Photo above provided by Center for Family Resources: CFR CEO Melanie Kagan (left) speaking with The CFR Board Member Monique Jenkins

The following was submitted by the Center for Family Resources, a not-for-profit organization that has a focus on preventing homelessness among families:

Breaking through tears, a Cobb County teenager reminded a room full of attendees at The Center for Family Resources (CFR) Client Achievement Awards night how the struggles parents face can impact—sometimes in a positive way—their own children.

“The last two or three years have been hard,” she said. “But I just want the parents in this room to know—your children see you…. Because of what we have gone through, I appreciate life and my mom so much more.”

The CFR, a Cobb County-based not-for-profit that helps prevent homelessness for children and families, gave out a total of 80 certificates for successful completion of the agency’s programs and services between January-June of 2024.

Among those successes includes the following:

·       15 households obtained permanent housing.

·       Eight individuals obtained new employment.

·       Five individuals who advanced in employment/promotion.

·       Five individuals who were recognized saving through The CFR’s Savings Incentive program; and

·       Five individuals recognized for successful completion of a program.

The CFR’s Board Member Granville Freeman spoke to the award recipients about their accomplishments. “We celebrate your achievements, your resilience, and your unwavering strength in the face of challenges,” he said. “Strength isn’t always loud or visible; sometimes, it’s the quiet determination to keep moving forward when everything seems to be falling apart. It’s the ability to wake up each morning and face the day with courage, even when the path ahead is uncertain.”

He continued, “In times of transition, the support of a community is invaluable. The CFR is more than just a provider of services; it’s a community that stands beside you, ready to offer a helping hand. We all need support systems to lean on, especially during challenging times. Don’t hesitate to reach out, connect, and draw strength from those around you.”

For The CFR’s CEO Melanie Kagan, the teen’s comments were a reminder of why the agency has been helping families in Cobb County for more than 60 years. “This is why we do this,” she said. “She just captured our whole mission. We do this so that children don’t have to go through these traumas and so that we can set a stage to make things different. We cannot change what happened in the past, but when kids see a parent struggle and work through it with help from community, it sets a stage for resilience and positive change.”