Searching for resources and support during her first trimester, Jada “Jae” Stewart ran across Goodwill Nurse-Family Partnership® (NFP), a program that pairs registered nurses with first-time parents. Experiencing very severe morning sickness (hyperemesis gravidarum), Jae wanted to have another set of eyes to identify what was abnormal and ensure her pregnancy was progressing smoothly.

“What also appealed to me was that the nurse came to me and I didn’t have to travel,” said Jae.

However, after enrolling, Jae found that there were many more ways to benefit from the program than having extra support throughout her pregnancy. The Goodwill NFP Mental Health Team offered short-term therapy, which was incredibly useful during Jae’s pregnancy. She was heavily impacted by both pregnancy and postpartum depression and complex post traumatic stress disorder, but with the help of the mental health team and her nurse, Jae found mental health resources and created a plan for further care.

“Looking forward to seeing my nurse and having someone to just talk to was really helpful,” said Jae.

Additionally, she found a new career through Goodwill NFP. She talked about her desire to become a doula with her nurse, and a community health worker through Goodwill NFP connected her to a scholarship that covered her training in full. Her nurse even wrote a letter of recommendation for the scholarship.

With doula training under her belt, Jae runs her own business as The Triple E (Embrace, Envision and Empower) Doula, offering birth, postpartum, reproductive health, and sibling doula services to low-income parents. She was motivated to help others through their pregnancy because of her experiences advocating for her own health and finds great purpose in doing so.

“I want to do my part,” said Jae. “And if my part is helping people not go through what I went through and find enjoyment in their birth experience, then I feel like I did something right.”

Jae is avid about improving her credentials, education and training level for the benefit of her community. Currently, she’s working on obtaining her community health worker certification and adding exercise classes to her business’s offerings. She also has ambitions that go beyond the scope of frontline doula work and into community development.

“I want to be more involved in the community on a larger scale,” said Jae. “I want to help families be able to identify their needs, wants, and have accessibility to them. I want to ask the questions: what's going to better our community and how are we going to do it?”

Looking back on her experience with Goodwill NFP, the biggest takeaway for Jae is her ability to speak up, be honest and advocate for herself.

“Just having a little vulnerability and being open to trusting someone to ask for help or even to have your feelings validated can go a long way,” said Jae. “It really does take a village, and that village is not only blood or friends, but people you meet along the path.”

This Women’s History Month, we honor women whose leadership and vision have created lasting change in their communities and beyond – women like Jae, who have not only benefited from Goodwill NFP’s model, but also became a valuable resource for other parents who need support. 

To learn more about Goodwill NFP or refer someone you know, visit goodwillnfp.org.