An Orangeburg-based program that has worked for more than 20 years to address infant and maternal health has opened a Family Resource Center. State and local officials say it will be a one-stop shop for meeting community needs.
Family Solutions staff members gathered Thursday morning at 1031 Middleton Street to celebrate the grand opening of the Family Resource Center. It will provide everything from mental health counseling to daily household items.
“This Family Resource Center is intended to be a family-friendly place where anyone in the community can receive multiple services in one stop. … There is so much to offer in this space, but it’s all because of you,” Family Solutions Director Lamikka Samuel said.
The center is housed next to Family Solutions’ administrative offices. Its services include legal counseling, pregnancy information and support, WIC services, HIV and hepatitis testing and information on topics such as life insurance.
The center will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and from noon to 6 p.m. on Fridays.
Individuals and families will also receive support in understanding and accessing services provided through, for example, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children and the South Carolina Infant Mental Health Association.
“It’s a place where you can gather to learn more about financial health and economic self-sufficiency. You can learn to sew by hand and, coming soon, you can have your taxes filed. The Family Resource Center is also a place where you can come if you need assistance with daily household items, or clothing items,” Samuel said.
Graham Adams, chief executive officer of the South Carolina Office of Rural Health, touted the services Family Solutions has been providing in Orangeburg, Bamberg, Allendale, Hampton and Barnwell counties for decades.
“Lamikka and the Solutions team, they’re from these communities, they live in these communities. They’ve been doing fantastic work for 25-plus years now. They are the local experts. They are the ones that really know the community and are trying to build these bridges,” Adams said.
“The Family Resource Center is not necessarily a brand-new idea. It’s about putting a lot of resources in one place so that folks who need those resources can have better access to them… So by having a lot of our partners in this space and being available to the families that we serve, we’re hoping we can break down a lot of barriers that are in place now,” he said.
S.C. Department of Social Services Director Michael Leach said, “I’m excited about the partners that we’ve heard from today: Children’s Trust, DSS, HopeHealth, Infant Mental Health Association, DHEC, SC Legal and it sounds like more are coming. As we continue to do this, it’s growing.”
Leach continued, “We need the community to be part of this. We need the community to support this, and we want this to help the citizens that really need it the most. … We’re learning, we’re figuring this out, but why not here? Why not continue to see what we can do?”
Samuel said, “Orangeburg County is one of the communities that’s supported through an initiative called Thriving Families, Safer Children. And for our state, Children’s Trust of South Carolina and the DSS are the spearhead organizations.
“They just saw the work that we’re doing here at Family Solutions and felt like our desire to develop this sort of a center deserved that type of financial support. So they’ve been supporting us through that initiative, but then also through some other things that they have within their organizations, as well.”
Sue Williams, chief executive officer of Children’s Trust of South Carolina, also praised Family Solutions and the safety net that the resource center will provide for families.
“South Carolina is blessed to have in every community individuals and organizations that are ready to help those in need. Those helpers are that community safety net where families land when they need help, fall on hard times, or just need a listening ear or a little encouragement. The stronger and more connected that net is, the more likely it is to catch those who fall into it,” she said.
She continued, “Family Resource Centers, like Family Solutions, ensure that their community safety nets are tightly woven and strong, and this one is ensuring that no one in Orangeburg will fall through the cracks.”
“We also want Family Resource Centers to be strong and vibrant organizations worthy of investment and donations from individuals and organizations. We applaud the team at Family Solutions for their commitment to national quality standards around family-centeredness, family strengthening, diversity, equity and inclusion, community strengthening and evaluation. This commitment to excellence will be a critical building block in their success,” Williams said.
Orangeburg City Councilwoman Annette Dees Grevious said the services provided through the center were invaluable.
“Oftentimes rural areas such as Orangeburg are overlooked or limited when it comes to support to providing much-needed services to our residents. So we are truly fortunate,” Grevious said.
“Personally, and on behalf of Mayor Michael Butler, city council and the entire Orangeburg community, I want to thank you for your dedicated work you do to serve our residents, your commitment and your investment to our community and for being a neighboring partner for Orangeburg and our surrounding counties for more than 25 years,” the councilwoman said.
Samuel said the opening of the center “means a lot for the citizens of Orangeburg and the surrounding area.
“It means that transportation doesn’t necessarily have to be a barrier anymore, and it means that some of the basic needs can be met in one day in one location.”
Source: The Times and Democrat
