January News 2025

I've always been someone who thrives on setting and achieving goals. When I establish a target or face a challenge, I find I'm far more likely to accomplish something meaningful rather than just drifting through life. As we step into January, it marks ten months since I took on the role of Family Connection Coordinator. During this time, I have experienced significant personal and professional growth. It has been a privilege to partner with numerous agencies dedicated to supporting children and families in meaningful ways.

For nearly a year, I have engaged with the Collaborative Annual Plan, participating in events such as Teen Maze and Sharing is Caring, where Family Connection plays a vital role. I have received training on trauma-informed and poverty-informed practices and have led workshops for others. My understanding of the Georgia Family Connection Partnership and the functioning of a county collaborative has deepened. Networking with Coordinators statewide has revealed the remarkable initiatives underway, and the possibilities for what we can achieve together are limitless.

My professional goal for the Collaborative in 2025 is to spend time assessing our community. I am assembling a Steering Committee that will analyze local data and gather insights from families with lived experiences. This feedback will guide our collective efforts to create a meaningful impact.

Driven by personal experiences with families and my growth in this role, I feel a strong urgency to hear directly from families and youth about the challenges they face and how we can best support them. I want to ensure that I don't impose my own assumptions before listening to their stories. Each story may differ, but can we uncover a common thread? Let's discover that together. To inspire you for the new year, check out the GA Family Connection Hype Video and remember, EVERY DALTONIAN MATTERS.

One of our most significant annual Collaborative Projects is the Sharing is Caring Christmas Store, held every December at the North Georgia Fairgrounds! This year, the event took place on Saturday, December 21st, welcoming over 280 families, which included more than 830 children from the Dalton/Whitfield Community. Families received clothing for their children, a food gift card, toys for each child, and much more. This wonderful event was made possible thanks to the generosity of our community, who shared their time and resources.

Click HERE to read the full article.

Eileeng Galang from NWGA RESA and Family Connection Coordinator will be hosting a Connections Matter Training on Wednesday, January 15th from 12:00-4:00 at the Dalton/Whitfield Public Library. This would be a great training opportunity to start the New Year learning how to be trauma informed and how positive connections can counteract traumatic experiences. Click HERE to register.

Our first Collaborative Meeting of 2025 will be NEXT THURSDAY. We will be discussing early care and learning opportunities, Pre-K Registration, and Kindergarten Readiness!

DECAL & Kindergarten Readiness

Thursday, January 16, 2025

1:00pm-2:30pm

Mack Gaston Community Center

Teen Dating Violence & Annual Planning

Thursday, February 20th

1:00pm-2:30pm

Mack Gaston Community Center

Dalton/Whitfield Family Connection has been partnering with Resilient Georgia along with other Region One Family Connection Collaboratives since FY21. Together, we have been partnering together to Build a Region of Resilience (BRR), focusing on a trauma and poverty informed approach.

Resilient Georgia's vision is that every child and young adult in Georgia will have access to high-quality, integrated behavioral health services and support, empowered by a statewide network of trauma-informed organizations working together to prevent and heal childhood adversity. The focus on ACE's, PCE's, child development, mental health resources, and other related topics aligns with our combined mission of helping to support the families in our community and to help build resiliency.

The focus of our BRR Regional Coalition is Collaborating, raising awareness, building capacity, and changing systems for a more resilient region. One of the services Family Connection is able to provide is trauma and poverty focused trainings for agencies or families. If this is something you might be interested in learning more about, then please contact me via email for more details at malisa.pedro@dalton.k12.ga.us.

To learn more about Resilient Georgia's work in the state, visit their website linked HERE. To learn more about our Region 1 BRR work or to view our BRR FY24 Annual Report, click HERE.