Wayside Warriors – Christi Fagerberg
Christi Fagerberg, family support specialist, Parent-Peer Partnership Program
Christi Fagerberg is a marketing whiz when it comes to promoting her Parent Support Groups, holding BINGO-themed groups, Spa Nights and a Sweet Night Social that included a chocolate dipping lesson. When the state issued stay-at-home orders due to COVID-19, she decided to get creative with how to connect with parents virtually.
Christi signed up the video conferencing platform, Zoom, and got the word out to parents who had been attending her free groups. Within a week Christi, a family support specialist in Wayside’s Parent-Peer Partnership Program, was hosting virtual Zoom support groups and staying connected to the parents who previously came to her groups in Framingham.
Donna Currie, who previously traveled weekly from Hudson to Framingham to attend Christi’s group, said using Zoom has been a great way to check-in and see how everyone is doing. Donna joined the group to get support and ideas for parenting her two daughters who both have mental health issues.
“Just to know you’re not alone, it’s a big relief that you can just go and feel supported,” Donna said. “It’s really hard to find these people, your tribe, so it’s very, very helpful.”
The group is an outlet for parents who deal with challenges related to their child’s mental and behavioral health. Donna said her daughters have learning disabilities, struggle to make friends and have experienced bullying. The more anxiety and stress they have, the harder it is for them to learn which is even more challenging now since their schoolwork is online.
“It’s getting real support, you feel like you’re in this with other people,” said Donna.
Recent topics of conversation include increased anxiety due to virtual schooling, caring for children with mental illness without school supports, ways to engage children in non-educational activities and self-care.
The groups are open to anyone living in Massachusetts and parents can attend anonymously if they wish (Zoom allows participants to turn off the mic and camera). The goal is for parents to have a safe and supportive space for social interaction and to share their questions and concerns. It’s also a way for parents to feel less isolated.
“That is honestly what this is all about. We’re all in this together,” said Christi. “We’re all trapped in our houses together. Our kids are eating all our food and we can’t go to the grocery store because we don’t want to get sick.”
Christi’s Parent Support Groups are held weekly on Tuesdays at 9:30 a.m. and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. For more information, or to join, email Christi at Christi_Fagerberg@waysideyouth.org.
