By Mollie Morrow
mmorrow@thenewsobserver.com

Fannin County Family Connection is over halfway to meeting their $350,000 goal, which will be used to reunite families and expand their ability to meet clients’ needs.

“Thank you to everybody that has given to this project to make it a reality of what it is today,” Executive Director Jacqueline McKee said.

Fannin County Family Connection offers support for those facing financial troubles including homeless day services, a food pantry, employment help, a Family Care Program, a Preschool Morning Out Program and more. Services are available to Fannin and Polk County residents.

The Opportunity Center expansion includes a dedicated visitation center, a partner conference room and a private consultation space. There is currently no visitation center in the county for families such as those within the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services system.

Their office/administration space is also being reconfigured to better serve clients. They are currently in phase two of the project.

The fundraising efforts got underway earlier this year after the vision became a reality when Fannin County Family Connection was awarded a $100,000 grant through Impact100 Fannin last October.

Additionally, Fannin County Family Connection is partnering with the Knights of Columbus to host a golf tournament fundraiser Tuesday, September 15.

The cost is $800 for teams of four or $200 for individual players. The event will take place at Old Toccoa Farm and will also involve a silent auction.

The tournament will get started at 9 a.m. with registration beginning just prior at 8 a.m.

More information about the organization is available on their website at fcfc1.org or by calling 706-632-6063. The facility is located at 501 Fannin Industrial Park in Blue Ridge.

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Fannin County Family Connection is a member of the Georgia Family Connection statewide network, working alongside children, families, and communities across the state to craft local solutions that maximize resources and make systems more effective and efficient.

Fannin County Family Connection’s annual plan is guided by continued growth with community partners and direct input from the individuals and families served by the Collaborative. Feedback gathered through meetings and the Civic Luncheon highlighted a growing need for individualized support, including one-on-one resource counseling and case management. In response, Fannin County Family Connection expanded staffing by hiring a Resource Coordinator to oversee Community Case Management and the Financial Assistance Program, strengthening the organization’s ability to support families more effectively.

According to the latest Georgia KIDS COUNT data, the amount of hildren with a substantiated incident of abuse and/or neglect (per 1,000) in Fannin is 6.3 compared to 5.2 in Georgia. Additionally, 21.4% of children are living in poverty in Fannin compared to 16.9% in Georgia.

In addition to focusing on the Family Resource Center and Family Care Program, Fannin County Family Connection works to sustain key community activities, including the Civic Luncheon, health services, literacy outreach, coat drive, collaborative meetings, and ongoing community communication.

To learn more about Fannin County Family Connection’s efforts, visit fannin.gafcp.org or contact Jacqueline McKee at 706-632-6063 or jacquelinemckee@fcfc1.org.