EC Family Connection Focuses on Literacy and Nutrition

By Deanna Ryan

A special Family Connection Collaborative meeting was held August 18, 2022 at noon at the Sudie Fulford Building on the East Georgia College campus. According to Tammy Allen, Family Connection director, “Organizations and individuals are welcome to be a part of the collaborative. We come together to share ideas and work together to serve the children and families of Emanuel County. Our current annual plan focuses on improving childhood literacy and nutrition.”

To improve childhood literacy, Family Connections, Twin City Elementary, Franklin Memorial Library and other community members are promoting the “Ferst” Readers program of Emanuel County. “Ferst” provides local children up to the age of five with a book a month for twelve months. The goal is to provide every child in Emanuel County age-appropriate books for an at home library. More details will follow in the next issue on how to participate.

In order to create a focus on making nutritious food fun, Family Connections sponsored Emanuel Chopped Juniors, a week of fun cooking, being judged, and making oral presentations. The chefs created smoothies, pizzas, veggie potatoes, bread in a bag, zucchini, sweet potato, broccoli, and cauliflower tots, and slow cooker enchiladas, then worked together with a wide variety of foods to create their team's charcuterie board.

Present at the meeting was Georgia Family Connection Partnership Regional Manager Sunny Rogers who noted the local “Family Connections coordinators are the best in the state because they don’t have a lot of resources but they sure are making things happen in their communities.”

IN PHOTO FAMILY CONNECTION ATTENDEES

BACK ROW (L-R): Petite Garrett- Swainsboro Kiwanis, Sunny Rogers- Georgia Family Connection Partnership, Pam Carr -Chairman, Windy Ward- Franklin Memorial Library and Jeff Helms-Youth Challenge; FRONT ROW (L-R): Richelle Darley- Anthem Blue Cross, Audra Taylor- Anthem Blue Cross, Tim Goodman-Swainsboro Kiwanis Club, Cheryl Goodman- Swainsboro Kiwanis Club, Matt Jarrell- First Baptist Church Swainsboro, Carmen Tanner- Emanuel Medical Center, Candy Powers- CASA, Ann Rogers- BOE, Tammy Allen- Family Connection, Johanna Gay- East Georgia HealthCare, Maggie Greer- GSU Dietetic Intern and Jodi Jarvis-TCE Media Specialist