Mano a Mano: A hand up
Headquartered in Round Lake and with locations throughout Lake County, Mano a Mano’s mission is to empower immigrant families living in Lake County to become full participants in American life. Our vision is an integrated community where everyone has access to opportunities and pathways to success. Mano a Mano’s programs give families a hand up and move them along the path to realizing their American Dream.
Serving over 4,000 Lake County community members every year, Mano a Mano is a well-recognized service provider, and also acts as the gateway to the health and human services sector for immigrant families and a hub for community empowerment. Through our four key programs, Mano a Mano provides the tools, training, and support necessary for families achieve their goals and dreams. Last year, with the support of institutions like yours, our community achieved great things!
Healthy Families Program: 800 adults participated in Mano a Mano’s Health Education Initiative, improving their health literacy and connections to direct clinical services. Case Managers submitted over 1,000 health services applications connecting hundreds of families with health insurance, food assistance, and other services.
Productive Parents Program: Our instructors logged, 1,767 hours of instruction in our Productive Parents Program building the capacity of adults to be more engaged in their children’s learning and to be more competitive in the job market. Over 150 students improved their English language skills, 41 students passed GED subject area tests, and more than 117 job seekers received resume and interview preparation support to improve their employment.
Successful Children Program: Over 200 families participated in our Kindergarten Readiness Initiative. Pre-kindergartners left Mano a Mano with the skills that they need to start kindergarten at grade level. Parents left the sessions feeling empowered to be their child’s first teacher.
Engaged Citizens Program: Nearly 400 people were screened for immigration relief and almost 300 hundred immigration petitions were submitted. Eighty-four community members achieved their dream of becoming a United States Citizen through Mano a Mano’s legal services initiative. Over 1,500 community members were educated about immigration policy and their rights and responsibilities.
Through individual successes, program participants build better futures for their families and generations to come. Together, these successes build a stronger Lake County and a more competitive local economy. By supporting Mano a Mano, you are touching the lives of thousands, while at the same time strengthening the community that we all share.
