CDF welcomes two new staff, Geanie Jones, Parents as Teachers Administrator, and Samia Abdullah, Parents as Teachers Parent Educator.
Geanie is no stranger to Parents As Teachers, having served as a parent educator and supervisor with Total Families, a family support agency. Geanie has 2 young children and is working on her masters in counseling. She is busy setting up a new play and learn apartment in Willow Branch apartments and will be scheduling activities for children birth to five and their families. CDF is looking for used but usable children’s furniture, books, and toys. Please let Geanie know if you have something to donate. You can contact her by emailing at geanie@clarkstondevelopmentfoundation.org .
Samia is a familiar face in the Clarkston community. She is one of the volunteer coordinators of a youth program that meets every Saturday at the Clarkston Community Center. The program offers martial arts, math tutoring, and tutoring in Somali for school-age children. She helped found the Fight Against Famine committee and is actively engaged in working with CARE and community groups to raise funds and awareness to support the relief efforts in Somali… Samia , who is working part time, has 3 children. She is looking forward to helping CDF with its dual language research and programming and to visiting families who have babies and toddlers in Willow Branch and Kristopher Woods.
Both Geanie and Samia will use the Parents as Teachers curriculum during home visits and share early learning activities, health information, community resources and opportunities for community engagement. They will help family members learn about child development and what they can do to ensure that their children are obtaining the foundational skills they will need to be healthy and prepared for school.