Family Connection, Bainbridge and Decatur County Georgia

For more information - Ronnie Burke via email or 229-309-9032

Some Programs from Family Connection

• Challenge Day, in partnership with other local organizations, provided 400 students and 100 adults with the tools to prevent bullying and other violence in our schools
• Girls Circle Groups are groups for middle school age girls that meet once a week for twelve weeks. The groups educate girls on body image, healthy relationships, decision making, substance abuse prevention and abstinence
• Choosing the Best and WAIT, two national abstinence education curricula, were provided to Hutto Middle School to be taught in 7th and 8th grade health classes; the health teacher was sent to the teacher training for both curricula
• Shoplifting Education is a program that the strategy team has been working to secure funding for so that youth referred to DJJ for shoplifting can be educated on the impact shoplifting has on the community and the individual who commits the act. The curriculum also teaches the offender positive decision making skills
• Parenting education classes offer parents education and support on a variety of parenting issues
• Second Step Curriculum is a violence prevention and substance abuse prevention program. We are currently working to offer this curriculum to all sixth graders
• Dictionary Project: In partnership with the Kiwanis Club of Bainbridge, Family Connection provides dictionaries to all third graders in Decatur County
• CATS for Youth is Family Connection’s youth advisory council and consists of approximately twenty students from Bainbridge High School. CATS members work on a number of activities and projects throughout the year:
• Red Ribbon Week
• Substance abuse prevention public awareness with radio announcements and news articles
• Teen Summit which will focus on the prevention of risky behaviors by youth
• Abstinence education
• Substance abuse prevention puppet shows
• Georgia Teen Institute
• Community Partnership for Protecting Children (CPPC): The task force is exploring the feasibility of forming a CPPC, which is a community approach to preventing child abuse and neglect
• Public Awareness Activities: The task force has sponsored
• Pinwheels for Prevention and a Sexual Assault Awareness Event
• Donated books on domestic violence to the SW Georgia Regional Library and the Bainbridge College Library
• Presentations to groups to raise awareness about domestic violence and child abuse
• Volunteers in Tax Assistance (VITA) program, which provides free tax preparation and e-file to individuals and families with low to moderate incomes, was started in Decatur County in January 2007. During the 2007 tax season, the team completed returns for about 100 individuals with federal refunds totaling more than $73,000. We have far exceeded our 2008 goals by now having served over 500 Decatur County citizens with this FREE service provided by volunteers
• Money management classes are also offered to the community at no cost by the strategy team
• Homebuying Seminar is currently being prepared
• First Steps: This team is currently fundraising to begin the First Steps program which will provide a visit in the hospital and biweekly phone contact to new parents who give birth at the local hospital.

Family Connection Web Site

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