Your Gift Turns Struggle Into Hope

Imagine watching your bright-eyed toddler hold you hostage with every tantrum. That was life for George and Jessica Tapia when Leilani turned three. At home, simple requests like “Please put on your shoes” ignited epic meltdowns. In public, spills or delays brought on screams so fierce that strangers would recoil. 

Desperate for answers, the Tapias tried rewards, strict schedules, and time-outs, yet nothing worked. Even Leilani's ECS Head Start teachers, who observed her controlling play with others and attempting to sneak out of school, could only help so much in class. Ultimately, her parents postponed her transition to kindergarten, fearing she was not emotionally ready. Home felt like a pressure cooker; Jessica admitted, “I felt like a failure, like I must be doing something wrong…”

Then Leilani's teachers connected them with a program made possible through your gifts – Para Las Familias (PLF), an Episcopal Community Services bilingual, bicultural early-childhood mental health clinic. In weekly sessions, licensed therapist Itzel taught Jessica and George to spot Leilani's triggers and respond with compassion. Through “video situations,” Itzel recorded family interactions and reviewed them together, revealing small shifts—add a pause here, a calm question there—that defused tension before it exploded. 

Will you help another family find peace? Your thoughtful gift provides the tools and resources needed to help children like Leilani take the very first steps toward healing. 

As weeks passed, the Tapias witnessed Leilani's transformation. Her teachers described her newfound focus and kindness. At home, she joyfully helped set the table and shared her feelings instead of bottling them up. “It really helped my family… It's hopeful,” Jessica beamed.

Week by week, the Tapias replaced fear with understanding. Jessica put it this way, “When our friends and neighbors noticed it, that's when it hit us that it was working. The sessions changed our lives for the better.” Today, Leilani happily cooperates with chores and homework; her “thin ice” has melted into confidence. At home, quality family time has returned, and communication, once their greatest challenge, is now their greatest strength. 

Please join us in extending this vital support to other children, giving them the same chance Leilani had to grow and succeed. 

Thanks to you, families gain more than coping skills—they gain renewed hope. And as George says, “Therapy is not just for the mother and child. As a father, it's important to be part of the healing and growing process, too. Embrace it.” 

Because of compassionate donors like you, families like the Tapias can rebuild trust, rediscover joy, and lay a foundation for their children's lifelong emotional health.  

Your gift today will make a difference between despair and possibility for many families this year. Your kindness and generosity will change lives across all ECS programs, helping our neighbors who need your support today. 

Because of you, families break cycles of frustration, children build self-confidence, and our community becomes stronger. Thank you for giving hope and healing, one family at a time.