Georgia Family Connection—the only statewide network of its kind in the country dedicated to the health and well-being of families and communities—turned 25 this year.
“This anniversary represents a significant milestone for us,” said Gaye Smith, executive director of Georgia Family Connection Partnership (GaFCP), a public-private partnership that supports the Family Connection statewide network. “It’s a testament to our unwavering commitment of working toward measurably better outcomes for everyone—healthy children who are primed for school and succeed when they get there; families who are stable, self-sufficient, and productive; and communities that are vibrant, robust, and thriving.”
This anniversary is also a testament to the strength of the relationships Family Connection maintains with partners in all 159 counties. “What we do is vital, because on any given day thousands of Georgians are sitting at tables across the state focused on improving conditions of the children and families they know best,” said Smith. “One of our core beliefs is that lasting change is local.”
Crisp County Family Connection, also known as the Crisp County Community Council, celebrated their anniversary at a recent collaborative meeting.  Local individuals, agencies and organizations committed to addressing the important issues faced by children and families in Crisp County gather monthly.  Partners address local issues through the organization’s Poverty Strategy Team, Literacy Alliance, Ministerial Collaborative and the newly formed Mental Health Strategy Team.
Georgia Family Connection has 25 years of experience grappling with thorny or complex issues, making sense of it all, and getting results—listening, learning, acting, and gaining wisdom along the way. Family Connection will embark on the next quarter century by refreshing its brand and redeveloping its website to better connect partners to the resources they need to empower communities to craft local solutions based on local, data-driven decisions.
To get involved with Crisp County Family Connection’s important work, contact Crisp Family Connection at (229) 271-1054 ext 3, or email crispfamillyconnection@gmail.com.  “There is a place for everyone at our table,” said Sherry Evans, Executive Director.