Helping Families in Crisis: Circle of Parents Program
Nikia Pratt became homeless in 2019. She was unemployed, had a series of health setbacks and was trying to get disability benefits. She lived with a family member for a while, but when that ended, she was out of options. That’s when she came to The Salvation Army of Wake County shelter with her two young sons looking for help.
“At first when it happened people said to me that they would never take their children to a shelter but never say what you’re not going to do. I couldn’t find anywhere else to go.”
She says The Army was a lifeline and instrumental in stabilizing her boys by providing transportation from the shelter to their schools.
“They helped with so much—food, Christmas gifts, everything. When things were hard, they were there.”
While at the shelter she was introduced to Circle of Parents, a parenting peer support group and part of The Army’s Project CATCH program.
“It was wonderful. I have one son who is on the autism spectrum and another son who has attention deficit disorder and is learning and developmentally disabled. Circle of Parents helped me learn to deal with all those challenges.”
Even after transitioning from the shelter, Nikia stuck with Circle of Parents. Today she is a national parent leader and mentor.
“I enjoy interacting with other parents and helping them navigate and learn from each other. I can relate to them because I’ve been homeless. I try to encourage them and let them know it’s only temporary. The Salvation Army will help you. You just need to do what you need to do to get back on track.”
Beth Tillett manages the Circle of Parents program and says Nikia has been a great resource for other families and regularly attends community events to network with partner agencies and increase visibility for program.
“Families are part of a network of parents who understand the importance of community. So often families are isolated when they are unhoused and going through difficult transitions. Circle of Parents allows them to be able to check in and get encouragement and support and discover resources that can help them get back on their feet.”
Tillet says the program helps parents develop leadership skills and focuses on the well-being of parents and children utilizing the Five Protective Factors. Families discuss a variety of topics including managing the safety of their children in schools and the community, helping children make good decisions, creating positive routines for the household, parenting tweens and teens, and building family resilience.
“By increasing parenting skills and creating positive experiences for families, the impact of childhood trauma is reduced,” added Tillet.
Along with her work with Circle of Parents, Nikia often volunteers her time for other Salvation Army activities including Angel Tree, the annual Christmas gift giving program for families in need. She is also connected with the community partner Myra’s Angels, which recently featured Nikia in a Good Morning America segment.
“I enjoy giving back,” said Nikia. “I’m very proud I’ve had the opportunity to be connected with The Salvation Army because they made a tough time for me more manageable so that I didn’t feel like I was lost and didn’t know what to do. To this day The Salvation Army is still helping me. I thank everyone for being a part of my journey.”
