Leah

Leah

Meet Leah, a longtime partner and supporter of COFI! She partnered with COFI on a parent-led project that COFI Organizer Talibah and other parents worked on to address the lack of developmental screenings. As the director of a statewide community collaboration...
Talibah

Talibah

“I didn’t want to stop.” Meet Talibah. She’s the proud mother of four. In addition to raising her children, she is also a caretaker for her mother and brother. After attending her first COFI training in 2013, Talibah kept asking, “What’s next?”...
Gloria

Gloria

“I wouldn’t be doing all things I’m doing without COFI” Meet Gloria! Gloria is a proud mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She’s currently the POWER-PAC IL Co-President and lives in East St. Louis.   Becoming POWER-PAC IL Co-President In 2016, Gloria was...
Nelly

Nelly

“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...
Doña Mari

Doña Mari

“We will triumph and succeed in what we are asking for when we organize together.” Meet María, or “Doña Mari” as other parents call her as a sign of respect. She is the proud mother of eight children, grandmother to 14, great-grandmother to seven, and...
Lettie Hicks

Lettie Hicks

In the small southern Illinois city of East St. Louis, Lettie Hicks knew that schools in her community faced many challenges; since 2015, she’s been part of a group of parents that is doing something about it. Lettie, who has three children, belongs to a group called...
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