(Photo courtesy of Family Access Network)
The Family Access Network (FAN) hosted its annual Partner Lunch for service partners in Central Oregon on September 16. The event, with special guest speaker and Sisters School District Superintendent, Curt Scholl, provided an opportunity for community partners who don’t often get to meet in person to network and discuss the services their unique organizations provide to the Central Oregon community.
Also of note, FAN advocates were in attendance, giving partners a chance to come together with the very people whom they regularly coordinate with in order to help connect children and their families with basic needs resources.
The event was attended by 41 vital service agencies such as NeighborImpact, Deschutes County Behavioral Health, and the Latino Community Association, as well as superintendents from five Central Oregon school districts. “It’s incredible to see so many of our community partners gather together under one roof,” says Julie Lyche, executive director of FAN. “Seeing everyone here really highlights the good work and possibility for change that exists in our Central Oregon community.”
When a student or parent approaches a FAN advocate for support, that advocate consults a database of over 100 community partners that are vetted and reliably available for support. At the Partner Lunch, FAN advocates and members of those organizations have a chance to connect face to face, allowing for a deeper understanding of services and a personal connection to the work happening every day. The Partner Lunch is one of many ways that FAN opens doors to possibility and hope.
Unique to Central Oregon, FAN began in 1993 and currently employs 27 advocates at 65 sites in Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties. These advocates work tirelessly to help families break the cycle of poverty. The direct placement of FAN advocates within schools allows FAN to effectively reach and connect children and families in need to essential resources to thrive.
familyaccessnetwork.org
