situation,” said Sparkman, who often brought her son into the classroom, like other parents.
“Like a lot of new moms, I didn’t trust many people with him, so I would sit in the classroom, in the back with him and do my work. It’s really nice because it’s like one-on-one attention. Upstairs are also several tutors for extra help.”
This December, Sparkman will be presented an official certification as a pharmacy technician and hopes to find a job in her field in early 2016. She also wants to return to school to fulfill another goal of hers — to become a medical or surgical assistant.
The couple are both currently employed and spend the majority of their free time with their son.
“We want to save for a house in a safe area as well as have a wedding. He (Melvin) wants a big wedding, but I’m OK with a small ceremony,” laughs Sparkman. “I’m truly thankful for the NFP program, Donya, The Excel Center and all of the support I’ve been given. It has truly been a blessing.”
