Category: Uncategorized
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Recovery is Real in Wayne County..
Pictured (left to right: Jeff Breedlove, Renee Bolin, Shauna Mattingly, Cameron Mattingly
Jeff Breedlove, with Georgia Council for Recovery, travels around our state advocating for recovery services. He stopped by Anchored in Wellness (Feb 21) to learn more about Wayne County and the efforts that are being made in regards to recovery and prevention. Renee Bolin, along with Shauna and Cameron Mattingly, were also in attendance and shared with Breedlove the ongoing services and initiatives that are taking place and being implemented throughout the community via Anchored in Wellness, the Wayne County Recovery Coalition, and other community partners. After the meeting, a statement was made by Breedlove via social media stating, “A brilliant meeting with Renee Bolin and the leadership team at Anchored / Wayne County Recovery Coalition in Jesup. Tremendous positive peer programs are underway across the region. Recovery is Real in Wayne County.”
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Congratulations to WCRC!
Congratulations to the Wayne County Recovery Coalition on their recent ribbon cutting ceremony with the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce Jesup, GA! Anchored is the home base for the Wayne County Recovery Coalition which is a partnership of men and women in recovery, community partners, and professionals that collaborate for services and prevention.
Wayne County Family Connection is committed to seeing these organizations, among many others, succeed in their missions and will continue to support our partnerships in our efforts of connecting Wayne County citizens to available resources. We are excited that WCRC has joined us as fellow chamber members. WC Family Connection Executive Director, Kristina DeLeGal, shares, “What an expression of empowerment today has been! WC Family Connection is overjoyed to witness the kind words of support from the WC community in this welcoming of the Wayne County Recovery Coalition.”
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Wayne County Family Connection Attends…
“Shine The Light: On Human Trafficking”
Hannah Evors, LCSW, speaking on mental health affects of trafficking 
Kristina DeLeGal (WCFC Executive Director), Shauna Mattingly (Anchored in Wellness), Renee Bolin (WC Recovery Coalition), Susan DeLeGal (Forward Digital Marketing), Chris Hamilton (Chief of Jesup Police Dept.), Dominique P. Farmer (Safe Harbor) “Shine The Light on Human Trafficking” was a seminar on learning how to protect our youth. The seminar was presented by Jesup Rotary, Anchored Junior Board, The Lily & The Sparrow, and Safe Harbor. With more than 50 citizens and community partners in attendance, guests speakers shared the unfortunate reality of human trafficking in Wayne County and the concern of increase in cases, impacts on children and families, as well as how citizens and community partners can assist in change.
Dominque P. Farmer, with Safe Harbor, spoke about the facts of human trafficking; what it is, how to identify, and her involvement with such cases in her position at Safe Harbor. Farmer expressed, “If you do not take anything away from what I have shared this evening other than this, please, please simply monitor the apps and social media being used by the children in your home.” This same sentiment was echoed by the guest speakers that followed.
Yoshi Jones, the CEO and Executive Director of House of Hope (Brunswick, Ga), shared recent human trafficking statistics for Georgia and the coastal area as well as her experiences with providing a home for girls who have been a victim of human trafficking. At the House of Hope, Jones and her staff work with organizations like DFACS to provide safety, therapy, community, education, spiritual direction. To conclude her segment, Jones says, “There are cases where these girls are brought to us, and it’s too late…we do what we can but they still choose to stay ‘in the life.’”
The last speaker of the event was Hannah Evors. She currently works at Anchored in Wellness (Jesup and Blackshear) providing therapy services for individuals 12 years and older. Evors shared that her work with these types of cases mostly revolve around helping the client to understand that what has happened to them is not their fault. She also expressed that for many of these clients, the trafficking was initiated and carried forward by their caregivers (parents and other family members) therefore there is a great amount of therapy work surrounding realizing the client was groomed, gaining self worth, and finding a way to forgive and move forward with the necessary skills for trusting at the appropriate level.
To end the event, attendees were provided an opportunity to ask further questions and receive additional resources. [Resources tables were set up by: Anchored Junior Board, Wayne County Recovery Coalition, Safe Harbor, Wayne County Family Connection, The Lily & The Sparrow, and House of Hope.]
For more information on human trafficking, its impact on Wayne County, and how you can help or to get help, visit:
~Safe Harbor Children Advocacy Centers (https://safeharborcenterinc.org/childrens-advocacy-centers/)
~Anchored in Wellness (912.530.8889)
~House of Hope (https://www.houseofhopega.org/) -
2022 Kid’s Count Data Book
STATE TRENDS IN CHILD WELL-BEING by the Annie B. Casey Foundation
Excerpts from the new report and link to the downloadable book below.
We’ve all been through a lot since COVID-19 emerged two and a half years ago. Schools went virtual. So did many jobs, while others vanished, and the economy convulsed. We isolated ourselves and our families. The health care system buckled, even as doctors, nurses, researchers and others strove tirelessly
to save lives. By July 2022, over 1 million people in America had died from the novel coronavirus, including more than 1,600 children.
Over 200,000 kids in the United States lost a parent or primary caregiver during that same period. In short, the coronavirus upended everyday life to an extent not seen since World War II. It is no surprise that millions of parents, caregivers, and other adults are feeling overwhelmed. So are children, who face what the U.S. surgeon general has called a “mental health pandemic” for youth. -
Food Give-away, Back to School and MORE
The IMPACT Trailer will be hitting the streets Wednesday July 13th in Jesup, GA! Are you or someone you know in need of hygiene items, cleaning supplies, or paper products?
Send them by the Wayne County Farmers Market July 13th from 10 AM- NOON. Items may vary and are limited.
Sunday, July 31st :
Turning Point is excited to announce we have partnered with Wayne Housing Partners for our 2022 Back to School Bash! The day will be filled with FREE school supplies with backpack, food, snow cones, cotton candy, haircuts, nail painting for the ladies and so much more. Join us Sunday, July 31st at 10:30 AM as we kick off the new school year with a bang. Service will consist of a special prayer service for all faculty, staff, students and more! All Activites will begin after service. Students must be registered to help us prepare!
Student Registration:
https://forms.gle/ij38uM4W5TAxeMN57
Volunteer Registration:
https://forms.gle/WE3p9ykPX2Jd8Dxs5Wednesday, August 3rd
Free food giveaway! Meats, sides and more. The food giveaway will be at Turning Point from 11 AM- 1 PM. Everyone is welcome. Also, we are looking for folks to serve The graphic below tells you how to sign up
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Evidence-Based Home Visiting Program
Georgia’s Evidence-Based Home Visiting (EBHV) Program, under the Georgia Department of Public Health,
provides new parents the supports they may need when having a baby. EBHV gives at-risk pregnant women,
new moms, and families with children 0-5 years old the skills they need to raise healthy children.1 The overall
goals of home visiting programs are to:• increase healthy pregnancies,
• improve parenting skills,
• improve child health and development,
• strengthen family connectedness to community support, and reduce child abuse and neglect.*Information above is quoted from the image from georgiavoices.org
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Check & Connect
By Iman Johnson
Check and Connect is a comprehensive intervention designed to improve student engagement at school and with learning for marginalized, disengaged students in grades K-12, through relationship building, problem solving and capacity building, and persistence. Although it was designed for grades K-12, it is currently only being implemented in the Wayne County School System for grades 6-12.
It has four main components: A Mentor, who works with students and families for a minimum of two years. Check, this includes weekly checks, utilizing data schools already collect on student’s school adjustment, behavior and academic progress. Connect, includes timely interventions, driven by data, to establish and maintain students’ connection to school and learning, and to enhance students’ social and academic competencies; and Engagement with families, where mentors engage with parents and strive to foster their active participation in their child’s education.
Check and Connect is derived from evidence-based research and is the only intervention found to have strong evidence of positive effects for staying in school. Some of these demonstrated outcomes include: Increase in students’ attendance, persistence in school, credit accrual and school completion rates. Also, a decrease in students’ truancy (skipping), tardies, behavior referrals and dropout rates.
Our school system has experienced these positive outcomes since the implementation of the program during the 2017-2018 school year. We are always recruiting, and need more mentors to participate in this worthwhile program, in order to be able to continue to foster success among the children in Wayne County. If you would like to become a Check and Connect mentor or desire more information about the program, please contact Iman Johnson at iman.johnson@wayne.k12.ga.us or 912.441.1174 or Kimberly Harrison at KHarrison@wayne.k12.ga.us or 912.427.1000 ext. 390.davis
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Youth Transition Camp Offered During April Break in Wayne County
LIFE, Inc is pleased to be offering a four session skill building and transition camp to eligible Juniors and Seniors from Wayne County High School during April vacation. To participate, students must currently be in either 11th or 12th Grade at WCHS and have a disability. Sessions will run Mon 4/18, Tue 4/19, Wed 4/20 and Friday 4/22 from 9:30 – 12:03 pm. The Monday through Wednesday sessions will be held at our Jesup office, 990 N Macon St (in the rear of the Goodwill Building). Our Friday location will be held at an alternate location (to be determined). Topics of our lessons/discussions will include Job Search Skills, Interviewing & Dressing for Success, Resume Writing, Introduction to Banking and Budgeting, and What to Expect After Graduation. We will be featuring speakers and presenters from various businesses and organizations within the community. Our Friday session will include lunch and some fun activities to celebrate our week of enrichment.
To properly plan, we need to know how many students would be interested in participating. Attendance is limited to 12 participants and seats will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. There is no cost to attend the camp. Participants will be required to provide their own transportation If you know of a student that would like to attend, or you would like additional information, please contact Andrea Daigle, Independent Living Coordinator at LIFE, Inc either by email at: adaigle@lifecil.com or phone at (912) 570-5431. Also, we will be seeking in kind donations of food and refreshments to serve at our final session. We look forward to a fun week with the students and appreciate the community’s support and enthusiasm as we continue our mission to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities in Wayne County.
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Collaborative Unites to Provide Bike for CPTC Student
Submitted by Kate Nichols
When a person displays immense tenacity, resilience, and perseverance in the face of a challenge, it is impossible for such traits to go unnoticed. Michael Deegan, Adult Education Instructor at Coastal Pines Technical College (CPTC), observed just this kind of determination in one of his students in the GED program who, lacking any other form of transportation, walks over three miles each way to attend her classes.
“She is a hardworking and driven mother that is determined to obtain her GED and matriculate into the college here at Coastal Pines, but she faces many obstacles,” explained Mr. Deegan.
He went on to say that, while the program offers a virtual option and provides use of a laptop at no cost, the student in unable to take advantage of this because she does not have internet access at home. Further, she cannot afford to utilize alternate transportation, such as Wayne County Transit. Instead, she treks an hour and fifteen minutes each way to attend class in person.
“As residents of Jesup, we all know how hot it gets in July and August, so six miles round trip is brutal, but she does her best to attend class as much as possible,” said Mr. Deegan, who started ensuring he had cold, bottled water on hand when the fatigued student arrived at school.
Recently, the student has been forced to leave her evening class early to avoid walking home in the dark, missing valuable instruction time. Mr. Deegan knew that there had to be a way to help the student get to class, and that’s when the idea of a bicycle came to him.
Guynell Grant, Career Services Specialist with the Adult Education Program at CPTC, presented the need for the bike at the monthly Wayne County Family Connection Collaborative meeting on September 27. Within 24 hours, the bicycle was procured.
Fair Haven, the local non-profit that provides shelter and support to women facing domestic violence, generously provided the bicycle. It was purchased from the Fair Haven Market, which is well-known for helping survivors of domestic violence obtain necessities for a fresh start. However, the abundant generous donations from community members have made it possible for the Market to broaden its scope and commit to serving anyone in need—like this determined student.
Family Connection provided new innertubes for the bicycle’s tires, and Mr. Deegan repaired the tires over the weekend. Mr. Deegan presented the bike to the student when she attended class on Monday night. The bicycle will cut the student’s commute by more than half, allowing her to arrive on campus faster, stay in class longer, and get home to her children sooner.
“It was so inspiring the collaborative come together so quickly to collectively address this need and arrive at a solution, and is a wonderful example of the purpose of this organization. We wish the student the best in all of her educational pursuits,” said Lana Wright, Wayne County Family Connection Executive Director.
If you or your organization would like to join the Wayne County Family Connection collaborative and promote initiatives for a healthier, safer, stronger Wayne County, reach out to Wayne County Family Connection Executive Director, Lana Wright at 912-256-2150 or by email at familyconnection@waynehelp.com.
