BRANCH OF THE VINCENTIAN FAMILY INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT: DC
NAME OF SYSTEMIC CHANGE PROJECT: Family Advancement Ministries
PROJECT ADDRESS: 538 Orange Street, Macon, GA
CONTACT PERSON: Sr. Elizabeth Greim, DC
EMAIL: faministries.maconga@gmail.com
LENGTH OF TIME THE PROJECT/PROGRAM HAS BEEN IN EXISTENCE: 19 years
PROJECT WEBSITE: http://www.faministries.org
Family Advancement Ministries works with families who are parenting pre-school aged children. Combining direct service with education and life skills classes, our services are provided in English and Spanish and tailored for the needs of the clients. We have nine, two-hour, finance and budgeting sessions to cover a wide range of financial issues, parenting classes, safety classes for the road, home, nursery. Other sessions include CPR, Nutrition, Domestic Violence awareness, ESL, Citizenship, Book Clubs and reading groups (these sessions are bilingual as well).
The program has changed as the needs of the community have changed. We were first invited to Macon by the Diocese of Savannah in 1991 and have continued to work with this community to adapt the ministry as needed.
FAM also works with fathers in our “Just for Dads” program. This 10 week program is designed to help fathers re-enter the family or re-unite with children.
All of our classes are offered in Spanish as well. Other sessions are offered in Spanish as specific needs arise. Domestic Violence, Protection of children in the case of Deportation, and Understanding local and state are offered. We provide beginning English conversation sessions and Citizenship classes. With the Mexican Consulate we will be offering online courses in Spanish allowing our parents to finish work on elementary and secondary diplomas.
Vincentian family members maintain substantial control of the project but it is anticipated that Project participants ill assume complete ownership and Vincentian family member will no longer be involved.
The strategies of Legislative Advocacy, Systemic Change education and Advocacy with appropriate agencies/organizations are all used to achieve systemic change.