Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Tsiplakis.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jill. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Stepping Stones Family Services was originally started as Stepping Stones Family Home in February 2016, a home for homeless teenage mothers to have a safe place to live and continue with school and career goals. The idea was born after assisting a 17-year mother try to navigate the system with her 1-year-old daughter. We quickly found the amount of money needed to start such a large venture so quickly to be far more than we would be able to raise initially. From there we pivoted to start Stepping Stones Family Gathering and ultimately our larger approach, Stepping Stones Family Services.
Our first event we only had one mother showed up. Our second saw 8 mothers, but by our fourth event we suddenly had over 40 mothers enrolled and eager to get more out of the experience other than our once a month Family Gathering event. During this time our donations of baby clothes, items, toys, etc. greatly increased with the community support and I found myself pulled in what felt like 1,000 different directions, working over 60 hours a week, and trying to meet all the needs of the Nonprofit while still running as an all-volunteer organization. I knew something needed to change for my own sanity and to make the greatest impact on the incredible group of women we were now working with.
In July of 2018, I opened the Stepping Stones Family Services office in Haverhill, MA. We have been running the office on an extremely part-time basis while getting all our inventory moved in, office set up, and curriculum developed but I am very excited to announce we will be fully operational in September with the absolute best volunteers in the world assisting with our mission!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Starting this journey I had little experience in the Nonprofit field and had never run my own business. I started by joining the Veterans Business Owners Association. I took an 18-course module there and learned the ins and outs of starting a business. This helped immensely with filing the paperwork needed to be awarded our 501(c)(3).
I also worked closely with the SCORE Newburyport branch in fine-tuning our business proposal and filling out the necessary paperwork. I have continued my education in the Nonprofit Management field with a certificate from Northern Essex Community College, classes at Harvard University, and in September I will be attending the V-WISE (Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship) Conference in San Diego, CA.
Knowing when to ask for help and who to ask has saved SSFS and brought it to the point we are at today. I am lucky to have an incredible team of volunteers, the support of the community, and an amazing and dedicated group of women helping with our donation acquisition, groups and classes.
Stepping Stones Family Services – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Stepping Stones Family Services is a registered Nonprofit Organization servicing lower-income mothers in need in the Greater Merrimack Valley. SSFS assists mothers through providing basic child care items, teaching the proper child and family care, assisting with enrollment in other community-based services, and helping to prepare mothers for the workforce or return to school.
SSFS consider ourselves extremely unique in our work because we provide much more of a community and neighborhood feel to our services. It has always been my goal that when a woman walks through the door of our office or one of our events she feels the love and support of everyone around her and not like she is in a social services office. Our office is beautifully decorated with help from Interior Decorator Ellen Lindgren to give us a sophisticated glam vibe. I think the esthetic, programs offered, and people involved is what really sets us apart from other agencies and our mothers would agree!
We frequently get comments that we are different from any other service these mothers have been involved in with comments like “you feel like my neighbor!” or “coming here is like coming to a friend” and those comments mean everything to us! Assisting me with the mission of SSFS are the 3 most amazing, dedicated, insightful, and incredible women you will meet!
Kelsey Harrington – Kelsey is our Healthy Relationships Specialist. She comes to Stepping Stones Family Services in hopes to identify with and provide positive support to young girls who need guidance through some of the hardships she too has faced, as a young parent. She continues to excel and set new goals in her career at the Newburyport Five Cents Savings Bank in Online Services/Business Banking where she was hired after having her son, Josiah at age 20.
Kelsey experienced the loss of a parent at a young age, and unfortunately, her son did too. Josiah’s Dad struggled with addiction in his late 20’s which lead to his untimely death. Kelsey leads classes and groups focusing on Healthy Relationships and Bonding, Healthy Body and Mind, Healthy Alternatives, and Healthy vs. Not Healthy: Drugs/Alcoholism.
Elizabeth (Liz) Murray- Liz is our Director of Educational Development. She had her first son, Tobin at age 21. She had dreams of attending nursing school and began taking classes but soon after her son was born she became a single mom. She dropped out of college and for years she struggled to make something of herself, working long hours at dead-end jobs just to keep her electricity on and food in the fridge. Liz met her now husband, Paul, in 2012. They married in 2015 and together worked hard to purchase a home and small farm in Southern NH. Liz and Paul welcomed their son Eamon in October 2016.
Liz is currently a Certified Nursing Assistant in MA, runs her own Equine Massage business and has plans to apply to Nursing School. She understands what it is to be a single mom living in poverty because she lived it herself. Liz now lives a life she wouldn’t have dared to even dream of ten years ago. She is inspired to share her experiences and help young mothers to become success stories. Liz leads educational classes and groups in many different aspects of Attachment Parenting, Motherhood, and Life Skills.
Margaret Parkhurst – Margaret is our Donor Relations Specialist and volunteer extraordinaire! There is no job too big or too small for her to accomplish. Although she struggled through High School she found her place helping animals and people in need.
On top of running her own Dog Walking business in Topsfield, MA, Margaret spent countless hours each week scouring Facebook marketplace to find second-hand baby items we are in need of and handles all communication with potential and current donors. Margaret also assists with the monthly Family Gathering event regularly working alongside me until midnight or later to prepare bags of requested items for attendees in the days leading up to our event. SSFS provides assistance to enrolled mothers through a multi-faceted approach.
Stepping Stones Family Closet- Stepping Stones Family Closet is open as a free pop up “shop” during our Family Gathering event as well as being open 3 days a week for mothers to pick up items at our Haverhill office.
Stepping Stones Family Gathering- a twice-monthly event (one in Haverhill, one in Lawrence) for moms in need to learn more about services offered, speak with child development specialists, make connections with one another, participate in free childcare/healthy family classes and shop our free family closet! All mothers who attend our Family Gathering receive free diapers and wipes!
Stepping Stones Family Services- Opened July 1st! Our “home base” in Haverhill, MA.
Office hours are 3 days a week. Mothers can drop by to pick up emergency items, receive tutoring services and job prep assistance, attended classes and groups, get information on additional community services offered and more!
Peer to Peer Enrichment – Allowing mothers a place to share ideas, learn from others, and bond over similar experiences. These classes and groups are headed by Kelsey Harrington and Elizabeth Murray. As a team SSFS offers classes on Healthy Moms Night Out with babysitting supports and services offered for the night
Stepping Stones Family Homecoming soon! A home for homeless mothers to live for up to 2 years while attending a 2 or 4 year College, trade school, or on the job training. Our goal is to provide mothers with a safe and secure home while offering guidance while they strive to reach their career goals
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is the ability to believe in yourself and not let statistics, demographics, or others stand in your way. In the Military I never believed the fact that I was a woman, or was the lowest ranking soldier in my detachment meant that I couldn’t accomplish the same things as a male high ranking career officer and not having that feeling of doubt led me to take leaps I never would have dared to tackle, had I listened to society about my “proper place”.
When you push past the norm and prove to others that you CAN do it, those around you will also believe that you can. I hope to share this knowledge and philosophy with the women enrolled in SSFS so they can see the success stories they can be and pass that on to their children. I was always extremely competitive growing up. Throughout my entire life, I have ridden horses and competed in competitions with the American Saddlebred horse. In Middle School, I developed a love for running and was a 3 season Varsity Athlete in Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track all 4 years of my High School career.
During my sophomore year of college, I joined the United States Army Reserve. From there I was deployed to Afghanistan (2010-2011) with my Psychological Operations detachment and that is where I can remember the exact moment my life changed. In addition to my work with my PSYOP team, I served as a part of a female engagement team working with the women and children in Afghanistan. My work allowed me the flexibility to plan and implement my own programs as well as working with the Civil Affairs team on their initiatives.
After holding one of my many women’s shuras (meeting with locals) to discuss ideas for women’s sewing programs and health programs, I was preparing to leave when a widow named Bibi Juma grabbed my hand and pleaded with me “we are poor people… there is nothing you can do for us (the women of Afghanistan) but you can help our children, for they are the future of Afghanistan” I promised her I would do what I could to help and walked back to the truck with my eyes full of tears and heart full of hope.
I truly believe that the key to success lay in the foundation of education for children no matter where they live. Learning of the alarming 2% literacy rate in the province, I knew I had to do something to help change that and to keep my promise to Bibi. I was the lowest ranking soldier and only female in my detachment. These two obstacles should have completely stood in the way of my success, but because I had no idea they even were obstacles, I charged in head-on. I developed my program, presented it to the Brigade and began an education initiative, carrying school books and backpacks into the villages to give these children of war a real chance at life.
Through research, I found and partnered with a book company from Los Altos, California who provided stories of traditional Afghan folklore printed in both Pashtu and Dari. I then had these stories recorded with page turn signals (think Reading Rainbow for Afghanistan!) to be played on Afghan and coalition force radio stations. We handed out the books, solar-powered radios and schedules of reading times to the villages and the program took off. Villagers across the province began asking our US soldiers how they too could be provided with these books!
I continued my work, helping provide health services for the women and assisting in opening the first two girls middle schools ever in the province. For the first time in my life, I felt like I really made a difference in other’s lives. Upon my arrival home I began exploring career options which would give me the same sense of pride and accomplishment I felt in Afghanistan.
I finally decided to explore a path I found to be most similar to my work in Afghanistan and that was working with at-risk youth here in America. Working initially at the Boys & Girls Club and then an Alternative High School gave me the experience and drive to help those less fortunate than myself. My competitive edge and passion for helping others has driven me to make the sacrifices and decisions to help SSFS be the most successful it can be. I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished so far and can’t wait to unlock what the future holds for Stepping Stones Family Services!
Contact Info:
- Address: 143 Essex St, Suite 206, Haverhill MA, 01832
- Website: www.steppingstonesfamilyservices.org
- Phone: 603-380-5886
- Email: jill@familyservicesma.org
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
