Things looking up for mother of 5
But West Mifflin family needs help with gifts
For single mother Jennifer Cochran of West Mifflin and her extended family — five children under 10 years old plus her mother and the children’s father — the arrow finally is pointing up.
Ms. Cochran, 31, has regular employment managing the Shake & Cone shop in Duquesne in the summer and working at the neighboring Papa John’s pizza shop during cold weather. Her youngest child, Dasani, recently turned 2 and is enrolled at the Duquesne Family Center preschool operated by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, reducing her child-care issues.
And about a month ago, she finally was able to move with her mother and children from subsidized housing in Duquesne, where the children’s outside activities were limited by landlord rules, to a mobile home park.
“It’s getting easier now that they’re all in school,” Ms. Cochran said. “It’s winding down a bit.”
For Ms. Cochran, one key to making the move work was being able to leave the children in Duquesne schools this year as long as she can take them to school or the bus stop. She said the children are comfortable there and she didn’t want them to have to adjust to a new school.
After watching children struggle with separation when kindergarten was their first time away from their families, she’s especially happy that Dasani is in preschool.
But that doesn’t mean things are easy.
Young children — Damarion, 10; Maleigha, 6; twins Zion and Zaria, 5; and Dasani, 2 — grow out of clothes and shoes quickly.
“At one point, it seemed like they were all the same size,” Ms. Cochran said. “All of a sudden, they started sprouting up all over. They needed everything.”
Maria Cochran, her mother, and Russell Greene, the children’s father who still lives in Duquesne, fill in with child care as necessary. The Duquesne Family Center helps out with supplies, family counseling and group outings for Ms. Cochran and 39 other families that use its services.
Jan Gooden, site director for the family center, said Ms. Cochran has come a long way since the family started with the center a little more than three years ago. At that time, the twins weren’t potty trained and Ms. Cochran needed help with supplies for reading and child development.
“They’ve become way more selfsufficient,” said Ms. Gooden. “Everyone wants a sad story, but this is a happystory. [Moving into the trailer] isa milestone. This is great.”
But like many families, Ms.
Cochran’s struggles to meet everyday necessities leave little money for holiday gifts. That’s where the Post-Gazette Goodfellows Fund, the Marine Corps Toys for Tots program and the family center come in.
Through reader contributions, the Goodfellows Fund helps to buy toys for the Marine Corps program to distribute through dozens of agencies like the family center. Please consider a tax-deductible donation using the coupon that appears with this story. All donations are acknowledged in the newspaper.
Toysfor Tots will hold open
Since 1947, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Goodfellows Fund has collected money to provide toys for needy children at Christmas. The Marine Corps Toys for Tots program works with over 100 agencies to identify families to receive toys. Here is a continuing list of those who have donated to the fund in 2017: James / Joyce McCann $500 Wilfred & Susan Hansen $200 Frank & Maureen Stagno $150 In Memory of Anna M. Barnes $100 In Memory of Our Parents — Jim & Sally Quinn $100 The Powell Family $100 Thomas R. Hurley $100 Mary D Haley $50 Jack & Barb McFeeley in memory of Paul Lowry $50 Robert Angelisanti $50 Emily Boczar $50 Anonymous $50 Don and Bonnie Mazzotta $50 Alan Kuffner $50 Behram Kapadia $50 U.S.M.C. Semper Fi $25.00 In Memory of Agnes & Lisa $25 houses from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 15 and 16 at 2930 Lebanon Church Road in West Mifflin to distribute toys to parents and guardians of needy children. Parents and guardians are required to bring a photo ID for themselves; a birth certificate for each child (children up to 14 are eligible); proof of need, such as an Access card or proof of government assistance or unemployment; and a utility bill, phone bill or other proof of address. Please note that gifts are distributed on a first-come, firstservedbasis.