Family is the focus of LHAND center

LYNN – For many local families who are struggling financially, a job and childcare present the classic chicken-and-egg scenario.”You can’t have childcare without a job; you can’t have a job without childcare,” said Harry MacCabe of the Lynn Housing Authority & Neighborhood Development (LHAND), which celebrated the official opening of the Lynn Family Success Center Wednesday.Joining LHAND for the opening of the center, which is located in the Blood Building on Wheeler Street, were representatives of various city, state and national organizations and agencies.The new venture is a collaboration among many organizations that offer services to low-income and struggling individuals and families. Partners include LHAND, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, Lynn Public Schools, Jewish Vocational Service, and other agencies.”What you have here is a place where people can come to put their plan together, not just for their finances but for their lives,” said Michael Durkin, president of the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley.The family center offers three main program areas: homelessness prevention and support; financial stability; and family stability. These areas are further broken down into several individual programs run by different organizations.For instance, the United Way is offering financial coaching and access to programs supporting those with a limited income. The organization is also connecting people to job- and skills-training opportunities, English language classes, and computer training through partnerships with Jewish Vocational Service and North Shore Career Center.The United Way is also partnering with the Seimer Institute for Family Stability, LHAND and Lynn Public Schools to prevent homelessness and connect children of homeless families to academic support and resources.”When families are in chaos, for whatever reason, children can’t learn,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Catherine C. Latham said at the opening. “When families are successful, children are successful, and we as a city benefit through that.”The United Way is awarding $810,000 over the next three years to support these programs.LHAND’s housing and case-management programs will also be housed at the family center. These programs include services for veterans, Lynn’s Continuum of Care centralized intake services, childcare resources, and support programs for grandparents, fathers and families.”It’s so important when you not just look at one problem, you look at the big picture,” State Rep.-elect Brendan Crighton said. “That’s just what this center does here.”