Jennifer Bailer is the nursing director at the Butler County Health Department and co-lead of the Partnership to Reduce Infant Mortality (PRIM).
“High Hopes has been around for 13 years and was in Middletown originally and four years ago it transferred to the Butler County Department of Health, and was made available to everybody,” Bailer explained. “It is funded by the ODH and is available in 13 counties.”
She said the sight of seeing kids playing and enjoying life past the age of 1 was a welcomed one. “This is really amazing. We aere honoring the women who have been in the program for two years since we brought it to Hamilton. Obviously, that means their babies have made it past the age that many young black babies are dying.”
Community health worker LaToiua Foster, certified community health worker Natalie Jones, community health worker Michelle Tubbs, program supervisor Marie Augustin and certified community health worker Jennifer Carter are the team that makes up the High Hopes program for the Butler County area.
Carter gave a high octane speech directed at the African-American women in attendance and those who weren’t. She wanted them to know that they were loved and the obstacles presented in life do not need to be fought alone.
“I am so proud of all of the women that came out today to celebrate your uniqueness,” she said. “You know black women get such a negative portrayal often in the public and in the media. So I’m here to celebrate you guys and read you a love letter to black women.”
Carter read, “I love black women…I love the baptist church mothers in white, the YouTube twerkers, I love the sisters with the Ivy League degrees and the GEDs. I love the Big Mommas, Madeas and the Aunties…I love the black womanhood with the unique history. The world will tell you who you are until you tell the world, ‘I am who I am.’”
Raven Smith, 36, was clutching her baby, Donald, Jr., and enjoying the camaraderie being shared in the room. She has been in the High Hopes program since 2015. She had lost a baby and when she spoke to the Journal-News in January, she was pregnant with her son, who now is a healthy baby.
“I got connected with High Hopes and we went to Atrium in Middletown,” Smith said. “Since we have been here in August of 2015, the people here have been so compassionate and shown empathy to our situation as a family. I am just floored.”
She added that,”I love hearing all of these loud sounds from the kids here and I know the mothers like me do too. When I hear my son yell in the middle of the night, unlike most people, I love hearing those sounds. One of the medical care workers saw my story and said it touched her. She recently passed away and that was the last conversation I had with her. I’m glad she was happy for me.”
Stacia Dawson, community outreach coordinator for Molina, one of the five Medicaid managed care plans in Ohio, sponsored the graduation. She said it was a special day for the mothers and their babies.
“We wanted you to have some time to spend together and celebrate completing the High Hopes program - that is no easy feat,” Dawson said. “We are very happy that you guys could come out today. We are proud of you. Happy Mother’s Day.”
Julia James was recognized for being the first participant in High Hopes since it was moved to Hamilton. “She was in line to ask a question about WIC,” Bailer said. “We knew she could use the program and just whisked her out-of-line and got her enrolled.”
Some of the mothers did not want to have their names used for the story, but one of them made sure to point to a sign that summed up High Hopes.
“Helping Infants Grow Healthy (High) Home Visits Outreach Program Prenatal & Postnatal Education and Support (Hopes),” were the words on the sign.
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