News	Our programs

News

On April 23, about 400 people (110 adults and 285 children!) crammed themselves into the auditorium at Hamilton Park from 3 to 9 p.m. for Family Focus Englewood’s annual anti-violence event, Hands Across Englewood. (Click HERE to see photos of the event.)

Activities provided a mixture of fun and information for all ages: a resource fair, hoop aerobics, a presentation for kids on Shaken Baby Syndrome,, a discussion and coloring table of "Inside Him: Stories for Children that Grownups Can Watch," face painting, a giant carnival bouncer, and an art table. One innovative activity was the creation of “safety leaves.” Children and adults noted on paper leaves how they could keep themselves or kids they knew safe. These leaves were added to the “safety tree” on display at the event. A D.J. was also on hand to provide plenty of music for dancing,

Thirteen organizations on the Englewood Safe Start Council were represented at the community resource fair:

Abraxas	Chicago Department of Public Health-Breast and Cervical Cancer Awareness
Chicago Police Department (CPD)-7th District	CPD 7th District Domestic Violence Subcommittee
CPD's Domestic Violence Program	DESTINY Systems, Inc
Illinois Maternal & Child Health Coalition	Greater Englewood Healthy Start Initiative
Respiratory Health Association	Riveredge Hospital
SGA Youth & Family Services	SOS Children's Villages-Chicago Village
St. Bernard Hospital

Anne Parry, Director of the Chicago Department of Public Health, Office of Violence Prevention, and Marlita White, Chicago Safe Start Director, were on hand to present a Certificate of Appreciation to Family Focus Englewood Safe Start In recognition of the program’s efforts to prevent violence in the community.

Our Programs

Family Focus Englewood provides programs and activities to support the mental health and parenting skills of teens who are pregnant or are parenting infants. It makes developmental screenings available for all families. The center features a violence prevention program that reduces trauma and strengthens families of young children who have been exposed to family or community violence. Family Focus Englewood is also part of the 21st Century Learning Centers program, offering after-school activities at Bond, Reed and Sherwood Elementary Schools and Woods Academy, a Chicago community school. (For the current issue of the Family Focus/Woods Academy Community Collaborator, click HERE. )

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