Rosemary Adorno
Rosemary Adorno is a proud mother of four children, two older sons ages 16 and 17, and a pair of six-and-a-half-year-old twins. She is Puerto Rican, born and raised in Boston, and she and her family currently live in Roxbury.
Rosemary was introduced to Families First through another mom at the ABCD Jamaica Plain Head Start Classroom—where her eldest son was attending school. She was eager to join the program, but as a single mother with two new twins, going places and doing things was almost never easy.
The Power of Parenting program allowed her to bond with other parents, learn new parenting strategies, and discover her strengths as a mother and a leader—all while her children were being taken care of by Jumpstart.
“I used to feel that I was going through this all by myself. As a society, we walk by people and never know that we are in the same boat with them. Since I’ve become involved in this program it’s been great to connect with other parents. It instills a sense of family and I still talk with some of the parents today.” Rosemary said.
After the Power of Parenting program, Rosemary said she became a better advocate for her children. When her son was having trouble at school, she stood up and became his advocate, making sure that children with different learning styles did not slip through the cracks.
In the fall of 2019, Rosemary joined the Parent Leadership Academy—an initiative that has now grown into Families First’s new Parent Leadership program. She attended leadership workshops and professional skill-building trainings based on six core competencies, including facilitation, communication, planning, resourcefulness, collaboration, and goal setting.
“Nowadays I’m extremely involved, an advocate, and a strong parent that will continue to strive for the best. I help others realize the same strengths within themselves,” she shared.
Now, Rosemary is joining Families First Team as a Leadership Ambassador—offering mentorship and support to our newest Parent Leaders. She is also one of the upcoming featured speakers at Families First’s virtual Breakfast Benefit! Join us on October 16 to hear from her and other parents who’ve participated in Families First’s programming.
Rosemary will share her transformational experience, as she describes it, “from a quiet wallflower to a strong advocate for my family and my community’s needs”.