Join our Community Collaborative
Please join us as we work together sharing information and services to help build
a strong, vibrant, healthy community.
For the safety of our members, we will continue to hold meetings VIRTUALLY.
We will send out ZOOM meeting information the week before scheduled meeting.
If you can't make it, we are happy to make announcements for you.
Contact Nancy Stites at nstites@dawsonfamilyconnection.org if you need more information.
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Our next VIRTUAL meeting will be November 3, 2020

~Dawson County Family Connection News~
October is MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH!
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When we come down with a cold, most of us don't hesitate to seek help or visit the doctor. But if we can't seem to shake our endless worries or that nagging sense of hopelessness, we plug along as though nothing is wrong.
Hence the dire state of mental health in the United States, where roughly one in four adults suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder, yet less than half receive treatment.
Take time to take care of you! Whether it is a relaxing bubble bath or a call to a professional...you are worth it! A partial list of professional resources in or around Dawson County can be found HERE.
Each Halloween, millions of children across the country take part in the annual ritual of trick-or-treating. It gives them a great opportunity to not just stock up candy, but also get to know their neighbors. However, there are no doubt houses that parents would rather their children not visit at all.
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When is the last time you checked out Dawson County's Sex Offender Registry?
All it takes is one minute...and it might just be the extra precaution that keeps
Halloween fun, rather than making it scary! 
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Keep our kids safe!  Visit:
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Unfortunately, due to COVID precautions, Family Connection has had to cancel the 10/15/2020 Kinship Care Meeting. We were so looking forward to seeing you again, but must keep everyone's safety in mind. 
Check our Facebook page for future meetings!


~Be The Key News~
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY CONNECTION TEAM!
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Dawson County Family Connection is very proud to introduce you to our newest team member, Ivy Smith! Ivy is Dawson County Family Connection's new Prevention Coordinator. As our Prevention Coordinator, Ivy will continue to promote our Underage Drinking Prevention Strategy to the youth and parents of Dawson County.
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Ivy graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor's degree in Public Relations. Before moving up to North Georgia, Ivy worked in her hometown of Greensboro, Georgia as an event coordinator and worked closely with community partners in the downtown area. Ivy enjoys spending her free time with her family, friends, animals, cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs and trips to the mountains with her fiancé, Grant.
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We hope you enjoy meeting Ivy as much as we enjoy introducing her! Please feel free to reach out!

Ivy Smith
Prevention Coordinator
Dawson County Family Connection
706-265-1981 Ext 60082
ismith@dawsonfamilyconnection.org
RED RIBBON WEEK OCTOBER 23rd-31st
This campaign occurs one time in a year, where schools and community members support the idea of being drug free. Parents, teachers and students come together to bring awareness to the community and take a pledge to be drug free. During the month of October, you may notice sandwich boards with messages pertaining to Red Ribbon Month at your child's school! Remember it is NEVER too early to start the conversation about drugs and alcohol with your children.
For more information on getting the drug and alcohol conversation started, please visit www.capa-ga.org.
JOIN THE BE THE KEY TEXT BACK CAMPAIGN
Want to find out what teens are really focused on
and what you can do about it? 
Text
PREVENT
to
474747
to get weekly messages with information, resources,
and insight into preventing underage drinking,
drug use and vaping!
Join us and #BeTheKey for youth in Dawson County!
~Calendar~
                   Elderly/Homebound Opens
                   First Aid
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Click on underlined events to learn more
~Collaborative Bulletin Board~

-October full of VIRTUAL events for the public!
-Training Calendar
-Back in full swing!
-If you know someone between the ages of 16-26 years old with a mental health need/diagnosis, please feel free to contact Jenna Parmer at 706-716-0194 or jenna.parmer@avitapartners.org.
-Minor Home Repairs or Handicap Ramp Build
-Trunk or Treat sponsors needed
-FREE Fall/Winter Clothing & Toy Distribution
-October Calendar
-Has updated their website!
-Breast Cancer Screenings Available
-Heating Assistance information
-October newsletter
-Do you know of a child in need of a bed?

Click on agency for more information
NINTH DISTRICT OPPORTUNITY
HEATING ASSISTANCE
A one time payment will be made to the home energy supplier on behalf of eligible households. Eligibility for the program is based on income of everyone in the home:
Opens for the elderly/homebound: November 2nd
Opens for general public: December 1st
DAWSON COUNTY MCKINNEY VENTO
STUDENTS NEEDS
We are starting to feel a dip in the temperatures in Dawson County and we have some students that need some essentials to keep warm! It is easy peasy to help! 1) Go to our Amazon Wish List  2) Purchase straight from Amazon
3) Items delivered to us for distribution!
(CLICK HERE FOR WISHLIST)
-Ric Rack is collecting food for the holidays! They are in need of standard Thanksgiving meal items to distribute beginning November 1st. Also, juice for our seniors and children. Thank you for your continued support. 
~Highlighted Agency~
Our guest speaker at this month's Community Collaborative meeting was Ms. Angela Agel from AutoGift.  AutoGift's mission is: 
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"To give single mothers with minor children, and no access to a car, the gift of a safe, reliable, debt-free automobile as a resource to be used to enhance their quality of life."
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AutoGift's donated vehicles go through a rigorous certification process including a title check, emissions inspection and extensive mechanical check. Once the vehicle has completed this process, the air conditioning is then checked to make sure in working order, proper spare tire is included, the oil is changed, the gas tank is filled and the car is completely detailed to be ready for it's recipient. 

Recipients are advocated for by agencies (please note single moms do not apply directly).  If you know a single mother that meets the criteria (CLICK FOR CRITERIA), you can fill out the application and begin your advocacy process (CLICK FOR APPLICATION)

This year's goal was to distribute 70 cars to mothers, but unfortunately because of COVID-19, they have only been able to gift 22. In order to meet their goal, AutoGift is relaxing one requirement: usually a mother needs to have at least two children to qualify, for the next 90 days, a mother only needs one child to qualify!

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To either donate a car or to advocate for a car recipient, please contact:
Angela Abel at angela@autogift.org
For more information you can visit autogift.org or check out their Facebook page (HERE)
~Fundraisers~
KARE FOR KIDS, INC
MOONSHINE FESTIVAL (October 24-26)
KARE for Kids, Inc. is a non-profit organization providing Christmas for underprivileged children. KARE for Kids holds a fund-raiser each year, The Mountain Moonshine Festival, to finance their goals. Donations are accepted from groups, businesses or organizations. Every penny raised goes towards provided Christmas to over 600 Dawson County children! 
(CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION)
RAPE RESPONSE
GENEROUS HEART FUNDRAISER
Your donation empowers the board of directors, staff and volunteers to: Safeguard the dignity of each person served,
Operate a 24 hour, 7-day a week crisis hotline and emergency room support to survivors of sexual assault,
Provide survivors with free and confidential crisis intervention, Accompany survivors when they need support during law enforcement investigations and court hearings
GOOD SHEPHERD CLINIC
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Nothing says Halloween like a SCARECROW!
We have all had a "scarecrow" kind of year, and the Good Shepherd Clinic is sponsoring a Scarecrow 'Fest to put a smile on all our faces. 
Get ready to load up the car and have a memorable time with the whole family!
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HOW IT WORKS:
Participating businesses will create their own unique scarecrow and display them next to their storefront.
Elementary school children from Dawson County will vote on for their favorite scarecrows in an interactive community-wide scarecrow hunt!
WINNERS of Scarecrow' Fest will be announced on October 30, 2020!
The contest runs from September 25th until October 30th.

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HOW DO I PARTICIPATE?
The entrance fee is $100 with proceeds going to the Good Shepherd Clinic to pay for much-needed medicines for our patients. The clinic has remained open for the entire pandemic, serving Dawson County as we have for the last eleven years.
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CLICK HERE for entry information
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CLICK HERE for flyer
~Other News~

 

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Call us at 706-265-1981