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Meet Erica Snyder!

She is the Community Resources Coordinator for the Grapevine and also serves as a Parent Group Facilitator and Home Visitor.  We are so lucky to have her on our team!

Erica first came to the Grapevine six years ago as a mom in one of our parenting groups.  She loved the open and supportive environment, so it felt like a natural fit when she was asked to become a Home Visitor  for our family resource center in 2020.  Erica had already been working with our before and after school club, so we knew she had the experience and the personality to reach out to families with young children and provide support.

As a Home Visitor, Erica meets with pregnant women and families with children under the age of five.  She provides information and support for anything related to postpartum issues, access to parenting groups or classes, and helps with difficult issues that may arise in a home with young children, such as potty-training or sleeping. Erica says,  “I am so grateful to be someone who can meet the families where they are at. As parents, we feel the pressure to be everything to everyone, but it is such a relief when someone comes in who can meet us where we are, with no judgement.”

Erica’s invaluable work with families led to her also taking on the role of the Community Resource Coordinator in 2021. This job is multi-faceted and often overlaps with home visiting. Often families might be overwhelmed and not able to deal with the stack of paperwork that may be necessary to seek assistance.  This is where Erica steps in and helps them gain access to various services in the area, such as food stamps, fuel assistance, housing assistance, etc… Erica is the middle person, not just giving a phone number or paperwork, but following through the process with parents until they get what they need, based on income.

Erica finds this work incredibly rewarding. “I love seeing people get what they need and reach their goals, but mostly it’s great to see them realize that they actually were able to do these difficult things on their own, with a bit of help.” Her background as a recovery support worker (with a focus on women) is helpful in her position as FRC.  She has a passion for supporting caregivers on their journey through parenthood and watching them make connections in the community.

We are so grateful for all of Erica’s supportive work with our local families!

Here at The Grapevine, our preschool kids LOVE playdough and we love to make it ourselves! If you want a simple activity for your child that will entertain them for hours, playdough is it!

Children love to mold and sculpt playdough.  This strengthens their little finger and hand muscles, which they will be using later on in life to hold their pencils and markers at school.

Playing with playdough is calming for many children (and adults too!) Playdough also provides a space for children to be creative…what will they make?  Cupcakes?  A snake? Anything goes!

You can make your own Playdough using the Grapevine’s tried and true recipe below.  If stored in an airtight container, this playdough can last for months of fun.

1 cup of all purpose flour

½ cup of salt

2 Teaspoons of Cream of Tartar

1 cup of water

1 Teaspoon of cooking oil

Place all ingredient in a medium saucepan over low/medium heat.  Stir while cooking until a soft dough ball forms.  Cool slightly.  Turn the dough ball out onto the counter and knead for a bit.  This is when you can add food coloring if you want, or essential oils.

*As a side note you can substitute 2 Tablespoons of baking soda for Cream of Tartar, but you then must increase the oil to 1 tablespoon. 

Thanks to Amy Doyle, one of our Learning Vine teachers, for this recipe!