“Hey, there!”
“Glad to see you!”
“How have you been?”
These were some of the greetings shared at the recent Advisory Council Meeting of the Lauderdale County Family Resource (FRC) Center. Due to COVID-19 restrictions and challenges, some of the members had not seen each other in a year. The meeting started out with a “bang” as each person selected an “emoji” ball reflecting how they felt at that moment.
The meeting was an interactive discussion by members: Robert Toliver, Daisy Owens, Gwen Langford, Marsha Thompson, Paula Hamby, and guests: Superintendent, Shawn Kimble, and Assistant Superintendent, Brian Yarbro. (Not present- Eva Drain and Greg Medford)
The primary goal of the Family Resource Center (FRC) is to support families with minor children with various basic needs to ensure success in school, ultimately ending in graduation. Lauderdale County’s FRC continued serving local families through the challenges of the pandemic in adjusted ways. During the recent Advisory Council meeting, FRC Director Ollie Fields discussed the current status of families served, potential new partnerships through First Lady Maria Lee’s Tennessee Serves initiative, and future goals for the FRC.
Serving our county for 27 years, our FRC is one of the originally established in Tennessee that is still in operation. Under the supervision and approval of Superintendent Shawn Kimble and the Lauderdale County School Board, several projects have been sponsored over the years. These projects include the first county-wide after school tutoring program, “Chit-Chat” parenting sessions, “Sunshine Friends” mentoring program, and specialized parenting sessions on topics including money management and stress.