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Strong Families Are at the Center of Strong Communities
National Family Week: Connections Count set for November 18-24, 2001
For more information, contact
Joyce Johnson
Phone: 804/492-4519
Cell: 703/980-7641
E-mail: jjohnson@cwla.org
October 26, 2001, MILWAUKEE, WI --
During Thanksgiving week, thousands of people across the United States will join together during the 31st annual National Family Week, and celebrate the connections they have with their families and communities.
 National Family Week: Connections Count embraces the premise that children live better lives when their families are strong; families are strong when they live in communities that connect them to economic opportunities, social networks, and services. These "connections" include everyday access to high-quality transportation, employment opportunities, education, and childcare - as well as positive relationships within and among family members.
"National Family Week is a wonderful time to honor the connections that support and strengthen families year-round," says Peter Goldberg, president and CEO of the Alliance for Children and Families. "Families traditionally connect and celebrate during Thanksgiving week, so it's the perfect time to thank one another, as well as the other individuals and organizations who help the family thrive."
Sam Wiley, who was a teacher and administrator in Indianapolis, founded National Family Week in 1968. The Alliance for Children and Families, based in Milwaukee, Wis., has directed National Family Week efforts for more than 30 years. The Alliance and more than 350 member organizations are coordinating activities on local and national levels to encourage people to celebrate their connections within the community and the family.
Families can visit www.nationalfamilyweek.org or call 1-800-221-2681 to learn more about National Family Week and get helpful hints for making their connections count:
- Tips for extending and enhancing family connections and how neighborhood organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and policymakers can make a difference
- Details about local events and activities taking place across the country during National Family Week to celebrate families
- Online and offline links to organizations that offer year-round support and services designed to strengthen families
"Making the most of family connections takes a little time and effort, but it's not hard to get started," Goldberg says. A few examples on how to begin include:
- Hold a "family supper" with the families of your children's friends
- Select one issue in your community important to your family, contact local officials, and ask how to get involved
- Encourage employers to evaluate their HR programs and consider family-friendly work options, such as flexible hours and time off to attend school functions
- Write a thank-you note to someone who helps your family thrive, such as a day-care provider
Ruth Thomas, a 76-year-old great grandmother in Louisiana, is just one example of an individual strengthening her family and her entire community. Thomas has served as a foster mother to several generations of children - more than one third of her 40 grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-nieces and nephews - after raising her own four children and being widowed at age 36. Family Service of Greater Baton Rouge, an Alliance member agency, honored Thomas for her efforts during last year's National Family Week.
When asked why she raised so many children, Thomas said, "They didn't have anyone else. I'm the grandmother of the neighborhood."
Goldberg says National Family Week: Connections Count reinforces the concept of "family" being many different things to different people, and is celebrated as a foundation on which to improve communications within communities as a whole.
"Whether 'family' is two parents, a single parent, a blended family, or a close group of friends - celebrating and recognizing the support you receive through those connections is what National Family Week is all about," he says.
The National Family Week: Connections Count is made possible through the work of the Alliance for Children and Families as well as generous support from The Annie E. Casey Foundation.
About the Alliance for Children and Families
The Alliance for Children and Families is a nonprofit membership association representing child- and family-serving organizations in the United States and Canada. Member organizations provide an array of community-based programs and services to all generations, and serve close to 5 million people each year in more than 6,700 communities. The mission of the Alliance is to strengthen members' capacity to serve and advocate for children, families, and the communities in which they live. For more information about the Alliance, visit www.alliance1.org.
About The Annie E. Casey Foundation
For more than half a century, The Annie E. Casey Foundation has worked to build better futures for disadvantaged children and their families in the United States. Its mission is to foster public policies, human service reforms, and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today's vulnerable children and families. Working with neighborhoods and state and local governments, the Foundation provides grants to public and nonprofit organizations to strengthen the support services, social networks, physical infrastructure, employment, self-determination, and economic vitality of distressed communities. For more information, visit www.aecf.org.
CONTACT:
John O'Connell at 816-512-2369
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