White County Family Connection honors volunteers and community partners

CLEVELAND, Ga. — White County Family Connection held its fourth annual Celebrate Connection Awards Dinner at Meadows at Mossy Creek on Tuesday. The event recognized volunteers and organizations whose work supports families across the county. Chris Barrett of Barrett Funeral Home, the organization’s board chairman, opened the event by thanking supporters for their contributions, along with Nanette Baughman, Executive Director.

White County Family Connection brings local partners together to improve families’ well-being through physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual support. It is part of the Georgia Family Connection network, which has a collaborative in each of Georgia’s 159 counties.

Haley Dobson, White County Family Connection’s director of programs, explained: “Any families that are at risk, it [Family Connections] helps to make families safe, and stabilize them, and offer them support, so that they can remain intact as a family unit, and just thrive in life.”

Dobson said affordable housing and transportation remain pressing needs. During emergencies, the organization may help families find temporary motel accommodations or provide gas cards and other transportation assistance. Families needing housing because of domestic violence are referred to Circle of Hope.

“The future is trying to collaborate with more of the local agencies and businesses, and trying to solve some of these problems that we’re seeing,” Dobson said. She added that the organization has raised its housing and transportation needs with county officials.

Award recipients

Volunteers of the Year: Lynnette Griffin and Gail Greear, both retired school employees, were recognized for their work with the monthly food drive, monthly spaghetti dinner, Warrior Connection Student Resource Center and White Christmas.

“Because we were both former teachers, and we saw the need within our school, especially Lynette, ’cause she was a counselor … I think we’ve always been able to see the need in our community,” Greear said.

Griffin encouraged more students to volunteer. They “need to show empathy to those people who are not as lucky as they are,” she said.

Agency of the Year: The Cleveland chapter of Georgia Riders motorcycle club was recognized for its support of children in foster care. Its commitment began with a desire to help foster children and families by partnering with Future Hope Foundations.

Stuart Fincher, leader of the local chapter, described a sharp increase in the number of White County children in foster care—from 23 to more than 200—within the first three months following a crackdown on drug offenders through the county’s drug court.

Fincher described children arriving at foster placements with their belongings in trash bags.

“The kids were innocent.”  Fincher said, “It wasn’t their fault that mom and dad did something really, really stupid. But the kids were embarrassed and ashamed.”

In response, Georgia Riders began providing embroidered duffel bags with essentials and a gift chosen from each child’s wish list.

Agency Representatives of the Year: Rebecca Schacht and Jan Kay were honored for their service through HomeWare Assistance Ministry at Resurrection Church. Under their leadership, families receive furniture, home goods, and everyday essentials, according to Dobson.

Schacht said she was humbled by the award and emphasized that many volunteers came together to make the ministry’s work possible.

Those interested in volunteering can contact their local Family Connection collaborative through the Georgia Family Connection Collaborative Finder.