The Power of Giving Back

 

 “The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving" 
Albert Einstein

 At Families First, we strive to achieve our mission by providing resources, education, and practical implementation strategies to assist families on their journey toward self sustainability. We engage families and individuals in building stronger relationships and we challenge them to become active agents in building stronger communities.

 This week’s blog is about the residents of Weaver Gardens and their service trip to Alabama.  It is inspiring to witness our clients serving as catalysts for change in the community. These compassionate young women recognized the power of giving back and have demonstrated this by helping to rebuild a community miles away. They recognized that, despite their trials and tribulation, they too have the power to give back and empower their communities. Not only did these young ladies go to Alabama to help a community in need, they also initiated a service project in the Metro Atlanta community, and they also helped with Families First’s Adopt a Family for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Setting an example not only for their young children, but for all of us. What is it that you are passionate about? Is it youth? Community building? The arts? This month, answer your calling and use it to give back.

Kim Anderson, Families First CEO

In July of last year, residents of the Weaver Gardens visited Pratt City, Alabama to deliver food and supplies to a community devastated by storms that tore through the southeast in May of 2011. The staff and residents were so emotionally impacted by this experience that they knew that they wanted to return. In November, the staff and residents returned to clean the house of a family that will soon return to their home after months. It was the first time to Pratt City for many young ladies new to Weaver Gardens although the staff had visited early last year.

“I was shocked because I didn’t expect for it to be as bad as it was”, says Bianca, Weaver Gardens resident, “I have never seen anything that could compare to what I saw, not in real life, I mean, you see it on TV. In a movie, they can rebuild and put it back together but these buildings were gone.”

The goal of this trip was to clean and organize homes in preparation for returning families. The Weaver Gardens staff and residents decided to select one house and remove the debris, organize the porch, and clean the interior of the house in an effort to make it not just habitable but welcoming to the family. Each young lady had a role. One young lady, Patrice, expressed that she had a passion for nature and landscaping. She chose to do a lot of the yard work. Another young lady, Bianca, said that she likes helping out with the children and she watched four young babies while their mothers worked.

Inspired by their trip to Alabama, the staff and residents have started a volunteer project in Atlanta to assist an elderly woman in their community. The residents also volunteered to load and unload the food donated to Families First for the Thanksgiving Adopt a Family program, and to sort gifts donated for Christmas.

“I have always had a desire to give back to my community,” says Patrice, “It’s tough going through it but I am just happy to be able to help people who are going through it. I have been in the same situation so I know how it is. It is just in me to do it, to give back.”

 This month, take advantage of every opportunity to impact your community by giving back. Whether it is taking an hour to read to students in an elementary school or helping to complete home repairs for an elderly resident, no task is too small when you are committed to impacting your community.

We seek to empower families by providing opportunities to give back. In December, the Families First “Adopt a Family” Program gave companies and individuals an opportunity to support families in need. It also provided an opportunity for Families First clients to serve each other by volunteering to help prepare and organize the hundreds of donations. This month, there are many opportunities to give back, particularly on Martin Luther King Day, a day that many decide to give back through community service. How will you support children and families in need?