“COFI has helped me reach my dream of being a better parent. And now, my dream is to be a better provider for my family and help inform my community.”

This story was adapted from the “If We Come Together, Then We Have Power” Snapshots of Organizing Families report. Read more about how COFI impacted Isaiah and see quotes from his son.

Meet Isaiah! He first heard about COFI in 2003 and says that when he was first invited to join his COFI training, he had a teenage son.

“I was learning so much from COFI – how to be a better parent, how my own leadership helped my community, how to reach my goals, how to be patient and have better conversations with my ‘rebellious’ teenage son.”

Isaiah took a break from COFI but returned in 2011 when his younger son was born. He remembered the invaluable lessons about teamwork and the impact parents can make when they unite. He wanted to reconnect with that network of parents as he navigated having a newborn.

From POWER-PAC IL’s Early Learning Campaign and the policies they were fighting for, he learned about the importance of Early Intervention services, Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and more. When he suspected his youngest son might be experiencing developmental delays, he remembered initiatives on lead testing and had his son tested.

Isaiah spoke up and got his son critical early intervention services with Medicaid. From his COFI training, Isaiah knew he was the strongest voice and advocate for his son. He firmly believes that his advocacy played a vital role in shaping the wonderful young man his son is becoming today.

His son has also traveled to Springfield many times with COFI and POWER-PAC IL, and he says he wants to be a Senator when he’s older. He specifically wants to help people who are unhoused get the resources they need: “I want to give [them] some clothes, some shirts, and some food…. I think we need to give them a little money for them to get better.”

Isaiah is proud that his advocacy has inspired his son to find his voice. For example, when his son had an “ice-cold” hot dog for lunch, he knew it was completely unacceptable and spoke up. Isaiah said his son speaks fondly of COFI when he’s in other spaces, too, often highlighting the trips he takes to Springfield with his parents.

Parents, as leaders of their families, do so much for their children and families from cleaning to cooking to taking care of sick relatives. But Isaiah’s story and the impact COFI has had on him are a reminder of how strong parent voices truly are to their families and communities.

“COFI has helped me reach my dream of being a better parent,” he said. “And now, my dream is to be a better provider for my family and help inform my community – especially around mental health and the impact it has when it’s left untreated.”

Isaiah’s journey is a testament to the power of parent leaders, their organizing, and unwavering determination to turn their dreams into action.