This year brought many successes to the Family Resources team that we are all thankful for. Our staff worked with children, teens, and entire families across Pinellas and Manatee counties to create stable living environments for everyone involved.
Sometimes a parent just needed a safe place for their child to go after school or an assurance that they would have a healthy meal at daycare. Other times, youth reached out to us because they escaped an abusive home environment and found themselves on the streets.
Whatever the cause, the Family Resources staff helped whenever they could.
“We couldn’t have accomplished so much without our wonderful donors, staff, volunteers, and supporters who built us up along the way,” said Lisa Davis, CEO.
Thank you to everyone who built us up. Here is a recap of all we accomplished in our 2018 review.
Five LGBTQ Youth Found Safe Long-Term Housing
Our long-term Transitional Living Program provided safe housing and services to five LGBTQ youth, totaling 4,327 days of care.
Along with giving teens a stable roof over their heads, we offer case management, youth development programs, and trauma-informed care. Our Transitional Living Program is staffed 7 days per week with professionals who can offer counseling and care whenever it is needed.
The goal of this program is to help our residents get off on the right foot with their education and career plans with clear goals and good mental health.
110 Children and Teens Participated in Our After School Programs
Childhood is meant to be fun, and we believe no child should worry about finding a safe place to learn and play after school. This year, our after-school programs provided academic enrichment activities and homework assistance to 110 children and teens.
Family Resources has two locations for our after-school programs: one in south St. Petersburg and one in Pinellas Park. This gives students across Pinellas County access to our activities. Students can enjoy a variety of after-school options through Family Resources. We offer homework help and study sessions alongside recreational games, arts, and musical activities. There’s always something to do!
444 Children and Teens Received Counseling
Professional intervention can keep families together and help them overcome communication problems, trust issues, and other trauma. This year, we provided 444 children and teens with individual and family counseling to find solutions and hope in times of crisis. For most families, this counseling was free and gave teens an outlet to share their thoughts and emotions in a healthy manner. By providing counseling, we gave them a voice.
526 Homeless Youth Cared For
Hundreds of homeless youth and teens rely on our SafePlace2B shelters each year. In 2018, we provided shelter to 526 youth, totaling 7,498 days of care.
Family Resources has three youth homeless shelters in the area: one in Clearwater, one in St. Petersburg, and one in Bradenton. Each shelter offers a clean and safe place for homeless youth to sleep — with clean sheets, hot showers, and good food — along with counseling and resources to help residents plan their futures. We want to extend a helping hand to lift homeless youth out of the streets.
1,038 Kids and Teens Improved Themselves Through Our Education Programs
Our Safe2B-You & Me Program offers courses to help teens learn more about themselves and set goals for their futures. This year, we helped more than 1,038 teens and young adults build self-confidence and develop healthy relationships.
Safe2B-You & Me is part of our community education efforts. We also offer healthy relationship workshops to teach communication skills to young adults and provide SNAP courses to kids as a way to control their anger. These courses create a foundation for healthy, happy friendships and familial relationships.
1,390,706 Healthy Meals Were Served By Our Child Care Food Program
Our 2018 review ends with more than a million meals served. The Child Care Food Program by Family Resources is part of the Florida Department of Health’s goal to provide healthy meals for daycare-age kids. Family Resources monitored and reimbursed an average of 337 in-home daycare providers per month and served 1,390,706 healthy meals to kids in our community. We work to make sure the meals are balanced and healthy with the right portions so kids can grow strong physically and focus on learning and development.
While our team members have worked tirelessly to counsel, assist, and feed local youth and families in the area, there is still a lot of work to be done. We use our 2018 review to see how far we’ve come and look ahead to where we need to go. Enjoy the holiday season and know that we are ready to push harder and do more in 2019!