“When Parents United for Change formed, we made winning transportation in the district a priority, and we did it. We’re proof that parents can turn their dreams into action.”

Lettie grew up moving through foster homes and learned early on what it means to navigate systems that weren’t built with you in mind. But she’s also learned how to fight and change those systems.

Over a decade ago, Lettie heard a testimony from longtime COFI-trained parent leader Rosazlia and was immediately moved by it. She joined COFI training and eventually joined the East St. Louis branch, which is called Parents United for Change (PUFC).

“Being part of COFI taught me that I do have a voice,” she says.

From the beginning, COFI’s training was grounded in listening to parents – their goals, their visions, and their experiences. As Lettie moved through the phases, she and fellow mothers started doorknocking in their communities. As they spoke to more and more individuals and asked about their concerns in the community, they began hearing a common concern. Nearly everyone was worried about children’s safety.

“We heard about children walking through vacant parks and abandoned alleyways to get to school,” she recalls.

Lettie and the group of parents brought their findings to the local leaders, who needed to hear about it and do something. They didn’t listen at first, but Lettie and the parents persisted, returning to board meetings.

Their first success was winning new crossing guards and parking spots at the Vivian Adams Early Childhood Center. They also won busing for 200 preschoolers attending the Preschool for All program. Later, when older children continued to travel to school under unsafe conditions, they took their issues and concerns to the whole state.

After traveling to Springfield to lobby, the COFI-trained group of East St. Louis parents won House Bill 5195. It mandated that school districts had to provide transportation for students whose routes to school passed through “dangerous” areas.

“When Parents United for Change formed, we made winning transportation in the district a priority, and we did it,” Lettie said. “We’re proof that parents can turn their dreams into action.”

Now, as PUFC and COFI look ahead to the next chapter of COFI, Lettie and the other parent leaders are taking on more projects to improve their communities, such as fighting food insecurity, expanding access to mental health care, and more.