Jane Hess Collins's Blog

What Is The Parent Leadership Training Institute?

The PLTI program is a two-generation strategy to bolster parental involvement while promoting the lifelong health, safety and learning of children. Parents apply to attend a 20-week program. If selected, family supports such as child care, meals and transportation are provided. Each class mentors the next class, creating a pyramid effect of community caring and a developing coalition of parents.  

What Is Carpenter’s Shelter?

Carpenter’s Shelter partners with the city of Alexandria and the greater Metropolitan Washington, D.C. area to eliminate homelessness through respect, responsibility and results. Through its many programs, they advocate self-reliance through education and provide programs and services as needed.

What Is The Reading Connection? 

The Reading Connection (TRC) reads to kids and gives them books to instill the love of reading in them.  A love of reading can make all the difference between academic success or failure.  Last year they served 1,500 children and distributed 9,096 books.  TRC’s vision is that every child in the program will be regular and passionate readers. 

Someone told me 20 years ago that if you want something done, ask a busy person. No one, I’ve decided, is busier than a nonprofit executive director, and this posting is a shout-out to them by way of my whining about how much work they have asked me to do.