Compassion turns to action at Family Advancement Ministries

Chris McKowen put her hand to her chest and said, “It lays right here on your heart at night — the different stories you hear from people every day about what they’re going through. It stays with you. You hurt for them; you really do.”

And, she said, you try to help.

McKowen said she’s heard a lot of stories in the four years she has been office manager at Family Advancement Ministries — or FAM as they call it.

She said FAM always does what it can to help.

On Sept. 20-22, FAM held ice cream socials during lunch hours and invited friends, supporters and interested community members to drop by and learn more about what they do.

Sister Roberta Treppa is executive director and said FAM helps families move toward independence and self-sufficiency.

She said FAM serves low-income families in two broad areas. First, it helps pregnant women and families with young children experiencing a financial and/or personal crisis. FAM defines young children as 6 and younger.

Treppa said FAM also has outreach programs to help Hispanic families.

Sachie Thorne, assistant director at FAM, said the ministry stays busy.

“This year, from January to July, we served 1,150 people,” she said. “Typically, our families are single mothers and their children. They mostly have no high school education and work part time, often in a service industry. They have trouble making ends meet all the time and if there’s an unforeseen crisis involving their health, their children’s health, a broken car, reduced hours or similar circumstances, their finances and lives are in real crisis. They’re living on the edge and need assistance getting through it and back on their feet. And they need guidance.”

Thorne said guidance comes through a range of My Life classes FAM offers to everyone it helps. She said sometimes My Life classes are the real help.

“My Life classes teach things like practical skills in personal finance and budgeting — including avoiding high-interest credit. Hopefully it helps prevent them from needing more aid. There are also things like nurturing and parenting, infant and toddler CPR, nutrition and others including learning nutrition, energy efficiency and how to search for a job. It always depends on need and demand. We also provide a free tax return service.”

Thorne said FAM’s Hispanic outreach is not limited to families with young children, but open to all. She said that being Hispanic herself, she understands their needs and the outreach is close to her heart. Services include English language classes, a Spanish GED program, computer classes, basic sewing classes, civics toward citizenship classes, interpreting services, assistance with applications for food stamps, Medicaid and Peachcare information, passport information, legal referrals, counseling and the distribution of information pertaining to issues of immigration.

Of course there is crossover in My Life classes between FAM’s service groups.

“Our goal is immediate aid but we address the future potential of families and individuals,” Thorne said. “We don’t look at people as numbers served, but as people, so mentoring and empowering them to achieve independence and self-sufficiency is important.”

Thorne said FAM is a separate ministry although it is associated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah and area Catholic congregations such as its neighbor, St. Joseph Catholic Church. It serves families in Macon-Bibb and surrounding counties. Thorne said it doesn’t receive specific, budgeted funding from any Catholic organization, so funding is dependent upon grants, donations, stewardship giving and in-kind donations from corporations, businesses, churches, government entities, individuals and other groups.

She said FAM is just shy of celebrating its 10th anniversary after being formed from the merger of what used to be Mother and Child Ministries and the Nazareth Home, a home for unwed mothers.

Services have evolved and grown with area needs — particularly the Hispanic outreach.

Thorne said there’s also a spiritual side to FAM but religion is never pushed.

“I think by the grace of God I was put here and my eyes opened to see how families are in need,” she said. “You also see the spiritual need in people’s lives, and though we don’t advocate religion, we are always available to answer spiritual questions, guide people and pray for them if they desire, which is always great.”

Application for FAM services are by appointment and applicants are screened.

Though McKowen said the ministry’s four full-time and five part-time staff, and 30-plus volunteers, stay busy with families, they also have a hectic schedule of community events and fundraising activities.

She said potential volunteers are always welcome.

FAM’s immediate schedule of activities includes educational, fundraising and service events such as a recent free car seat and safety check and coming Paint-4-FAM event Oct. 1, a FAM-tastic Craft Fair on Oct. 29 at the St. Joseph Social Hall and the ministry’s big Glow-4-FAM 5K Fun Run on Nov. 12 at the Ocmulgee National Monument. Participant registration for the fun run/walk is open online at FAM’s website (familyadvancementministries.org) and corporate, private and other sponsors are being sought.

“Because others put their compassion in action through giving and volunteering, we can do what we do,” Thorne said. “Volunteers go through background checks and usually start as greeters and help with clerical activities. Soon, they may be working with clients or in an area they’re passionate about. We love hearing from people who can do things like teaching or helping us maintain our facilities, too. It takes it all to do what we do.”

This story was originally published September 30, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Compassion turns to action at Family Advancement Ministries."