Lamar County Family Connection Collaborative home page

Lamar County Family Connection Collaborative
Improving the lives of Lamar County's children, youth, and families

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Our Family Connection collaborative serves as the local decision-making body, bringing community partners together to develop, implement, and evaluate plans that address the serious challenges facing Georgia’s children and families.

Vision
Our vision is for all children in Lamar County to be happy and healthy

Pinwheels for Prevention

A child’s world should be safe and carefree. The pinwheel is a symbol of the playfulness and joy of childhood. In April you will see the pinwheels spinning in Lamar. They join the many pinwheel gardens throughout Georgia reminding everyone to value the children in our lives every day all year long. We all have a role to play. Together we can assure the safety well-being and future of children.

Through the First Steps Program, all Barnesville-Lamar parents of newborns at the Spalding Regional Medical Center receive personal support during the first three months. First Steps serves as a gateway to community resources. First Steps is voluntary and designed for parents of all ages and all ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. Everyone needs extra support and encouragement while adjusting to a newborn!

A raffle will be held for a PinWheel Quilt that will go directly for the financial support of First Steps. Donna Varnadoe kindly dedicated and donated several months to this project. She put her heart and soul into the making of this quilt and even gave it a name. This is what Donna said:

"I was asked to make a quilt for the First Step Program. The only request was the pinwheels and bright colors. As I thought about the design, I decided to use wind mills for a 3D effect, and to me, batiks were only choice for bright colors. During the quilting process, I received help from a friend, Patricia Wilson. Pat cut out the entire quilt. This is a painful process. While I was putting it together, I thought about the children affected by this program and decided to include a block for the child who never gets help; the one child who has lost their childhood innocence to life to neglect and abuse. Which explains the name of the quilt 'Lost Innocence'." - Donna Varnadoe

Please see picture of the quilt attached and notice the block designated for the hurt child. The quilt is currently displayed at Truett's Grill on the North Expressway, Griffin where tickets can be purchased for $5. Tickets may be purchased from Bernell Merritt, the First Step Coordinator.Contact bernellmerritt@yahoo.com

Drawing will be held in June. You do not need to be present to win.

Grant Received....
Our Family Connection received a grant of $4,500 that will send four middle schoolers and five high schoolers to attend the Georgia Teen Institute this summer! This is part of the parent and student involvement program. Criteria will be set for the group to do community activities when they return.

Gordon College Chose FCC
We are pleased that Gordon chose our Family Connection as a summer work program site for its students.

About Family Connection

We are part of Family Connection, a Georgia statewide initiative of 159 community collaborative partnerships committed to making measurable improvements for children and families in Georgia.

Our Family Connection Goals

	Healthy Children

	School Readiness

	School Success

	Strong Communities

	Lamar County Family Connection Collaborative Region: 4 Mailing Address: 122 Westgate Plaza Barnesville, GA 30204-1526
	Coordinator Dorothy Carter Phone: (770) 358-7660 Fax: 770 358 5169 eMail: dlcbrown@bellsouth.net

PRIDE Training for Teens/Parents
Parents Reducing Incidents of Driver Error

Ferst Foundation of Lamar County