Meet our Family Support Workers
Savannah and her sister grew up in New Bedford with their grandparents. Since Savannah was 14, she has wanted to help other children like her whose parents cannot care for them. Savannah knows that she would have handled things differently if a Family Support Worker helped her make decisions when she was young. After an initial false start at college, Savannah received her Associates Degree in Human Services from Bristol and Bachelor’s in Social Work from Bridgewater State University. Now, in addition to being a Family Support Worker, Savannah loves tabling at events and networking in the community. She is truly the face of United Way. When not at work, Savannah is a busy mother of four children ranging in age from 8 - 19 and serves as the primary caregiver for her mom.
Telma grew up in Portugal and moved to New Bedford when she was 15 years old with her family in search of a better life. Just two years later, her beloved father was tragically killed in a car accident on his way to work. Telma realizes now how much a Family Support Worker could have helped her mother find resources after her father’s death. Luckily, Telma’s extended Cape Verdean family, many of whom live in the area, offered a great deal of support. Telma now has a 15 year old son of her own, Andrew, who cheers on Seleção Portuguesa de Futebol and hopes to live in Portugal someday. In the meantime, Telma is known in the community for helping families, and while she reports the work is not easy, she feels deeply gratified when she sees “her” families doing well.