Employee Highlight: Ola
Ola, pictured above on the far left.
“We save one village at a time”: Olufunke Oyederu’s Mission to Inspire Healing and Hope
For almost four years, Parenting Skills Educator Olufunke Oyederu has been working to support children and families at Reach for Resources. Through her work, she gives parents, children, and families the education and confidence they need to rise above challenges, strengthen their parenting skills, and move towards healing.
Olufunke, who goes by Ola, has a lifelong passion for working with children. With a bachelor’s degree in child development, over eleven years of volunteer experience with children, four children of her own, and prior experience working in childcare, Ola’s background gave her the confidence to move into the parent educator role. In her position, she has been able to draw on her experience to provide high-quality support to families from all walks of life.
One of Ola’s favorite things about her position is being able to meet families where they are and provide compassionate education to help them through difficult times. “We all are a work in progress, and we need to give support instead of pushing people away,” Ola says. Though the work she does can be challenging, she enjoys the variety and problem-solving aspects of her job. A typical day may include providing tools like toys and games for a family, preparing a lesson for parents, visiting a family at their home, or assisting a family with accessing community resources. But, for Ola, the most important part of her job is making people feel comfortable and heard. “Parents need to be ready to learn; they can make mistakes, but they are also capable of getting back on their feet. It gives me joy to see them bounce back,” she says.
With the support of a well-trained team of colleagues, Ola is able to continually improve the services she provides and tailor them to the needs of each individual family. Ola mentioned that her team regularly shares ideas and knowledge to assist one another. She appreciates her supervisor Jessica Preiner’s continual encouragement, as well as Reach’s emphasis on helping employees learn new skills and get access to resources they can use to assist the people they support. “We can always learn something new if we need it. This gives me a lot of confidence,” she mentions.
During her time at Reach, Ola’s knowledge of parenting education and supporting families has deepened and expanded. She said all families are different, and parenting can vary based on the family’s culture and background. But, all families do have one thing in common; with the correct help, they all have the potential to rise above difficulties and move towards a brighter and healthier future. According to Ola, “this is a blessing and an opportunity to heal an entire family. We save one village at a time.”
We recognize and celebrate Ola’s continual dedication to the families she serves, her warmth and kindness, and her talent for inspiring resilience and hope. Thank you, Ola, for all that you do for our community!