The M in Monique Stands for Marvelous

Monique McBride is a testament to what one person can accomplish with determination, persistence and actively participating in our Freadom® Families Program.

Not willing to accept what the “hand of fate” might otherwise have dealt her, Monique had – and has – the courage to break the grip of that hand and create her own destiny.

How do we know? We were there in 2014 when she – as a mother living in a homeless shelter with her four month old daughter – took the initiative to enroll in the family support organization Family Focus Englewood, and simultaneously joined our Freadom® Families program.

Overcoming homelessness – and all other obstacles blocking her path – Monique searched for and utilized everything she could find, especially books and reading, as allies in elevating her life, the life of her growing family, and soon also the lives of other children and families in her community.

When her daughters began day care, the school’s supervisors were so impressed with how Monique had prepared her children to read and conduct themselves that they promptly offered her a job.

Years later, in 2024, the daughters are succeeding beautifully in school – consistently winning awards in academics, school spirit, and leadership.

In 2019 Monique won our “Rising Star” Award, and in 2021 was invited to be our Parent Advisor. As such she makes valuable recommendations for best reading materials, offers advice on parent engagement, and encourages other families to join our program*

In March, Monique was honored by being featured in our Facebook Page for Women’s History Month 2024.
By her courage to defy “fate” and create her own future, Monique has written – and continues to write – her own history – as an individual woman, as “mater familias,” shaping the futures of her children, and as a contributor to the transformation of her community.

* Freadom® Families is made possible by our partnership with Kiwanis Club of LakeView Chicago