Forward thinking at Centerboard

LYNN – A new program called “Lynn Family Forward” aims to support struggling families in the city however it can.The program, run by Centerboard, had its official launching and ribbon-cutting Friday even though it’s been in operation for a month. Organizers, volunteers and guests attended the ceremony, during which Ebony White, the director who oversees the family resource center, talked about the program.”Anyone can walk into the center for services,” White said. “We need this in our community. The center offers on-site services as well as network-services that we send people out for.”Centerboard provides a helping hand to families and young people for a number of different things such as housing, access to employment and education, financial empowerment. The new center will provide services and programs including parenting education, family advocacy, community resources and referrals, family health and wellness, child development activities, family literacy and education support, youth programs, family economics and self sufficiency and counseling.”Hopefully this ceremony will let the community see we’re here and this is what we do,” White said. “A lot of people learn about it from word of mouth.”On Tuesday nights we have a teen parent support group,” White said. “We have 15 teen moms and four teen dads who have been coming weekly. We have two volunteers who take time out of their day to help out with the group,” she said.”We’re partnering with Project Home to get AA groups available,” she said. “We’re looking to get a program for the under-18 population especially.”The group has also partnered with Girls Inc. and are running a group around drug abuse, she said.Specialized services include LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Transsexual, and those who are questioned about their orientation) groups, programs for youth with an incarcerated caregiver, and My Life Choice Groups for Exploited Girls.Ebbony Davis, who is in the process of becoming a volunteer, shared her talent of singing at the event.”I want to empower youth,” Davis said. “I want them to look at me and say ?see, she made it,’ especially because I’m still in (Department of Children and Families) custody and I have been since I was 3. DCF is who has helped me.”Davis would be one of the many people who volunteer their time to help run the center.”Volunteers help us daily with things like babysitting, phone calls and translating,” said White. “There are three full-time workers and the rest are all part-time and volunteers.”An event will be held on Sept. 6 from 12-4 p.m. with some of the “top barbers in Lynn,” White said.”It will be a big event,” she said.Barbers will offer free back-to-school haircuts to children going into kindergarten through grade 12. The first 50 children will also receive a free backpack.”Our goal is to not only help families but also help CRA (Children Requiring Assistance) families too,” White said.The center is located at 16 City Hall Square in the Centerboard building.