Helping Montgomery Families Initiative Gets Big Donation

Once a week, these men and women get together to figure out how to help children. 

 

There are representatives from law enforcement to education to health care.

 

“We’re trying to get kids before they get into middle school, where we’re losing kids. So we think that if we can kind of strengthen not only what’s going on in the environment at home, but more importantly give kids the services that they need as well as the family,” said Sandra Edwards, Director of HMFI.

 

The donation came from the Central Alabama Community Foundation. President Burton Ward says curbing violence in Montgomery has been a priority.

 

“So we looked at all the issues, and violence and just the overall well being of our neighborhoods just kept coming to the top as the focus we needed to take,” said Burton.

 

Edwards says the money will be a big help this year. The group is funded through the city, county, and District Attorney’s office, but she says that isn’t enough. 

 

“Actually in our case offices, we purchase assessments so when our case workers go out into the home, we try to get to those underlying issues we’ve got material that we need to purchase,” said Edwards.

 

She says the group has been around for about 7 years. One of the members, Wanda Bowden, sits on the committee. She says in her time there, she’s seen a lot of families get help. 

 

“We actually see not only kids get better but we see families really reconnect with one another in a lot of cases,” said Bowden.

 

The Helping Montgomery Families Initiative also plans on expanding a new pilot program with part of the donation.