FRC honored many at the 40th Anniversary Gala Celebration.
At the 40th Anniversary Gala, the Family Resource Center staff and board of directors honored many of the individuals who have played an important role in supporting the agency through its first 40 years.
Family Resource Center, Inc. Celebrates 40 Years of Service
Saturday, August 19, 2023
105 individuals gathered at the Wytheville Golf Club for a gala event to celebrate the Family Resource Center’s 40th Anniversary. The evening included a meal, a video featuring images from the agency’s history, and presentations to honor several individuals whose work, support, and volunteer service have been key.
Honorees included:
- Gail Catron, Incorporator and member of the original Board of Directors
- Maria Timoney, Legal Aid Attorney and former Board Chair
- Andy Kegley, HOPE (Helping Overcome Poverty’s Existence)
- Beverly Gray, LCSW (former staff)
- Farron Smith (volunteer/supporter)
- Betty Robinette (volunteer)
- Elsie Valko (volunteer)
- Mike Ogle (volunteer)
- Catrina Hall (volunteer)
- Regina Eller (38 year staff member)
- Sissy Gravley (26 year staff member)
- Debbie Sifford (Grayson Co. Commonwealth Attorney’s office)
- Ashley Manual (former staff)
LAP Partner Honorees:
Grayson County Sheriff’s Office
- Sheriff: Richard Vaughn
- LAP Coordinator: Sargent Mico Davis
- Deputy Eric Jones
Independence Police Department
- LAP Coordinator: Chief Matthew Adams
- Former Chief: James Wagner
Galax City Police Department
- Chief Dewitt Cooper
- LAP Coordinator: Sargent Jason Hawks
Carroll County Sheriff’s Office:
- Sheriff Kevin Kemp
- LAP Coordinator: Master Deputy Jeremiah Foutch
- LAP Trainers: Deputy Chris Hawks & Deputy Jr. Young
Smyth County Sheriff’s Office:
- Sheriff B. C. “Chip” Shuler
- LAP Coordinator: Deputy Greg Ward
- Investigator Tony McCormick & Deputy Dusty King
Wythe County Sheriff’s Office:
- Sheriff Charles Foster
- LAP Coordinator: Lieutenant Harry Street
In her opening remarkes for the evening, FRC’s current Executive Director, Karli Meagher stated, “This organization was started by a group of community members that saw domestic and sexual violence as problem and wanted to make a change. Family Resource Center was founded in 1983. Our services have changed and advanced over the years, but our mission has stayed true to our founders’ intention.
Some of the changes through the last 40 years include: onsite congregate shelter model changed to a scattered site model to ensure that survivors could remain in their community (if safe) and have their own space, adding licensed staff to provide therapy, having certified staff through Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists, mobile advocacy (taking services to the client in their community), and most recently, adding the Lethality Assessment Protocol (LAP) program to multiple jurisdictions in our service area (the most of any domestic violence agency in the state of Virginia). The LAP on-scene assessment by our law enforcement partners gives survivors direct and quick access to our services. FRC is committed to continuing to strive to develop programs that are the most accessible and meet the needs of our community.
Over these 40 years we estimate the services we have provided as:
- 46,400 hotline calls
- 3,500 families sheltered
- 80,000 nights of shelter
- 23,800 adults provided advocacy services
- 8,700 children provided advocacy services
- 158,000 instances of counseling and support
- 60,000 instances of crisis intervention
- 195,00 instances of safety planning
- 12,000 instances of therapy
- 10,000 instances of court support
Maria Timoney, a former board member, Legal Aid attorney, and long-term supporter of Family Resource Center spoke about her memories of the early years, managing services after a tragic fire that burned the shelter, and her delight at seeing how far the agency has come.
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Need more information? Call today: 1.276.625.0219
Family Resource Center, Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit agency providing services to those affected by domestic and sexual violence in Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth and Wythe Counties and Galax City.