Families First of Palm Beach County recently held its annual meeting at the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties.
CEO Julie Swindler welcomed guests, including a number of local state and federal lawmakers, and other Families First supporters. All received a copy of the annual report highlighting program accomplishments, community events and a preview of plans for 2014.
“We pride ourselves on our work in the overall development of children and the unity of the family,” Swindler said. “We continue serving those most in need through the support of our boards, funding partners and the community.”
Swindler highlighted each program and the cost saving associated with each to the state and taxpayers.
“Through our five programs, and our preventative work, we have saved taxpayers over $55 million in long-term care for the families we served in 2013,” Swindler said.
The meeting continued with an introduction of the Families First Foundation by JoAnn Sears, the foundation’s president. Sears, who helped seed an endowment for the agency, recognized board members and spoke about the importance of the foundation’s formation.
Other speakers included Community Foundation President & CEO Brad Hurlburt and Healthy Families program clients the Krysiewicz family.
Outgoing Operations Board President Latasha Gholdston recognized board members and spoke about a few major accomplishments over the past year, including the Healthy Families program working on reaccreditation and the addition of a family specialist to provide services to families with a history of substance abuse, domestic violence or mental health issues. The morning concluded with the ceremonial changing of the board and incoming President Bari Goldstein giving an update for the coming year.
Families First has a 24-year history of helping families learn how to become productive and successful members of their community.
Families First staff works with each of its 1,000 families in Palm Beach County, teaching them how to create a safe, secure and nurturing environment for their children. Families who seek to build a better quality of life for their children benefit from the agency’s five diverse programs that provide a way to reduce barriers to family stability.
For more info., visit www.familiesfirstpbc.org.
ABOVE: Incoming President Bari Goldstein, Outgoing President Latasha Gholdston and Families First CEO Julie Swindler.
