Strong Families Form Strong Communities
November 19-25, 2006
During Thanksgiving week, thousands of people across the United States will join together during National Family Week and celebrate the connections they have with their families and communities.
Organizations across the nation will host National Family Week celebrations in honor of children and families in their communities. Those activities will include community festivals, resource fairs, family summits, public forums, volunteer projects, parenting seminars, family achievement awards and children’s art and essay contests.
National Family Week: Connections Count embraces the premise that children live better lives when their families are strong, and families are strong when they live in communities that connect them to economic opportunities, social networks and services. These “connections,” celebrated during National Family Week, include access to economic self-sufficiency, accessible health care, reliable child care, dependable transportation, affordable housing, and applicable education and training.
“Ordinary families are extraordinarily important to our communities and our country,” says Peter Goldberg, president and CEO of the Alliance for Children and Families, the organization that directs National Family Week. “When America’s diverse families and children are healthy, our nation prospers. That’s why we hope everyone will take time during National Family Week to honor the connections that support and strengthen families year-round. Let’s recognize the value of families, as well as the importance of family values.”
Sam Wiley, who was a teacher and administrator in Indianapolis, founded National Family Week in 1968. The Alliance for Children and Families, based in Milwaukee, WI, has directed National Family Week efforts for more than 30 years.
Visit www.nationalfamilyweek.org or call 1-800-221-2681 to learn more about National Family Week and get helpful hints for making Connections Count.
Tips for extending and enhancing family connections and on how neighborhood organizations, businesses, nonprofits and policymakers can make a difference.
Details about local events and activities taking place across the country during National Family Week.
Online and offline links to organizations that offer year-round support and services designed to strengthen families.
The following are ways in which you can make the most of family connections:
Extend your family. Plan a family supper with neighbors.
Write a thank-you note to someone who helps your family such as a daycare provider or the person who helps out with repairs.
Adopt a military family. Send a thank-you note to a person in the service and lend your support to his or her family.
Select an issue that’s important to your family and work with local officials to effect change.
Lend your support as a public official to measures that enable families to thrive.
As an employer, consider family-friendly work options such as flexible hours or time off to attend school functions.
Encourage employees or members of your organization to volunteer for community benefit projects.
Lend support to National Family Week activities.
National Family Week: Connections Count is made possible through the work of the Alliance for Children and Families and the generous support of The Annie E. Casey Foundation.
About the Alliance for Children and Families
The Alliance for Children and Families is a nonprofit membership association representing child- and family-serving organizations in North America. Member organizations provide an array of community-based programs and services to all generations, and serve close to 8 million people each year in more than 6,700 communities. Motivated by a vision of a healthy society and strong communities, the Alliance’s mission is to strengthen the capacities of North America’s nonprofit child- and family-serving organizations to serve and to advocate for children, families and communities.
About The Annie E. Casey Foundation
The Annie E. Casey Foundation works to build better futures for disadvantaged children and their families in the United States. Its mission is to foster public policies, human service reforms and community supports that more effectively meet the needs of today’s vulnerable children and families. The foundation provides grants to public and nonprofit organizations to strengthen the support services, social networks, physical infrastructure, employment, self-determination and economic vitality of distressed communities. For more information, visit www.aecf.org.
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