Let There Be Joy – Families Free Client Christmas Party

Tradition: a noun meaning to “hand down statements, beliefs, information, etc. from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice.”

Traditions are so important to not only families but individuals as well, especially during the holiday season. For some of our clients, establishing new Christmas traditions that support their recovery feels like starting from scratch. However, just like our Executive Director Lisa Tipton said – “It just takes one person to start a tradition …”

MeredithLet There Be Joy – Families Free Client Christmas Party
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TCCY Legislative Brunch

We were honored to co-sponsor Northeast Tennessee Council On Children and Youth’s Legislative Brunch this past Friday, November 30th. State agencies, local non-profits, legislators, and many more gathered to discuss how we can continue to work together to ensure children in East Tennessee are safe, healthy, educated, nurtured and provided with opportunities that help them achieve their full potential.
MeredithTCCY Legislative Brunch
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Open House Event For Our New JC Office

We were excited to officially share our new office space in Johnson City this past Thursday, November 29th. Our Open House Event was the culmination of a lot of hard work from the Families Free team and also many members of our community. To those who assisted in the search for our office, helped us move, put furniture together, and decorated our space so that it feels warm and inviting to everyone that steps foot in our door – we thank you. Our success is in large part due to your kindness, and we feel so blessed to receive the support.

MeredithOpen House Event For Our New JC Office
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Join Us In Bringing Light Through Family Traditions

If your family, church, or business is looking to give back this holiday season, we have two different ways for you to connect with families in need. Our Target registry is comprised of items that will help make this holiday season special for the families we serve. Your kindness will ensure that local children receive gifts and necessities wrapped with care by their parents, who have done the hard work of transforming themselves and their families, during our annual Client Christmas Party.

MeredithJoin Us In Bringing Light Through Family Traditions
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First Judicial District Felony Recovery Court Graduation

Successful individuals build successful communities …

On Thursday, October 11th members of the Families Free and First Judicial District Felony Recovery Court teams, current participants in the program, family, and friends gathered to celebrate the success of Brooke and Kaice. Both women joined the First Judicial District Felony Recovery Court program looking for a second chance.

MeredithFirst Judicial District Felony Recovery Court Graduation
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Building Strong Brains: Tennessee Event

“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived, and dishonest – but the myth – persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.” JFK

Families Free was invited to take part in the event for Building Strong Brains: Tennessee in Nashville today. This ACEs Initiative is a major statewide effort to establish Tennessee as a national model for how a state can promote culture change in early childhood based on a philosophy that preventing and mitigating adverse childhood experiences, and their impact, is the most promising approach to helping Tennessee children lead productive, healthy lives.

Dr. Karen Schetzina and Executive Director Lisa Tipton next to the informational poster for their Baby Steps to Success ACEs project.

Families Free’s work in the community mirrors these very same goals, and we address the hard issues facing our region: addiction, child welfare, and poverty. Our programs help build the capacity of vulnerable families through education, intervention, and restoration of relationships – all of which strengthens families and our community as a whole. We love Tennessee’s commitment to children and families, and we are so grateful for their state funding and support in our efforts to build and foster resiliency. #LoveRestores

MeredithBuilding Strong Brains: Tennessee Event
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Families Free Second Annual Fundraiser – An Evening At Chateau Selah

Driving up the hill to Chateau Selah you can’t help but anticipate the stunning views that greet you once you reach the top. On the evening of August 23rd, the crisp end-of-summer breeze met with our region’s beloved rolling hills to provide a gorgeous backdrop for our second annual Families Free Fundraiser.

Honored guests first entered the courtyard to connect with friends, our board members and our team. Everyone then gathered together to hear from our Executive Director Lisa Tipton before enjoying a delicious meal provided by the Divine Catering Company before the evening’s entertainment began.

As our Master of Ceremony Kevin Wilson took the stage, excitement grew as our attendees took their seats after dinner. Musician Barry Bales joined Kevin to reveal that the surprise guest entertainment that evening would be none other than Bluegrass Legend and Grammy Award Winning Artist – Alison Krauss! Alison, Barry, and friends filled the space with music that created a beautiful experience for all of our attendees. We’ve all experienced the power of music, so to be witness to the talent of Alison Krauss and every musician on that stage is something our guests will be thinking about for years to come.

Afterward, Lisa once again took the stage to introduce Ashley, Ally, and Sunday. All three women have worked with our team through various programs to rebuild their lives and have experienced firsthand how #LoveRestores. Our guests were able to hear their powerful stories and learn about how Families Free has impacted these women and their families.

We want to thank each and every person that attended our event and those that felt led to support our work through donations. Our fundraising event was fully sponsored, so all donations will directly impact our community. We hope that their time spent with us provided our guests with both a magical evening but also an opportunity to take a glimpse into the lives of those around us who need our support.

We also want to thank the architects of this event – Nancy Storie and Tina Wilson, as well as other Families Free Board Members for their incredible work and dedication. Thank you to our event sponsors: Bank of Tennessee, McGriff Insurance Services, Sturgill Endodontics, Sturgill Orthodontics, Universal Wine & Spirits, and Reclaimed Inspired Goods.

Thanks to Bellafina Chocolates for producing and packaging the Woven Coffee samples handed out to our guests, as well as Chateau Selah for sponsoring and hosting the event.

Once again, a thank you to our Master of Ceremony Kevin Wilson, Barry Bales and friends, Alison Krauss, and most importantly – Ashley, Ally, and Sunday for opening their hearts to us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MeredithFamilies Free Second Annual Fundraiser – An Evening At Chateau Selah
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A Special Donation From Sew Crazy

We want to take the time to thank Sew Crazy for highlighting Woven and for hosting an event where participants made infant items with the mothers and babies from our program in mind. By donating baby items to Woven, Sew Crazy helps us continue our efforts to support local families in need. #LoveRestores

To learn more about Sew Crazy and their mission, please visit their website here.

MeredithA Special Donation From Sew Crazy
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Latched on to Maternal Health: Northeast Tennessee Regional Maternal Health Forum

We were thrilled to take part in providing refreshments and our Woven Coffee for the attendees of Latched on to Maternal Health: Northeast Tennessee Regional Maternal Health Forum today. This one-day conference focused on a variety of available interventions for the prenatal and postpartum woman and maternal mental health.

Families Free Executive Director Lisa Tipton and Woven Coordinator Rachel Adams were on hand to discuss with attendees how our team serves the community by providing treatment, intervention services, employment through our social enterprise opportunities, and much more. Rachel was also there to share how our Woven program continues to make strides in serving mothers.

Woven is designed to support women who have delivered a drug-exposed infant. We work to see them restored to the mothers they were created to be by utilizing evidence-based treatment services, intensive case management support, and in-home parenting support to further promote bonding, attachment, and increased parental capacity. To learn more about this program, please visit the Woven page here.

We would also like to extend a huge thank you to Tim Burchfield and Chick-fil-A Johnson City Crossing for donating gift cards for us to give the conference attendees, as well as New Maven Macs for their delicious macaroons. New Maven Macs is a social enterprise opening soon in Kingsport whose mission is to employ and support women in our community who are reshaping their lives after incarceration and addiction. #LoveRestores

 

Sponsors for this event are the ETSU Office of Continuing Medical Education at Quillen College of Medicine, Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the Carter County Drug Prevention Coalition.

MeredithLatched on to Maternal Health: Northeast Tennessee Regional Maternal Health Forum
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Niswonger Children’s Hospital Launches Families Thrive

“Babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) need extra care while they’re in the hospital – and so do their families. To support the parents and relatives of newborns with NAS, Niswonger Children’s Hospital has launched its innovative new Families Thrive program. Families Thrive provides counseling for addiction recovery, tools for parenting skills and connections to other services that can assist families after the baby comes home.”

“All functions and services of Families Thrive are staffed by Families Free, a non-profit local organization that provides treatment, intervention services, employment through social enterprise opportunities and support for women and families affected by substance abuse, incarceration and domestic instability.”

We are so proud to be a part of Families Thrive and working to offer support, resources and – most of all – hope. Engaging with women, listening to their stories and adding value to their experiences as mothers facilitate a transformative process that affects not only the mother and child but everyone in their lives. Read more about the launch of Families Thrive by following the link. #LoveRestores

MeredithNiswonger Children’s Hospital Launches Families Thrive
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