This could be considered the first annual Family Resource Fair held at the Raymond Community School and sponsored by the Michele A. Logan Family Center. The Center is located within the Oscar F. Raymond Community School and named for the late Michele A. Logan, and dedicated in September of 1997. "After all these years this is what Michele stood for and what she did do for the community and she still lives on today out there in the people who are here tonight", said Linda Kenney Logan, who is an active member of the Center and close friend of Michele's and helped organize tonight's event. The Centers mission is to offer parents support and development to all members of the community, help build links for the community, a resource center for children and families and a place for people to access technology and to create a safe environment where children and families feel valued. The Center has a lending library, helpline, clothing bank, classes and programs, drop-in center, computers and fax machine access and sponsors events like tonight's fair.
The event started at 6:30 p.m. and more than 19 representatives of community groups came and gave valuable information to Parents and their kids about the services that are available to them.The participants were served refreshments and pizza and also a had a chance to win two prizes thru a free raffle.
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| Community Groups |
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| 2 raffle prizes |
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| Ms.Sepulveda of BNHC |
Participants were free to ask questions and obtain literature from the groups as well as other items that were given out by the groups such as toothbrushes from Small Smiles Dental, book bags and rulers from Brockton's Promise, started in 2003 by a group of concerned citizens, nonprofit organizations and community leaders. Brockton's Promise aims to provide all youth and families in Brockton with five basic resources which they call promises: Caring Adults, Safe Places, Healthy Start, Effective Education and Opportunities to help others. "There are over 375 resources in the city of Brockton and on our new website the residents of Brockton will be able gain access to them all in one place" according to Amanda Trask representing Brockton's Promise.
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| 70 Westgate Dr. 508-588-8090 |
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| Brockton's Promise |
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| Special Olympics |
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| Girl Scouts |
Representatives from The Special Olympics and the Girl Scouts were informing parents and visitors of the opportunities for there children to join such great teams and promoting quality programs that help with self esteem and family building. Community groups involved in tonight's venue included the YMCA-Youth Branch, Old Colony Elder Services, BAMSI, WIC, South Bay Mental Health, Costco, and Mary Kay.
Representing Community and Advocacy groups were the Family and Community Resources. They are dedicated to serving individuals and families whose lives are impacted by trauma, including violence at home, school or in their community. Victim Advocate Dieja who helps victims of violence and has an office at the Brockton Police office was asked about the rise in domestic violence and answered "that the economy has played a part in the recent rise in the violence but is not the cause of domestic violence, we need to educate the children when they are young and keep the education in the forefront of our priorities to prevent it from happening."
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| BAMSI |
Plymouth County Children's Advocacy Center were represented by Child Forensic Interviewer Christina Fitzgerald and LCSW Nicole Richardi. They offer a comprehensive approach to serving child victims and their non offending family members. The PCCAC is designed to make children feel comfortable when they are meeting with team members. They provide a team approach which can include, assistant DAs, police investigators, victim witness advocates, a specialized pediatric nurse and at times a child protection worker. The center also provides mental health referrals and specially trained child forensic interviewers who ask children about the abuse and have experienced team members observe on closed-circuit TV. Children between the ages of three and eighteen, who are victims of abuse or severe neglect receive services that are developmentally and culturally customized to meet each child's individual needs.
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| YMCA-YOUTH |
South Bay Mental Health offers early intervention programs for children three and up and are a community based center who reach out to children, adolescents, adults and seniors with mental health and counseling services. They provide Counselors, Social workers, Psychologists and Psychiatrists.
Michele's work still continues and tonight the collaboration of Community and Advocacy groups came together for families and their children to provide everything that families need to become and stay strong emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. Thanks to Michele and her Center for providing the residents of Brockton with the opportunity to come together in one place and learn whats available to them in our City of Champions.
