“Being a mother doesn’t come with a manual, but COFI is like a manual, and they help you grow and lead” 

Meet Nelly! She is a devoted mother of four and has lived in Illinois for nearly 20 years. She said people have always told her she was a leader, but it wasn’t until she took COFI training that she recognized it.

Joining COFI During the Pandemic

Initially skeptical about COFI, Nelly was persuaded by a friend to check it out. At the time, the COVID-19 pandemic was impacting her community, and many people were not working and needed resources.

“COFI originally helped me connect with some resources, so I felt obligated to go to training, but I’m glad I accepted. COFI helped me find my identity not just as a parent but really as Nelly and what I wanted to do for my family and community.”

She said that before COFI, she felt “all over the place” and didn’t have a clear structure for achieving her goals. But the first phase of the training really helped her break down her goals into smaller pieces and taught her how to overcome challenges.

Turning Dreams into Action

Having previously struggled with mental health, Nelly is a big advocate for well-being and health-related policies for both adults and children. She says, “If we aren’t okay, how are we going to continue doing this work for our communities?”

That’s why one of Nelly’s proudest achievements with COFI and POWER-PAC IL was contributing to the successful passage of the “Right to Play” campaign in 2021, which mandates 30 minutes of recess for K-5 students in Illinois. It was pivotal because it ensured that children couldn’t be denied recess as a form of punishment and prioritized the health and well-being benefits of unstructured play.

But seeing her children empowered by her advocacy efforts was also a pivotal moment for Nelly. “When they returned to school, they shared what they learned with their friends and made sure they had 30 minutes of recess,” she noted.

Looking ahead…

Nelly emphasizes the importance of self-growth for parents. As a parent, it’s easy to pour yourself into your kids and family and forget about your goals and dreams, but she says, “It isn’t selfish to invest in yourself.”

Nelly wishes she had this knowledge as a first-time parent and is eager to share COFI ‘s teachings with others.

“We, as parents, teach our kids what we know, but if we don’t know, then we sometimes pass the wrong information,” she said. “If we can teach our kids what COFI teaches us – like how to overcome challenges – our kids will be better equipped, and the future will be brighter.”