"Helping People Help Others" - the Spalding County Collaborative Authority - by Bailee Bunn
The Spalding County Collaborative Authority, though not well known by name, does much for the community through “Helping People Help Others.” The mission of the Spalding County Collaborative Authority for Families is “to improve the well-being and health conditions of families through a collaborative system of physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual supports,” and this is being achieved through the many community organizations and programs put into place and supported by the Spalding Collaborative.
The Spalding Collaborative was originally founded in 1993 to become a part of the Family Connection partnership, which now has a Collaborative in each of the 159 counties in Georgia, each Collaborative working toward the mutual goal of improving the quality of life for children and families. Since its inception, the Spalding Collaborative has partnered with other organizations, such as the Griffin-Spalding School System shortly after its formation, and the Teen Plus Center in 1996 to tackle the tough problem of the county’s soaring teen pregnancy rate. Since 1998, when the state legislature granted the “Authority” status through Act 677, the Spalding Collaborative has been able to act autonomously to prioritize the needs of Spalding County families and children. The membership of the Spalding Collaborative has evolved to include some 300 partners, including families, youth, schools, faith and civic organizations, public and private human service providers, community business leaders, and government leaders. Membership is open to anyone who is willing and able to provide services to families and children.
Tackling Truancy, Child Abuse and Neglect, Senior Issues, and Poverty
The focus of the Spalding Collaborative has most recently been on school attendance, child abuse and neglect, and senior issues in an effort to meet the goal that “All Families in Spalding County will be Stable and Self-Sufficient.” The members of the Spalding Collaborative share a vision that through community and family support, all of the citizens of Spalding County will become educated, healthy, community minded, self-sufficient individuals. The Collaborative is helping the citizens of Spalding County achieve this goal by supporting the following committees: the Drug Awareness/Prevention Coalition, the Healthy Youth Committee, the Parent Advisory Committee, the Prevent Child Abuse Spalding Committee, and the Senior Issues Committee. Each of these committees is designed to better address the needs of the community.
Partners for a Prosperous Griffin-Spalding County, a combined effort with many of Griffin’s entities coming together to address the serious issue of poverty, resulted in this community receiving a $1 million grant from the Strengthening Community Fund. The funds have gone to 40 different organizations to help them better serve the citizens of Spalding County and the nine surrounding counties. Safehouse Coffee and Tea is one of these nonprofit organizations that has received money from the grant and is working for a better community. The Executive Director of the Collaborative, Joseph Walker, who has seen firsthand the beneficial relationships formed by the Collaborative’s work, hopes that the Collaborative “will continue to move in the direction of providing support to organizations and helping them grow so that they are able to benefit the community, and continue to build relationships between organizations.”
April is Child Abuse Awareness Month, and the Spalding Collaborative works with the Spalding County School System to put pinwheels outside of the schools to make people aware of the child abuse in Spalding County. The Drug Awareness and Prevention Coalition is the sponsor of Red Ribbon Month, a month in which participating schools attempt to make children aware of the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. Although the Spalding Collaborative may not be a name that we hear on a daily basis, their work is evident through the programs they sponsor, the organizations they support, and the different issues they are steadily working to solve. “Time is the only the thing that is needed from the community,” says Joseph Walker. We need people who are willing to work on the committees and volunteer time.”
The Collaborative meets from 9 to 10 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at the Spalding County Health Department. For meeting times, events, or more information about the committees, please visit http://gafcp.org/fcnetwork/spalding/ or find Georgia Family Connection Partnership on Facebook.
The Spalding Collaborative was originally founded in 1993 to become a part of the Family Connection partnership, which now has a Collaborative in each of the 159 counties in Georgia, each Collaborative working toward the mutual goal of improving the quality of life for children and families. Since its inception, the Spalding Collaborative has partnered with other organizations, such as the Griffin-Spalding School System shortly after its formation, and the Teen Plus Center in 1996 to tackle the tough problem of the county’s soaring teen pregnancy rate. Since 1998, when the state legislature granted the “Authority” status through Act 677, the Spalding Collaborative has been able to act autonomously to prioritize the needs of Spalding County families and children. The membership of the Spalding Collaborative has evolved to include some 300 partners, including families, youth, schools, faith and civic organizations, public and private human service providers, community business leaders, and government leaders. Membership is open to anyone who is willing and able to provide services to families and children.
Tackling Truancy, Child Abuse and Neglect, Senior Issues, and Poverty
The focus of the Spalding Collaborative has most recently been on school attendance, child abuse and neglect, and senior issues in an effort to meet the goal that “All Families in Spalding County will be Stable and Self-Sufficient.” The members of the Spalding Collaborative share a vision that through community and family support, all of the citizens of Spalding County will become educated, healthy, community minded, self-sufficient individuals. The Collaborative is helping the citizens of Spalding County achieve this goal by supporting the following committees: the Drug Awareness/Prevention Coalition, the Healthy Youth Committee, the Parent Advisory Committee, the Prevent Child Abuse Spalding Committee, and the Senior Issues Committee. Each of these committees is designed to better address the needs of the community.
Partners for a Prosperous Griffin-Spalding County, a combined effort with many of Griffin’s entities coming together to address the serious issue of poverty, resulted in this community receiving a $1 million grant from the Strengthening Community Fund. The funds have gone to 40 different organizations to help them better serve the citizens of Spalding County and the nine surrounding counties. Safehouse Coffee and Tea is one of these nonprofit organizations that has received money from the grant and is working for a better community. The Executive Director of the Collaborative, Joseph Walker, who has seen firsthand the beneficial relationships formed by the Collaborative’s work, hopes that the Collaborative “will continue to move in the direction of providing support to organizations and helping them grow so that they are able to benefit the community, and continue to build relationships between organizations.”
April is Child Abuse Awareness Month, and the Spalding Collaborative works with the Spalding County School System to put pinwheels outside of the schools to make people aware of the child abuse in Spalding County. The Drug Awareness and Prevention Coalition is the sponsor of Red Ribbon Month, a month in which participating schools attempt to make children aware of the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. Although the Spalding Collaborative may not be a name that we hear on a daily basis, their work is evident through the programs they sponsor, the organizations they support, and the different issues they are steadily working to solve. “Time is the only the thing that is needed from the community,” says Joseph Walker. We need people who are willing to work on the committees and volunteer time.”
The Collaborative meets from 9 to 10 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month at the Spalding County Health Department. For meeting times, events, or more information about the committees, please visit http://gafcp.org/fcnetwork/spalding/ or find Georgia Family Connection Partnership on Facebook.
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