Children and Families

Lark Rayburn
Blog 2

Children and Families

I’m a member of Team Heroes, the BEST group ever!! Our client this semester is the Center for Children and Families, Inc. (CCFI), a non-profit organization which has worked on improving the lives of children and families for almost 40 years. Established in 1969 as a juvenile shelter Juvenile Services Inc. (JSI), has continued to adapt to the needs of its community. The mission of this organization is to improve the lives of children through partnerships with families and communities, because every boy and girl deserves to grow up safe, nurtured and loved.

CCFI, a partnership with United Way, is Norman’s safe place for families in distress, an education and rehabilitation hub for parents and children in crisis, and an invaluable source of expertise in family development and neglect and abuse issues. In 2006, the organization assisted 9,624 Cleveland County residents.

The Center has four programs including Divorce Visitation Arbitration, Neighborhood Centers, Teenage Parenting and Parents Assistance.

Although CCFI has many beneficial things to offer, the organization has received little recognition. Because of this, CCFI desires to get the organization’s name out and interest the community in visiting CCFI and take a 50 minute tour to learn more about the organization’s programs, operations and goals.

Our group is planning on holding a media event which would inform the public about CCFI’s services, programs, volunteer opportunities and facility. We ultimately want CCFI to be a household name.

This opportunity seems overwhelming, but I know this will be an extremely practical and rewarding experience.