Brooke and Hancock Family Centres Receive Financial Boost

A BOOST FOR FAMILY SERVICES — Aetna Better Health has donated $50,000 to each of West Virginia’s family support centers. Presenting the donation at the Brooke County Family Support Center, located in the Bruin Bridge Alternative School, were, from left: Jason Cline, who serves on the advisory board of the Brooke-Hancock Family Resource Network, which oversees the center; Brittany Kuhn, interim director of the Brooke County Family Support Center; Janna Gordon, executive director of the Brooke-Hancock FRN; and Taylor Daugherty, community development coordinator for Aetna Better Health. — Warren Scott

The Brooke and Hancock County Family Resource Centers each received financial assistance in their efforts to serve local children and their families.

On Wednesday, a representative from Aetna Better Health, a health care coverage provider serving West Virginia’s Medicaid program, presented each center with $50,000.

Taylor Daugherty, community development coordinator for Aetna, said the donations are among many of the same amount made to family support centers across the state.

Locally, the Brooke-Hancock Family Resource Network received a grant from the federal Office for Children and Families a few years ago to open support centers that provide food and supplies to families in need as well as information and activities for all children and parents.

The Brooke County Family Support Center is located in the Bruin Bridge Alternative School, formerly Wellsburg Middle School, operated by Brooke County Schools.

The Hancock County Family Support Center is located in Chester City Hall on Indiana Avenue.

Daugherty said Aetna has supported the efforts of both centers and other family support centers in the past, but this is the first year it has made donations of this size.

Of the family support centres, she said: “They do a lot of good for the community. I’ve seen it myself.”

Janna Gordon, executive director of the Brooke-Hancock FRN, said plans call for the donations to be used to establish an after-school program for both counties where children can receive help with homework and participate in various activities.

Gordon said the centers will try to coordinate those programs around existing ones that might be offered by local school districts, and many details need to be worked out.

Brittany Kuhn, director of the Brooke County center, said the money will also be used to establish a program where new parents can receive counseling and support.

The group is aimed at parents aged 25 and under with children aged 5 and under, and Jason and Dani Cline have been chosen to lead it.

Jason said that as parents of three boys, all under the age of 9, he feels prepared to help individuals cope with the stress of being a new parent and share tips on good nutrition and other care.

A local pastor, Jason also led the center’s Dadtitude group, which has a similar focus for fathers and other male caregivers, while Betsy Nixon led the Me Time for Moms group.

Kuhn said there is also a group for grandparents and other caregivers who are not parents.

Gordon said that under the leadership of Hannah Hebrock, the Hancock County center offers a group for mothers while another for fathers is being formed.

Both centers also provide food, personal hygiene products and infant equipment to families in need each month.

Much of the food comes from the Mountaineer Food Bank, a nonprofit affiliated with Feeding America, although both centers accept donations of nonperishable food and personal hygiene products.

In collaboration with the food bank, the centers are able to provide emergency food bags to families facing crises.

Kuhn said that with support from the Mountaineer Food Bank, the Brooke County center also provides bags of food to 25 seniors in need and may expand that service.

Gordon noted that the FRN office at 1300 Potomac St. in Weirton also operates a food pantry.

For more information about food banks, call (304) 748-7850, ext. 1003, in Hancock County and (304) 748-7850, ext. 1004, in Brooke County.

Kuhn said the Brooke County center has partnered with the Brooke County Public Library, with Kim Harless, its program director, leading story hours there.

Gordon said the Hancock County center has helped promote programs offered by the nearby Lynn Murray Memorial Library and has participated in various community events hosted by other nonprofit groups.

She said of the different services offered by the two centres: “Both are trying to find gaps in community services that need to be filled.”

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