Author Archives: Families First

Today’s the Last Day! Please RSVP by clicking here. The gala will be held at the Atlanta History Center at 6pm on Thursday, March 30, 2023, and includes a cocktail reception, live entertainment – with a special performance by the Atlanta Women’s Chorus, dinner, live auction and more. Please join us and Honorary Chair Ambassador Andrew Young as we celebrate Lucy […]

RSVP by March 21, 2023 The gala will be held at the Atlanta History Center at 6pm on Thursday, March 30, 2023, and includes a cocktail reception, live entertainment – with a special performance by the Atlanta Women’s Chorus, seated dinner, live auction and more.  And former Families First board member Monica Kaufman Pearson will serve as emcee! There […]

Please join us for Families First inaugural “Loving the Legacy” fundraising gala. We are so grateful for the community, organizations and individuals who have provided philanthropic support to help us fulfill our mission – Building resilient families so all children can thrive. Every donation helps Families First deliver essential services to families in crisis. We cordially invite you […]

Click here to learn more about the Families First – 2023 Loving the Legacy Fundraising Gala Have you heard? We are super excited to announce that Monica Pearson will be our emcee for Loving the Legacy! Families First invites you to mark your calendars for our new signature fundraising gala “Loving the Legacy” on Thursday, March 30, […]

Families First partners with the 2023 HBCU All-Star Battle Of The Bands & College Fair scheduled Saturday 2/4/23.  Join us as the Battle is Back! 6 HBCUs and 2 High school marching bands will leave it all on the field to a crowd of 50K+. For Battle Of The Bands sponsorship, contact Peyton Van Schalkwyk at  peyton@allstarbattleofbands.com For Battle of the Bands […]

A few years back, after a rough childhood and early adulthood, I joined the Weaver Gardens Independent Living Program at Families First. Through that experience, I gained the support and the life skills I needed to thrive. Families First taught me practical life skills like how to open a bank account, get a car, and apply […]

This week, we pause to celebrate all that we have to be thankful for – but just a few years ago, I felt so hopeless, it was difficult to feel gratitude toward anything. My first semester of college was cut short by the devastating passing of my son just four days after his birth. I […]

Families First recently announced it received a grant from Bank of America to help support mental & behavioral health services and navigator case management. The $55,000 grant is aligned with Bank of America’s efforts for workforce development that will support Families First’s goal to strengthen families by offering a holistic approach and a host of […]

Moody, who has served as Interim CEO since May 2022, to lead nonprofit building resilient families so children can thrive. Families First, Inc. today announced that Paula Moody, LCSW, MS, will lead the organization as Chief Executive Officer, effective Sept. 20, 2022. Moody has over 25 years of experience in non-profit program services and leadership. […]

When you look at a family, the parents of that family are often the ones who hold all the power. They hold the power to shape their children’s lives. They hold the power to raise their children to be the best versions of themselves. And they hold the power to set their children down the […]

Atlanta was again making waves as the Georgia Aquarium ballroom set the scene for the post-COVID comeback of Families First’s evening of recognizing extraordinary community impact and raising funds for its wraparound social services and innovative behavioral health counseling for children and families. Beginning with the vividly painted story of Families First’s inventive case management […]

“Looking at resilience and looking at empowerment, it is the heart and soul of Families First,” shares Patricia Whatley Showell, Atlanta community leader and the agency’s former CEO, who will be honored with the Legacy Award on May 12.  Families First will gather civic, philanthropic, corporate and individual partners at the Georgia Aquarium to celebrate […]

The Families First Resiliency Movement is harnessing the power of community change agents to take actions to break down barriers. Barriers to equity. Barriers to inclusion. And, in turn build up opportunities for justice and resilience. At the heart of the Families First Resiliency Movement is Families First Navigator Care Model which empowers professionals to […]

On March 31, Families First unveiled “The Threads of Resilience” Mural, an amazing visual representation of the hope for our future and the support of our families and communities to help our children succeed. The mural’s artist, Sharanda Wilburn, S.A.W, created the beautiful masterpiece to bring our mission to “Build Resilient Families so all Children […]

CBS46’s Jennifer Valdez, Teresa Rivero of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ivan Shammas of Univision Atlanta, Peter Williams of BlackRock Atlanta and Bentina Terry of Georgia Power invite you to celebrate Families First honorees during its annual evening of cocktails and conversations at Dining for a Difference on Thursday, May 12.  This year the […]

More now than ever, major corporations are making an impact beyond providing great products and customer service. They are also giving back and creating more opportunities for the communities they serve. Over and above just turning on the lights, Georgia Power is helping empower families to move from surviving to thriving. Recently, Georgia Power donated […]

As we celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, we remember the sacrifices made by women, for women to make our communities, our country, and our world more inclusive. From its inception, Families First has a long history of serving women and helping them build resilience and gain access to mental health support, coaching, […]

The challenges of the last two year have impacted all of us. From social injustices to racial inequality and COVID, our communities are suffering. We have also seen great acts of heroism with our front-line workers who have continued to serve our communities. A common thread that has emerged is the power of resilience. At […]

Building resilience is a step-by-step process. Part of that process is having a healthy well-being. With the tumultuous nature of life during COVID-19, finding the path to a healthy well-being has been challenging. We recently asked, Dr. Edward Valentin, director of Clinical Services at Families First, about the importance of wellness and how wellness can […]