FAMILY, Inc. (Fostering,Adopting, and Mentoring to Improve the Lives of Youth) will work to build loving and nurturing homes for children in need via ongoing recruitment efforts and support of families via resource identification and utilization. Our aim is to support the unit -FAMILY- so that it may remain healthy and intact. Healthy families lead to healthier communities!

Description:
FAMILY, Inc., in collaboration with area agencies and political efforts such as "Faith in Families", an effort spearheaded by Councilwoman Reynolds-Brown, will also work with area congregations to improve the quality of families in Philadelphia and surrounding areas. Hoping to recruit families to provide homes for the more than 5,000 children in Philadelphia, and 500,000 nationwide, in need of loving and nurturing homes we also aim to support families in keeping them stable, healthy, and intact. Since family breakdown is historically associated with many societal ills, preventing the breakdown of the family is key in maintaining community vitalization. It is hoped that area Pastors will foster the development of 'FAMILY MINISTRIES' to serve as an ongoing effort in reaching and maintaining the "family focus" goal (no-cost training is available in assisting with the establishment of such ministries). In a city where violence is running rampant, rearing children with morals and self-respect is a means of preventing further societal deterioration. Church involvement also increases the likelihood of the development and improvement of church, family, and community relationships.

History:
FAMILY was developed by a Philadelphia public school nurse, a breast cancer survivor,in August of 2003 during a leadership class sponsored by Congressman Chaka Fattah. This class was designed to identify and build leaders in every portion of the city of Philadelphia to effect positive changes in each neighborhood. The organization is dedicated to the memory of 'Mama Liza' Hall who epitomized the village concept of child-rearing (she died in March/2004). FAMILY became incorporated shortly thereafter and launched a FAMILY Fellowship in Fairmount Park for the purposes of recruiting persons to foster, adopt, and mentor children in need of services. This event, held in the summer of 2004, yielded 8 new foster care families and 1 adoptive family. Several organizations such as The Black Men at Penn School of Social Work, Inc. and LLPCS staff offered to provide mentoring services as needed. FAMILY, Inc. was instrumental in finding homes for several large families with handicapped children and assisted several grandmothers with acquiring respite care services. The organization has been featured in several newspaper articles and on WDAS-FM, Mike Robinson Presents. In February of 2005, the Founder of FAMILY, Inc. was awarded the "Hometown Hero Award" by the Philadelphia 76ers. The Board of Directors of FAMILY, Inc. continue in its fund raising efforts and guidance to the organization.

Contact people:

Wanda Lassiter, Founder/ Co-Director, (phone), (email) Chad Lassiter, Director, (phone), (email)

Office fax number: (215) 276-5848

Address:

6617 N 12th Street- Lower Level Philadelphia, PA 19126 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.familypa.org

Directions:

Travel North on Broad St. to 66th Ave. Proceed East for two blocks and turn left on 12th St. Office in on the Right side of the street.   Nearest Bus Stop: "C" Bus, "K" Bus, 5 minute walk For maps or information, please see http://www.septa.com/

Miscellaneous Information

Are court referrals welcomed?
	Yes